Monday, September 04, 2006
Intolerant Christian continued #3
My Brother's Keeper (continued)
Various denominations and sects of Christianity use a variety of aggressive and increasingly innovative methods in their attempts to proselytize their version of the Christian message. Their numbers are growing rapidly as a result. In general, the more mainstream Protestant denominations preach a message of love and tolerance, and are much less aggressive in their missionary activities. The evangelical and fundamentalist movements however place a special emphasis on the inherent sinful nature of humanity, and the message of these fundamentalist ministers is too often one that threatens what will happen to you if you do not live up to their vision of Christian perfection. Although evangelical and fundamentalist missionaries also preach the message of love and acceptance, they devote much of their time and resources to spreading a message of intolerance. By preaching against the “threat” of homosexuality to traditional marriage, by encouraging changing state and national laws to prevent homosexuals from having the right to adopt children, and in general by denying basic human and civil rights to homosexuals, these Intolerant Christians have abandoned the most important message of the Bible.
A major transformation of the evangelical and fundamentalist movement in the US occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Southern Baptist Convention was taken over by a more radical, and politically motivated leadership. The birth of the Moral Majority, led by Jerry Falwell and the success of Pat Robertson’s 700 Club added a new element to the American political and cultural mix. The incredible amounts of money raised by televangelists such as Robertson, movements such as the Moral Majority, and more recently by the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council, and what is being raised today by the mega-churches, helps to fund their anti-abortion and anti-homosexual crusade, and the politicians who pander to their cause. They dedicate not only money. They also marshal tremendous human resources to advance their intolerant agenda.
Rather than raise money to address more important social ills, such as poverty, in this country and abroad, these Intolerant Christians have dedicated themselves to preventing others from attaining basic civil rights. This is a perfect indication of just how far so many have strayed from the true message of Christianity. The message of acceptance and love embodied in the text of the New Testament. Rather, they choose selective Old Testament passages to support their intolerance. Peace, love and understanding appears to mean to them only acceptance for those who share your views, love only for those who have proven that they are “true” Christians, and little, if any, understanding.
Despite the distortions of the Christian message by fundamentalists, it is important to not forget and to recognize all of the good that millions of Christians do. Even some fundamentalists. A perfect example of this is President Jimmy Carter, who is certainly a fundamentalist in many of his views. But what he has done for world peace and to help those who are less fortunate, could easily outweigh the contributions of all the so-called leading Christian conservatives. Many of those who spend countless hours of selfless sacrifice to improve the lives of the downtrodden, do so because they believe this is not only what Christ would have done, but also it is what God expects of them.
Unlike conservative Christians, liberal Christians believe that spending time and energy opposing abortion and gay marriage is not the most important activities called for in the Bible. One has to wonder if many of the socially conservative Christians who engage in selfless effort on behalf of the poor, rather than receive praise from their fundamentalist brethren in Christ, are not more likely to receive scorn for wasting time and energy on the poor, since they believe so many who impoverished are either criminals, or lazy, or are both lazy and criminals.
The Christian tradition of extending a helping hand to those in need may be the greatest legacy of Christianity, but this Social Gospel message has been drowned out by a message of intolerance. This intolerance extends to millions if not billions of their fellow humans, but in America it is especially focused on anyone who advocates alternative lifestyles and on all those who do not share their view of a “culture of life”. Oddly, it is often those who are the strongest advocates of a culture of life who are also the most vocal supports of the death penalty.
Various denominations and sects of Christianity use a variety of aggressive and increasingly innovative methods in their attempts to proselytize their version of the Christian message. Their numbers are growing rapidly as a result. In general, the more mainstream Protestant denominations preach a message of love and tolerance, and are much less aggressive in their missionary activities. The evangelical and fundamentalist movements however place a special emphasis on the inherent sinful nature of humanity, and the message of these fundamentalist ministers is too often one that threatens what will happen to you if you do not live up to their vision of Christian perfection. Although evangelical and fundamentalist missionaries also preach the message of love and acceptance, they devote much of their time and resources to spreading a message of intolerance. By preaching against the “threat” of homosexuality to traditional marriage, by encouraging changing state and national laws to prevent homosexuals from having the right to adopt children, and in general by denying basic human and civil rights to homosexuals, these Intolerant Christians have abandoned the most important message of the Bible.
A major transformation of the evangelical and fundamentalist movement in the US occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Southern Baptist Convention was taken over by a more radical, and politically motivated leadership. The birth of the Moral Majority, led by Jerry Falwell and the success of Pat Robertson’s 700 Club added a new element to the American political and cultural mix. The incredible amounts of money raised by televangelists such as Robertson, movements such as the Moral Majority, and more recently by the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council, and what is being raised today by the mega-churches, helps to fund their anti-abortion and anti-homosexual crusade, and the politicians who pander to their cause. They dedicate not only money. They also marshal tremendous human resources to advance their intolerant agenda.
Rather than raise money to address more important social ills, such as poverty, in this country and abroad, these Intolerant Christians have dedicated themselves to preventing others from attaining basic civil rights. This is a perfect indication of just how far so many have strayed from the true message of Christianity. The message of acceptance and love embodied in the text of the New Testament. Rather, they choose selective Old Testament passages to support their intolerance. Peace, love and understanding appears to mean to them only acceptance for those who share your views, love only for those who have proven that they are “true” Christians, and little, if any, understanding.
Despite the distortions of the Christian message by fundamentalists, it is important to not forget and to recognize all of the good that millions of Christians do. Even some fundamentalists. A perfect example of this is President Jimmy Carter, who is certainly a fundamentalist in many of his views. But what he has done for world peace and to help those who are less fortunate, could easily outweigh the contributions of all the so-called leading Christian conservatives. Many of those who spend countless hours of selfless sacrifice to improve the lives of the downtrodden, do so because they believe this is not only what Christ would have done, but also it is what God expects of them.
Unlike conservative Christians, liberal Christians believe that spending time and energy opposing abortion and gay marriage is not the most important activities called for in the Bible. One has to wonder if many of the socially conservative Christians who engage in selfless effort on behalf of the poor, rather than receive praise from their fundamentalist brethren in Christ, are not more likely to receive scorn for wasting time and energy on the poor, since they believe so many who impoverished are either criminals, or lazy, or are both lazy and criminals.
The Christian tradition of extending a helping hand to those in need may be the greatest legacy of Christianity, but this Social Gospel message has been drowned out by a message of intolerance. This intolerance extends to millions if not billions of their fellow humans, but in America it is especially focused on anyone who advocates alternative lifestyles and on all those who do not share their view of a “culture of life”. Oddly, it is often those who are the strongest advocates of a culture of life who are also the most vocal supports of the death penalty.
