"Has religious right hijacked American flag and Jesus?"

[CrispyQ]

Very thoughtful editorials on Christianity and the religious right. I'm not Christian, but I was heartened to read these.

Sept 5 - The Blurring of Christianity
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E31701%257E2376784,00.html

<snip>
Has the right wing of the Republican Party not only hijacked the American flag and patriotism but Jesus Christ as well?

If so, how did it happen? And why aren't mainstream Christians screaming bloody murder?

Judging by the large, thoughtful response to my Aug. 1 column that questioned where Christianity is going, I'm hardly alone in my distress. We mainstream Christians went into a Rip Van Winkle slumber, while our conservative neighbors busily turned God and the flag into a righteous partnership.

How easy it was after Sept. 11 for the religious right to grow in numbers and influence as it redefined the true meaning of Christianity, made hate, fear and revenge sound virtuous and promised that, with God, we (good) will triumph over them (evil).
A lot of you apparently grew up as I did. As a Christian, you believed that more could be accomplished with love than with hate. What mattered was helping the downtrodden and loving your fellow man. Now, with a blurred definition of Christianity, you can't be a true believer without being devoted to a war that is worth nearly 1,000 American lives (so far) because my God is better than your God.

======
Here's a link to his previous editorial that he references. It's worth the read too.

August 1 - The True Meaning of Christianity
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E31701%257E,00.html

<snip>

This is going to dismay my pastor, whom I adore. She sees me as a faithful member of her small but vibrant United Methodist Church, which I am. What she doesn't know is how frustrated I've become with Christianity in particular and religion in general.

Our 150-member church in Louisville is warm and loving. It truly cares about people and their deep-felt hurts and problems. It conducts a fantastic food-basket program for those in need throughout the community. Names on the church's prayer list reach far beyond the membership. The pastor preaches regularly about the keys to happiness, the two most often cited being trusting Jesus and learning to forgive.

All of the above is what I like about attending church and being a part of its leadership.

What I don't like is how the rising tide of conservatism in national politics is trying to redefine Christianity and claim it as an ally. Suddenly, being a follower of Christ has greater meaning than loving your fellow man, turning the other cheek and caring for the less fortunate.

[jackieforthedems]

1. God Is In You

As a born Catholic, I consider myself a Christian, and not necessarily a person of any certain religion, although I do attend church in a Catholic parish (because I personally like to worship in the atmosphere of a church). I have always categorized people in this way: those from Cain's side of the family, and those from Abel's. Your heart, mind and soul are either good or bad, and I still think that actions speak louder than words when it comes to setting a Christ-like example. I don't know how anyone could claim to be a true follower of Jesus and not love their fellow human being, turn the other cheek, and care for the less fortunate. I know what you mean, though. I see it all the time, too. People who claim - or maybe I should say pretend - to be Christians who are too busy accumulating material things and being selfish and self-centered than they do donating to a great cause, volunteering, or trying to understand where others are coming from. They are also usually one-track minded people, extremely opinionated, condemning, judgemental, envious, and put themselves on pedestals, looking down on others, etc... I say, it's good they think so highly of themselves, etc... because nobody else does, and basically, if you put them all in a bag together and shook it up, none of them would come out on top. They are definitely not getting all the messages that Jesus tried to teach them. I know what you mean.

[noonwitch]

2. The flag, yes, but no one can hijack Jesus.

Not without a bunch of hurricanes hitting your brother's home state, that is.

[maxsolomon]

3. absurd to expect moderates to stand up to the christian fascists.

unless the situation is truly drastic, only the extremes make noise.

there's a reason they don't attend the same churches.

jesus preached a gospel of love. the perversion of his message into one justifying intolerance & war began in 33 AD.

[sweetheart]

4. How is the self hyjakked

You are here right now.
God is in you right now.
God is reading this with your eyes.
There are thoughts and feelings.
And a vibrant life force,
a passion, a complexity
a divine subtlety
profoundly beautiful.

Nothing is hyjakked if
the self present now stops.

[GarySeven]

5. As corporate counsel for BushCo ....

I hereby ask you to immediately CEASE and DESIST making all references to "Jesus" "Our Lord" "Our Savior," etc.

All such references are registered Trademarks (TM) of Jesus, Ltd., a holy-owned subsidiary of BushCo, and may not be used without permission, persuant to US Copyright law.

Your prompt removal of this post and cooperation with this request will be greatly appreciated. If you don't, you obviously support the terrorists.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. An old, very old, conflict.

Jesus was a revolutionary teacher who spoke about poverty, injustice, corruption, peace and war, etc. Just like a lot of other revolutionists, he was tortured and executed for telling the truth.

