Friday, December 09, 2005
Real Christians
I'm not Christian, myself -- but the values I follow are much closer to the values preached by the original founder of Christianity. Too often, what we call Christianity in this country is a grab-bag of more ancient religions and political constructs.
But the -- and I hesitate to say "real" Christians -- seem to be so lost, confused and misdirected in the face of all these later traditions and have lost track of what is basically a very simple, easy, reasonable set of rules for life. The founder of the religion got killed because he wouldn't keep his mouth shut (and being as sarcastic as he was probably didn't make any points, either). Where are the Christians today willing to stand up to, fight and push back the practitioners of the cruel scrambled mess that the Christian right claim is Chritianity? Why are they allowing the word "Christian" to become just another word for "Bigot?"
And yes, I've heard it used. When someone was saying ugly things about my gay friends, someone else sneered, "You must be Christian."
Christians need to stand up to the people that are painting them with the brush of intolerance, bigotry and hatred for anything female, even men who are like women. Or the word "Christian" is going to end up on the same level as "Pharisee."
If it hasn't already.
I'm not Christian, myself -- but the values I follow are much closer to the values preached by the original founder of Christianity. Too often, what we call Christianity in this country is a grab-bag of more ancient religions and political constructs.
But the -- and I hesitate to say "real" Christians -- seem to be so lost, confused and misdirected in the face of all these later traditions and have lost track of what is basically a very simple, easy, reasonable set of rules for life. The founder of the religion got killed because he wouldn't keep his mouth shut (and being as sarcastic as he was probably didn't make any points, either). Where are the Christians today willing to stand up to, fight and push back the practitioners of the cruel scrambled mess that the Christian right claim is Chritianity? Why are they allowing the word "Christian" to become just another word for "Bigot?"
And yes, I've heard it used. When someone was saying ugly things about my gay friends, someone else sneered, "You must be Christian."
Christians need to stand up to the people that are painting them with the brush of intolerance, bigotry and hatred for anything female, even men who are like women. Or the word "Christian" is going to end up on the same level as "Pharisee."
If it hasn't already.
