Controlling Us With Pseudo-Christianity

I believe in God, I am not Christian but I was raised Catholic and was eventually turned off by moral hypocrisy of the human bi-products of that faith.

My reason for posting this is because I believe that good Christians are being brainwashed by conservatism to make all liberal thought a taboo and seem against their faith.

What came first, the morality or the religion? Why can't I separate my morals from my faith? They are one in the same.

Here are three common sense subjects that I believe should not even be issues in our country, but have been made hot-button topics by stuffy neo-cons who use Christianity to scare us into believing them...

Censorship
What is in a word? A word has as much power as you give it. When the Bible says that cursing is wrong, why can't it be more about cursing an individual? I guess I just don't see why a dirty word is dirty or can offend people on such a level.

If you don't like the F word, don't say it and don't listen to music with the F word in it.

Abortion
Ok, so as a rule, I don't believe that anything that lives in symbiosis with you can be considered a separate entity from yourself. Cancer is technically alive, viruses are technically alive, and we work to kill them constantly. I am not equating a baby to cancer, but a cluster of cells in a womb is not really a baby either. And I was always told in Sunday school that a baby has its soul breathed into it at birth, not at conception.

Why do Christians focus so much on telling other people not to abort their fetuses? Do you feel like you are not in control of your own life if you aren't controlling everyone else's as well?

If you are a Christian and are pro-life, then don't get an abortion.

Gay Marriage
Here's a subject that I just can't wrap my brain around. How is gay marriage destroying the sanctity of the act? You'll let idiots like Britney Spears get married in a drunken stuper in Vegas, but 2 men or 2 women in love just seems dirty.

Christians, tell me why my gay friend cannot practice your religion differently from you??? Are you the boss of your religion? They aren't rubbing it in your face, they just want to be happy.

If you don't believe in Gay marriage, don't get gay married.

Conclusion
So basically, why does it make Christians so angry that the other people in their country don't want to live like them? Why make policy based on RELIGIOUS VIEWS?? That is against one of the main ideals we base our country on: separation of church and state, which we have sadly forgotten.

So I've offered many questions and I will provide one solution...

Live your life Christians, be good people, be happy. Don't worry yourselves with the moral fiber of others. You're putting yourself through too much stress and bringing hate into your faith. People are all different, why does that make you upset?

The best part of this country is the choices we have as people. Just because you want to follow a certain set of rules, why must I follow the same rules? I don't tread on you, don't tread on me.






EDIT TO ADD: I forgot to ask this question: In what way is censorship and stopping abortion or gay marriage really Christ-like? I still don't get it.

[edit on 4/13/08 by SantaClaus]

I’m glad you called it ‘pseudo christianity’ because that’s the correct description. What you’re describing is what I call ‘churchianity’, and it’s the result of what was once a faith being institutionalized. All institutions are of man, and so are necessarily corrupt, and bent to the will of whatever political powers are in control. True Christianity has always consisted of only a remnant, and so it is today.

Originally posted by resistor
I’m glad you called it ‘pseudo christianity’ because that’s the correct description. What you’re describing is what I call ‘churchianity’, and it’s the result of what was once a faith being institutionalized. All institutions are of man, and so are necessarily corrupt, and bent to the will of whatever political powers are in control. True Christianity has always consisted of only a remnant, and so it is today.

I really appreciate the fact that your post was my first response because it serves as a great piece to accompany the OP. I still believe in many aspects of my former faith, and I think it is being bastardized to promote ulterior motives. The short version is that I just don't believe in any religion that is intolerant and wants to change everyone to conform to their beliefs.

3 stars and only one response! come on! argue!

I believe this is the excuse

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

- Matthew 28: 19-20

How that relates to censorship, abortion and gay marriage may not be immediately obvious to you and me, but evidently it is to some folk. I believe they take a nice broad view of the 'whatsoever I have commanded you' part.

(Removes mitre and tousles hair into prophetic disarray)

Hear, O hear ye, ATS! Bewail thy fate with lamentations and loud cries, for thy tears shall be as the sea and fishes shall swim among them; and thy cries lamentations shall bruise the wind.

For lo, the day is nigh when the girdle of vengance shall be loosed and the righteous fall with a mighty sound upon the Thread of Santa Claus.

And the Thread of Santa Claus shall be of great length and many pages; and upon it shall be great strife.

For there the ungodly shall oppose them; and upon it shall be strife.

And a heat shall arise therefrom, as of the fiery furnace; but little light.

For on that day shall rise up the Right called Christian; with all its hosts shall it rise. And thine eyes shall know weeping; and much regret.

For the ungodly shall oppose them; in blood and body shall they contend. And the buzzard shall prosper upon the issue.

Thus I speak; hear me, O ATS, and tremble. For of this thread shall be the great Hulla that is called Baloo, even unto the seventh generation.

And thy lamentations shall be as the wind on Sinai.

Astyanax - That was flippin' hilarious!

