It Wasn’t Abortion That Formed the Religious Right. It Was Support for Segregation http://t.co/ymULFLuSWN #p2 #tcot pic.twitter.com/9RMN2hOTUs
— R.Saddler (@Politics_PR) May 30, 2014
It’s not exactly news that I don’t believe in God. It’s not that I have an unquenchable disdain for religious doctrine. Not at all. I believe most religions are at their most basic a good thing. After all, what’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding (apologies to Elvis Costello)? Most religions are about things like compassion, peaceful coexistence, helping those less fortunate, and living a life free of strife and anger? And what’s so bad about all that?
Unfortunately, when it comes to Christianity, a good and decent concept has been hijacked and bastardized by ignorant, fearful, power-hungry sorts ready, able, and more than willing to use religious belief as a means of controlling others. Modern Christianity too often has little, if anything, to do with the wonderful, laudable values taught in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These days, that “faith” is wielded like a club and used to divide people into groups easily discriminated against as a way of proving one’s piety.
If you don’t believe me, listen to the “Christians” in Congress, or people like Pat Robertson, Bryan Fischer, and Tony Perkins, etc…ad nauseum, ad infinitum. I think you’ll agree that it’s hard to find things like love, compassion, and charity in the angry, hateful pronouncements of haters like these. Their brand of faith isn’t about sharing love and compassion; it’s about condemning those who fall short of the expectations of others who consider themselves worthy of judging everyone but themselves.
It’s not Christianity that scares me; it’s Christians that terrify me
- Mohandas K. Gandhi
Where is hatred of gays, or blacks, or Liberals…or any other class of people…found in Scripture? You can look all you want, but I remember enough of my Sunday School theology to know that it’s not there. Oh, you change choose to interpret Scripture in pretty much any way that dovetails with your personal prejudices, but it doesn’t condone hatred, discrimination, and/or divisiveness. Christianity as practiced by the Religious Right is as much about the teachings of Jesus Christ as I am the Queen of England. It’s about power and control- the desire and willingness to use your religious beliefs fears and prejudices to elevate yourself above others not nearly so “enlightened” as you’re blessed to be.
If you believe in Heaven and…even worse…that Jerry Falwell’s has a reserved parking space there, I’d submit that you’re as much a Christian as I am a brain surgeon. Falwell, Pat Robertson, and [insert name of your favorite pseudo-Christian bigot(s) here] are charlatans whose immense personal wealth is based on using their faith and piety to separate the ignorant and malleable from their money.
Religion isn’t about churches or other institutions whose sole purpose is to place themselves between believers and the Supreme Being they worship. It’s not about Joel Osteen living in a multi-million dollar manse and preaching in a former NBA arena converted to house his burgeoning flock of well-off, freshly-scrubbed Prosperity Theology acolytes.
I’ve run across people seriously concerned for my all-being because I’m not a “believer.” To them I can only say that it’s not that I don’t “believe.” I simply choose not to worship a Deity created by power-and money-hungry zealots who wouldn’t recognize love and compassion if it arrived on their doorstep with a pair of kneepads and a tube of AstroGlide. I realize that there are many Christians (and they’re probably in the majority) who endeavor to lead Christ-like lives…yet they remain silent while so many hijack their religion and turn it into a profit center.
I respect the rights of all to worship (or not) as they see fit. All I expect in return is to be granted the same courtesy. Not worshipping, or even believing in, your flavor of Supreme Being doesn’t mean my mortal soul is in peril. It just means I’ve chosen to think for myself in my own way.
Come back to me when Joel Osteen sells his opulent mansion and decides to use his vast wealth to feed the hungry, clothe poor, and heal the sick. Perhaps then we’ll have something to talk about.
