Blogger: Post a Comment: "Could it be because you are so focused on the failures of men and women, especially of those who call themseves Christians, that you no longer can see or care about God’s purpose in sending Jesus Christ to redeem mankind?"
This comment bothers me on a couple of levels. First, it isn't a question, but a statement of my "seeing" or "caring." Second, it presupposes that I cannot do both--focus on the failures of Christians, AND care about God's purpose. Third, and I think, the most troubling, is the assumption that my criticisms of people like Schafly and Dobson are tantamount to opposing God.
That is the part I really don't understand. If I criticize Bill Frist and Dobson for painting liberals as anti-Christian, am I attacking God? When I question people who claim to be speaking for God, am I attacking God? I guess if you believe that Frist, Bush, Dobson, etc., really are speaking for God, then my rejection of them is a rejection of God. But I don't believe that. I don't think that just because someone claims to speak for God that I should accept that. I was taught to be reasonably skeptical. More importantly, is the commenter suggesting that the church is off-limits for criticism?
The point of my original post was not to attack the idea of Christ, but to say that the prominent figures in American Christianity scare me a lot more than the supposed athiests and non-Christians. As I noted above, Frist and Dobson are saying that the democratic use of the filibuster is "anti-people of faith." Am I really supposed to accept that? Am I really supposed to agree that all of those Christian democrats who have reasonable objections to the judges Bush sends to the hill are really anti-Christian bigots? Have we gotten to the point where if I criticize a Christian person, I am anti-Christian?
For whatever reason, I see contradictions and write about them. I don't apologize for that. Nor do I apologize for my faith. Nor do I apologize for the fact that many people who claim the mantle of Christianity scare me. I have no problem with Christ. I have a big problem with Mel Gibson. And James Dobson, and D. James Kennedy, and Roy Moore, and our President with his supposed faith. I care too much about this faith to allow these people to represent. I will continue to rail and rant. I will continue to call for something better than a Tom Delay or a George Bush. We can do better. We should do better. Our faith demands it, and our country needs it.
3 comments:
I think that's part of why I'm struggling to have faith lately. There's this attitude, particularly from my conservative friends, that I must not be a Christian if I don't think Dobson et al speak for God or if I point out things I think are wrong. There is an attitude of "Sing along, wave your hands in the air, and put on your GOP T-shirt or just leave" in much of American Christianity today. I don't want to "just leave." I want to stay and work for what's right and speak out against evil. But there are increasingly days when I feel like showing up is a waste of time and energy, because they're not interested in hearing it.
Cg, I appreciate the comment. I really don't understand the need to defend some of these people. This filibuster thing is a great example. This is being orchestrated completely by the religious right. This is completely Dobson, D. James Kennedy, and Richard Land. They are intruding on the political process to push their political and religious agenda. That bothers me. I don't for a second believe they are doing so on directions from God. And what is more problematic, they have named people like us as being anti-Christian. We are anti-Christian because we think Dobson is a ass.
Lost in all of this is the Christian traditions of tending to the poor and addressing social justice. This is the religious fervor of the Pharisees, not Christ.
Last I checked Jesus spoke for himself. There seems to be a neverending supply of people that want to speak for all christians, as if people cannot just pick up the Bible and read the New Testament themslves?
But then again, I think most of the religious right are just useful tools for corporate interests...gospel be damned.
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