As to the OP's position, I can only add, (as a horribly failed Christian/Catholic) that many of the issues you raised were important originally in their use as social contracts to keep order in an uncivilized world. Only now we are mostly a society of laws and people cling to the antiquated ways either due to lack of real faith or fear of the unknown. Add to that the slippery slope of moral relativism and the question soon emerges - "Where do you draw the line?".

I would also add Priest marrying to your list - Come on, Why not? It would only serve to make them more pastoral to married people.

Santa Claus, that was a lovely piece of writing, thank you for posting it. You expressed my sentiments exactly. You may be interested in reading former Pres. Carter's book called Our Values in Crisis or something like that. He talks about how politics and religion have become very intertwined, much to his disappointment and how the Southern Baptist Convention has been taken over by politicos; also about how Christianity has been kidnapped by ambitious political types. It's a wonderful book, full of deep observations and the loving spirit that I think Jimmy Carter is. He was a born-again Christian who was president, and yet we never heard one word from him that persons of other faiths and belief-systems could not take issue with.
I think your post sums up all that is wrong with the current path that American Christianity is taking. I sometimes wonder if this new version is the anti-Christ that Jesus spoke about. It seems filled with hatred, fear and judgmentalness. Flag and star for you, Santa Claus!

reply to post by forestlady


Thanks forestlady for your comment. If indeed real Christian ideals are being "kidnapped" then why do so many people adopt the new form?

I think I would attend church much more frequently if I didn't feel it was so full of animosity and frightened people. And I think that really is the problem, there are so many good people out there who let other people define their faith by scaring them into thoughts of damnation.

How has the precedent been set that parents must be afraid for their childrens' immortal souls based on the people they were born (or choose I suppose) to love?

I grew up to believe that faith in Jesus meant truly loving your fellow man, now I am being inundated with reasons to live in fear of my creator. True religion can only come from true appreciation for who everyone is as an individual.

But maybe true religion is a form of population control... I ask myself that daily now.

People choose, and choose is the key word, to be controlled when they become too lazy to run their own affairs.

Churchianity? You better believe it. An entire belief built on John 3:16 which were not the words of Jesus at all. The quotes were moved, and those are the words of John describing his views. John 3:16-21 are Johns Words.

Now a change in punctuation is the sole Point that Chruchianity is based on. Saved by Grace. This is however nothing that The Master teacher taught at all.

Take the time to focus on just what he taught and throw out all other writings and a very different Christianity comes into clear view. Take a black marker and carefully cover up all the words not said by the master. Cover over the reflective paragraphs. throw out all that Paul and the others put to pen. Keep your eyes on him. You will find the truth.

People run to and fro spewing verses, and never even knew that John was a reflective writer. The modern Christian world is built on a change in punctuation folks. Sorry to bear the bad news, but it is good news in knowing the correct direction.

And in the end all who follow these modern lies will be told "depart from me for I knew you not"

They will have wasted their time following paul and the others and never know the Masters teachings.

I am exceedingly surprised that this many people agree with my post without one negative response. I don't know whether to love or hate ATS for that.

We could all add so much.. Stem cell research is something that I wanted to add but tied to closely into abortion so I ask this...

What do the Neo-Christians think about the fact that stem cells are now being produced by long-living cells from live humans? Is this ok?

Stem cell research is the most important advance in medicine in my lifetime, IMO, and it can cure so much and save so many lives of good people, why fight it?

It is odd that those specific "sins" you mentioned get so much focus, when no one is ever really harmed by those things.(with the exception of abortion) Those focusing on those sins as being so important to rid the world of are missing their own sins which are just as bad or worse.

A much weirder thing to me is all of these wealthy Christian's that are running around. That's an oxymoron. How can you be a rich man if you're a christian? And yet, this doesn't get nearly as much attention. One of the most important things Christians should be concerned with is ignored. Faith without works is dead. They can claim to be christian but unless their actions match their words, it's worthless.

reply to post by ThePiemaker


And that is the reason for this thread.. Christians are being brainwashed. In my small town, there isn't a church I can go that doesn't praise some sort of hatred.

And you're right, the most wealthy Christians are the one's who push all these issues.

Hiyah Santa...

Another great thought-provoking post...

Astyanax...I laughed I cried it became a part of me! Star for you!

I don't consider myself a Christian...but thanks for bringing up the points you did Santa ...abortion, gay marriage....both hot buttons to the neo-con indignant, self-righteous and vengeful "Christians" out there...picketing, even shooting Doctors that perform abortions, harassing women who go in to get them...whatever happened to "Judge not lest ye be judged?"

IMO zealots of any kind, political and religious are extremely dangerous and to be feared. Combine the two? You get war, destruction, tyranny, and dictatorship.

Censorship is the tool of zealots of all faiths and backgrounds...
As well as "shunning of those who differ from the pack" as in gay marriage.

All three go hand in hand ....great thread, can't wait to see if you get a "nibble" from any on here that are fanatical.