His ideals were co-opted and perverted by some of his followere (Paul, in particular) until what he preached and what is now preached in his name are almost diametrically opposites.

Kind of like using "Imagine" to sell cars or soapflakes.

I'm not a Christian but I have nothing but respect for what Jesus taught.

[phylny]

7. I stumbled upon

a *very* radical "Christian" website yesterday, and on the forum were prayer requests. The one with the "sticky" was one asking for people to pray for President Bush. There was another forum where people rhetorically asked if Jesus would be a Democrat, and they all fell all over themselves saying he would never be part of a party that allowed abortions and gay people.

I went so far as to sign up there, creating another earthlink account and an alias, because I wanted to post a prayer request that God give John Kerry and John Edwards the wisdom and the means and the support to lead our country out of its sinful state of affairs, to help the poor and disenfranchised, to take care of our children, and to be a beacon of hope and justice and freedom for the rest of the world, but I haven't done it yet. It's not that I'm afraid to, but I feel that as much as we don't want disruptors here, maybe I shouldn't become a disruptor there.

And then I got to thinking, as a Christian woman, one who feels Jesus died for my sins, one who believes in him as my salvation, WHY THE HELL would feel I was disrupting? Don't I count??

Just as quickly, I realized why I hesitated. I just don't belong there, because they are falling all over themselves in their passion for being the perfect Christian, for converting the world, for proving how pious they all are, and their pride and callousness was sinful. I'm a Christian who realizes that I have hundreds of shortcomings, that I'm incredibly imperfect, that I don't know all the answers, and that, in my belief, I'll have to stand in front of my saviour in all my sinfulness and ask for forgiveness and mercy. I'm not perfect like they are. I'm just an ordinary, loving, compassionate Christian.

So, instead of posting a prayer request on their site, I thought that the best thing for *me* to do would be to pray. Yes, even though I'm a Democrat and I'm voting for Kerry/Edwards, I get to pray! I'm allowed! I've made the decision that I will pray daily that God give John Kerry and John Edwards the wisdom to lead our country in the right (not RIGHT, but you know ;)) direction, that he open the eyes of our fellow citizens, and that the hearts that have been hardened by the immoral people running the campaign for the Republican party will be softened so that they may make an educated choice.

Even imperfect Christians get to talk to the Lord every once in a while. I've decided I'm standing in line for my turn.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. You're in good company.

Here are some Christians that I believe practiced Christianity in the way that Jesus spoke of:

Leo Tolstoy
Martin Luther King
Nelson Mandela
Bayard Rustin
Helen Keller
Daniel & Phillip Berrigan
The Maryknoll Sisters who protest the SOA
John Brown
Mary Cady Stanton
Susan B. Anthony
Desmond Tutu

and, many others who certainly disrupted the status quo in the name of Christianity.

[RevCheesehead]

8. Please sign this petition!

I've posted this before. If you're fed up, check out the link below:

**********************************************************

God is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat.

Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and others on the Religious Right
claim that God has taken a side in this election, and that
Christians should only vote for George W. Bush. The Bush-Cheney
campaign even told volunteers it was their "duty" to make church
directories available to their campaign.

"It is the responsibility of...every evangelical Christian
...to get serious about re-electing President Bush."

- Jerry Falwell, The New York Times, July 16, 2004

How has the love of Jesus, the Prince of Peace - and his good
news to the poor - been distorted by the pro-war, pro-rich
political agenda of the Religious Right? Our faith has been
hijacked, and it's time to take it back!

Click below to sign our petition and send a message to America
that God is not a Republican or a Democrat, and that the
Religious Right does not speak for you. Remind America that
Jesus taught us to be peacemakers, advocates for the poor, and
defenders of justice.

With your help, Sojourners will also place a full-page
advertisement in The New York Times, followed by local newspaper
and online ads across the United States.

>snip<

Sign the petition, support the campaign, and spread the word.
Together we can take back our faith!

http://go.sojo.net/campaign/takebackourfaith?rk=mdqHZD11ga0OW

[jackieforthedems]

13. Thanks!

Thanks for the link! I just signed the petition. I had tried a few times before and it said the link was removed, but it was there just now. Thanks again!

[BiggJawn]

10. These were good pieces.

Would that there were more Barries in churches across this land, and by that, I don't mean people who believe and live the brand of Christianity that Barrie does, but people who are brave enough to call the snake-handling Fundies on their game.

Barrie "gets it", that silence=agreement.

I enjoyed reading them, even as an Atheist.

[barb162]

11. not yet but they keep trying every chance they get

[truthspeaker]

12. What, are they like just figuring this out?

This has been going on at least since the late 70s.