I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. --Mohandas Gandhi
Throughout history, "Christians" have, in the name of religion, pressured, forced, manipulated, coerced, bribed, threatened, tricked, or otherwise attempted to control people. Let's just be clear that we have no Gospel-based justification for such behavior. (And let's also be clear that throughout history and yes, even today, many "Christians" have scorned to use underhanded or aggressive strategies in the name of God.)
But many "Christians" who get media attention showered upon them are like [name deleted] who is famous for picketing all over the country in the name of the doctrine that "God hates [derogatory term deleted]." Or like [name of deceased deleted] who blamed the ravages of Hurricane Katrina on "HOmoSEXuals" or [name also deleted] who saw the earthquake in Haiti as a "blessing" and the result of a Haitian pact with the Devil.
Or, to bring this catalog of infamy current, like [name deleted] who is staging a "Burn a Koran Day" on September 11. [Same name deleted] will be responsible for God knows how many additional surges of fury and distrust on a global scale. Pictures of his event are sure to be used in recruiting by terrorist groups. I can't stand it. I'm ready to quit except, that would be like letting the bad guys win, right?
What does it mean that hatred grabs our attention and sells advertising while boring old caring-for-others is relegated to dependent clauses and submerged paragraphs? That the guy who hates has a full-color picture announcing his ugly message to the entire Associated Press world? That his answering machine is backed up with requests for interviews? That his mailbox is full of Qur'ans destined for the flames?
Indeed, here I am myself, devoting a blot, I mean a blog, to the haters instead of to the caring ones.
I was raised United Methodist, flirted with conservative Baptist theology as an undergraduate, then came to my senses and joined a Mennonite congregation that emphasized working for social justice and participating in a community of mutual care. (Of course I know many other groups espouse the same approach.) Anyone who reads the Gospels with an open mind must acknowledge that Jesus lived according to those values. He was persecuted because he spoke for outcasts and challenged religious authority. For the most part, he taught the people who came to hear him, or to challenge him, or who were milling about the Jewish temple. He sometimes started a conversation and invited people to join him, but he never chased them down or yelled at them or called them ugly names if they declined. No. He let people go their own way.*
He let people go their own way.
Tell me, am I so angry and ashamed by the behavior of some "Christians" that I'm in danger of becoming one who hates? I can't stand it that so many "Christians" believe they have the right, and not just the right but a holy mandate, to seize political power and use it to subjugate our country to a certain version of "Christianity." It enrages me. I can't stand to let them go their own way. I want to stop them, or at the very least, I want to distance myself from them as much as I possibly can.
The religious power brokers of Jesus's time may not have succeeded in killing him without the support of the people. And the support of the people was won in large part when Jesus failed to bring about the political revolution they expected. It has not changed. Most people, including "Christians," want power, including political power, and they want it now and are willing to use whatever means necessary to get it.
Including ignoring the example of Jesus himself.
*Disclaimer: Note the title of this post. Also note that while I feel strongly about the issues I discuss here, I do not present myself as a model "Christian" or, indeed, a model anything. These are simply my views.
I blame professional wrestling.
ReplyDeleteFor my heresy? I would never have thought of that. Good call.
ReplyDeleteFor all of society's ills. It all began with those spandex-wearing freaks of the WWF back in the `80s. Isn't that also around the time [name deleted] began the Moral Majority movement?
ReplyDeleteCoincidence? I don't think so.
I get your drift, Erik! But these days, instead of wearing their spandex outright, they hide it behind generously cut suits, refer to themselves as [all those frickin' names deleted], and call their rabid fans [some way-out church name deleted].
ReplyDeleteYour theory explains so much -- for example, why [pick any name deleted] believes that bluster and bombast and stupidity will bring down the enemy. Burning Qur'ans will topple Islam, or picketing the funeral of a murdered family will combat the devil, or manipulating politics in the Middle East will hurry along the Second Coming.
You know, it occurs to me that this blog really belongs in my "Hell's Handbasket" series.
Sometimes while we are looking at the strange things that people are doing around us we find ourselves challenged to do the right thing! Christians have struggled for centuries to figure out the rules of the game. This game called life. Many believe that there is a Higher Power! The problem with believing in a Higher Power (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) is that we have our own wills to contend with and deal with on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteThis can be hard enough for most normal people. Then we have all these people who are doing strange things in the name of religion! It becomes apparent to me that we need to take responsibility for our own actions. It sad to think that this preacher thinks he is hearing from God!
Some may take that as a sign of Schizophrenia. Others may think that he is doing God's will. My view is that he wants some attention. These actions are attention seeking behaviors. Do I think this world is coming to an end because he wants to burn a Koran. No, but it is causing a stir and people are getting their emotions in a uproar.
Its ok to burn a US flag or many US flags and that is tolerated. Even burning churches is viewed by some radicals as ok! What shall we do to this Preacher Man? Shall we stone him? Shall we cut his head off? Shall we be tolerant of his views? We want everyone to be tolerant of the Muslims but it doesn't go both ways!
Jesus tolerated his followers and others who didn't follow him directly! -MC
There is a world of difference between Christians and zealots who hide behind religious robes. The twit of whom (or which?) you speak has now said he will "pray on his decision", presumably if the spirit moves him he will change his mind. So, not only is he a zealot, he is also an attention-seeking fraud. (I mean, seriously, his church has 50 followers. He is looking to fatten the collection plate - nothing more, nothing less).
ReplyDeleteBe a proud Christian, Karen. True believers of Christ's teachings find comfort in His words and actions, rather than fret over the small minority who use their faith as a sheild to protect them from answering for their bigotry, hatred and intolerance. But answer they will - to a much higher (and they should hope a more tolerant) power. C.A.
I'm honored to have readers who respond with such a range of views. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI've had many moments of "I don't claim them either" too!
ReplyDeleteAnymore though, I like to think that Jesus knew the difference between someone who was ready to "move on" from this holographic dualistic playground, and yet would always have "something to say" "anyway" to those who were not!
And I also would like to believe, in one of my many moments of (schizophrenia? acts of God's will? attempts to gain attention?) that sooner or later we'll all lay down our shields and our swords and get home "anyway" and it will all be "said and done" and then, just for fun even, we'll sing that song that goes something like "I don't care what you did (I did, we did to each other), as long as we're all friends in the end".
Amen:)