Is Christianity still pretty extreme at times?

[Kizzume]

Personally, I think so.

We'd like to think that things have gotten so much better. I think it has become more hidden. People who believe in religious extremes are generally quiet about it.

What scares me is when I see footage of some of the Jesus camps and also if I watch 2 minutes of the 700 Club. The phrase "godly fumigation" comes to my head whenever I see Pat (look up that phrase in conjunction with Pat Robertson to see a whole bunch of horrifying quotes).

It takes a lot of money and a lot of dedicated viewers to keep a show like that on the air, and to say that the 700 Club doesn't have influence is like putting your head in the sand. There are many people who are avid fans who donate money who deny it if asked about it.

I think Christianity still has the potential to be a horrible anti-human-rights force. Luckily, nothing has happened yet that would give the extremists the REAL opportunity for power.

[jq]

I would say the worst thing to ever happen to Christianity, especially modern christianity, is politics. When the republicans started calling themselves "the moral majority," and became the "family values party" is when the true messages of the New Testament were disposed of, and twisted to meet the needs of the greedy and conniving right wing. Of recent years, by far the worst thing to happen to Christianity is our current President. He has made Christianity seem like a bad word. I certainly don't want to be associated with the people he symbolizes.

I think this is a shame, because I actually think Christ himself was pretty cool. I mean, if you read what he says in the Bible, he doesn't say anything about abortion, nothing about homosexuality being a sin, or any of that crap. In fact, in the Bible, he turns water into wine for his friends and family who are having a party, he constantly criticises the pharisees (religious people of the time) as being jerks, he hangs out with the "sinners," and he gives respect and attention to women, treating them as equals.

In my opinion, Jesus seems more liberal than conservative. But that isn't really what matters in current context. In our current system, with the republicans claiming to be the "moral party," we have learned that what they do and say often isn't true, but it is widely believed because they tell a lie long enough. If they get caught in a lie, they just keep repeating the same lie. They are great at soundbites. And even though they are wrong about Christ, and I believe Christ would totally ignore them or call them out as being hypocrite and liars, they do such a good job at being liars, that they have us all hating Christ. Worse yet, they have perverted what the true gospel was about and made being religious the equivalent of being a meat eating, war loving, rich, white, homophobe.

Having said that, I think it is clear that Christiniaty has had plenty of corruption since it began. I don't blame the messenger for this so much as I blame human nature. I think people always get corrupt when they are in a position of power, and all religion implies and assumes a certain amount of it. Just like most governments, I'd say religion has had plenty of corruption, and in the modern context, I would say we are regressing fiercely, thanks to assholes like our President.

Our President is an asshole. He has made being a Christian mean being an asshole. He has encouraged Christians to be assholes with his behavior, and he has scared off normal people from ever reading what Jesus really had to say.

[Kizzume]

That was a great post.

Bush certainly HAS done a good job at making Christians look bad.