Today's Quote: The Opinion Mill: "For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes. But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course that’s Moses, not Jesus. I haven’t heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere.
“Blessed are the merciful” in a courtroom? “Blessed are the peacemakers” in the Pentagon? Give me a break!"
Updated--slacktivistadds:
"I've also been thinking a bit about the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) lately. Familiarity has inured us to the upside-down idealism of this passage, but try to hear it with fresh ears and you realize how backwards it is from, well, everything else we've been taught. Just look at the list of people it says are 'blessed': the poor, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted. That's quite the lucky bunch.
But the bit that's had me thinking lately is the final blessed: 'Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.'
Somehow, the meaning of this passage has been twisted into the idea that fat, complacent and otherwise-indistinct-from-everyone-else blowhards should invent trumped up, bogus claims of persecution so that they can reap the blessings of direct-mail fundraising. (Yes, Bill Donohue, I'm talking to you.)
What was that term St. John used for people who teach the opposite (or 'anti-') of what Jesus (or 'Christ') taught?"
5 comments:
I am interested in knowing the percentage of self-identified Christians that are advocates of placing the 10 commandments on buildings. The reason I ask this is that, in all my years of attending various churches, going to bible studies, and working at Christian summer camps, I have yet to meet one of these people.
I have no doubt that they exist and I have seen them on TV, but I wonder if they get more press than they should. I had someone ask me why, "you Christians don't go after Rev. Phelps?" I suggested that the Rev. Phelps is a kook and represents himself, not Christianity. Heck, even Fallwell said he was a "nutjob."
If I had to guess, I would say that most Christians don't feel the need to slap quotes on various gov't buildings.
Steve, two thoughts. I know several Christians who support the Ten Commandment displays. I would point out to you the bus loads of people who followed Roy Moore's little ironic monument around the South. See also D. James Kennedy and his Reconstructionist following.
Second, I think that Fox and Falwell LOVE Phelps because it gives them a moment to look reasonable. We should be ignoring these wackjobs. You are right, they are not representative of Christianity. But when they are around, Jerry Falwell's stupid statments about Global Warming or James Dobson's statements about anything look moderate in comparison.
I didn't say there were any, I just get annoyed when this is touted as mainstream Chirisianity.
I spent 4 summers in college working at Lutheran Summer camps in several states. While I don't claim to be an expert, I have a pretty good feel for what most Lutheran camps were like in the mid-west. Thanks to "Jesus Camp," most people have the impression that Christian Camps are all like the one that was depicted. I am not claiming that there is a conspiracy, but there certainly is an element in the media and entertainment that is mostly interested in showing the kooks and extremists.
Things can get more complicated, moreover, when you have to decide which Beatitudes to draw from. Matthew says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," while Luke says, "Blessed are the poor." I believe the Greek uses the same word in both Gospels, but our mother tongue English allows some wiggle room for those who don't want to talk about poverty--never mind that Jesus talked about it all the time.
I prefer to lean on something my poet mother-in-law likes to say about understanding meaning in literature: "When the question is which, the answer is both."
Steve, I am really not sure that people think all camps are like Jesus Camp. Most of us have some experience with camps and know those are extreme.
I have no doubt that the media shows the extremists and kooks, but that is for the same reason that O'Reilly is on the air as much as he is--or why the media covers Anna Nicole Smith's baby more than it covers global warming or tax reform.
Anglican, well spoken. Both indeed--poor in spirit and poor, period.
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