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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJohn Pavlovitz: This isn't Christianity
A good message for a Sunday morning.
https://johnpavlovitz.com/2019/11/02/this-isnt-christianity/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=johnpavlovitz
Where Jesus implored Christians to love and to care for and to show hospitality to their neighborsthis drives people to fear them and have contempt for them and send them back and wall them off.
Where Jesus directed Christians to pray and to give in quiet and secretthis is a shameless, staged photo op to engender applause.
Where Jesus told Christians that they would be defined by the way in which they lavishly love humanitythis is a malicious assault on nearly all of it.
Where Jesus directed Christians to live humbly and take the lowest placethis is arrogance and boasting and self-promotion.
Where Jesus fed multitudes and healed sick without asking for repaymentthis is healthcare repeals and canceled school lunch programs and pull yourself up by your own bootstraps disdain for the needy.
Where Jesus followers shared all things and lived interdependently and made sure that no one went withoutthis is cries of Socialism whenever those with abundance are asked to share with those who lack.
Where Jesus threw open the doors of the kingdom so that the entire world could find welcome and refuge and comfortthis is a guarded, gated community of privileged, close-fisted white Americans.
This is Rome.
This is Empire.
This is corrupt and predatory power.
This is perverted religion wielded like a hammer.
This is hypocritical, showy piety paraded for everyone to see.
This is the darkness Jesus claimed we should be brilliant light streaking into.
This is the bloated ugliness he said we were to live in quiet, gentle opposition to.
This is the table of greed he invited us to angrily turn over.
The Christianity of Jesus left people with more dignity and greater care; with healed wounds and fuller bellies, with calmed fears and quieted worries. It left people seen and heard and known. It left a wake of kindness and generosity and goodness and compassion.
No, this isnt Christianity.
To hell with what this is.
more at link
MiHale
(9,593 posts)Klaralven
(7,510 posts)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_the_Great_and_Christianity
Gore1FL
(21,027 posts)Religion isn't a good thing.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,773 posts)Mariana
(14,847 posts)This bigoted bullshit has long since gotten old. The idea that only non-Christians can be horrible people is disgusting and hateful.
Stuckinthebush
(10,816 posts)This is exactly what Christianity has been except for a minority of believers. This is how power is wielded through social institutions like The Church.
You are also very correct by drilling down on this line of thought and critically analyzing what isnt said. This cant be Christian because it is bad and bad is not Christian.
Christianity has been pretty brutal and bad in most of its forms throughout history. The happy clappy image of sweet Jesus is used as their own Wizard of Oz. Dont look behind the curtain.
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)as a justification for mocking and condemning them, rather than helping them, either. Nor,did he label refugees "terrorists," "rapists," and "thugs" to shirk responsibility for them.
These people don't follow Jesus. As John Fugelsang points out, Jesus is just their mascot for their cult.
Mariana
(14,847 posts)according to the stories. Matthew 26:6-11
rickyhall
(4,889 posts)twodogsbarking
(9,290 posts)What crap.
Skittles
(152,964 posts)?
twodogsbarking
(9,290 posts)ananda
(28,781 posts)Or just plain humanity.
Ferrets are Cool
(21,059 posts)To be REAL Christians, they would have to practice the words of Jesus. They don't.
Mariana
(14,847 posts)LakeArenal
(28,713 posts)Jesus was NOT a Christian.
Repeat: JESUS WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN
JESUS WAS JEWISH.
Hekate
(90,189 posts)Silent3
(15,018 posts)For all of the loving, warm-and-fuzzy Jesus stuff you can find, there's at least a bit of wrathful Jesus and a whole lot of nasty Old Testament God stuff that can be invoked too.
As much as many people would like to think, nice Christianity is the only "real" version of it.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)This might not represent the character of Christ we read about in the Bible.
But since Constantine made Christianity the Church of The Roman Empire this is pretty much representative of Christianity.
Most Democrats I know identity as Christians but what they believe and practice is relatively new to the faith.