Christian Nation Danger

[cboy4]

I know I may be beating a dead horse,
but my blood is boiling here at 5:49AM California
time about the way this country has been hijacked
and taken hostage by the right wing Christian
conservatives.

This selected president wants to start
dicking with the U.S. constitution concerning
gay marriage.

The government has begun a secret shock and awe
attack on the freedom of speech. They're going
after broadcasters who don't conform to their
twisted "Christian values."

We've got this Patriot Act, which violates
a number of amendments.

Some scary, scary stuff folks. And that's why,
as you know, we MUST vote this evil, evil group
of thugs out of the White House before this country
starts looking like Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

I just had to vent. :grr: :nuke: :scared:

[Gasolinedream]

1. AMEN...

Seriously, I am so with you. I am so angry with the wacked out far right taking over right now and being so emboldened thanks to the Chimp.

[Vladimir]

2. good vent

but don't forget that Christianity itself has been hijacked by the thugs. As an atheist, I have little love for organized religon, but an aspect of the political battle must surely be to try and reclaim religion from the fundies...

V

[bryant69]

3. I'd like to see that as well

As a Christian, it drives me nuts the extent to which it's assumed that if you are a Christian you are a Conservative. And that if you are a Liberal Christian you must not be a very good Christian.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[cboy4]

7. I agree, but I hope you at least know I don't

believe Christians are conservatives. I'm speaking about
the Robertsons, the Falwells, etc. The fundamentalists who are the
most "un-Christian-like."

That's why I ALWAYS say "Christian Conservatives," rather
than just "Christians." There's a big difference, I believe.

[progressiverealist]

13. unfortunately, almost all who would be considered Christian are Republican

Almost all of them. Not all. The word Christian has lost its original meaning as the Christian church has been taken over.

The church and movement that started with Jesus has died.

[ithacan]

4. check out this website:

The Religious Right and the Republican Party:

http://www.TheocracyWatch.org/

One big problem is that the Religious RIght has managed to take over the GOP. In a two-party system, when one party has been taken over by religious extremists, you're in trouble...

You're right, this is VERY scary. And it's important that secular republicans realize the truth before it's too late.

[cboy4]

Nice post. Thanks

for the website! :bounce:

[progressiverealist]

5. the religious right is driving all of the sane people from the church

I've left after 39 years (Lutheran) because the republicans have taken over the Christian faith. To worship in a Christian church means you're probably a Republican. Non-Republicans are not welcome in most churches, although this is of course not an official position.


It's all very sad. I think we can defend our country (ultimately) against a total right-wing takeover, but Christianity is gone. It belongs to the Republican party and George W. Bush.

[H2O Man]

6. Christianity....

....as a religion has done tremendous harm to millions of people for the past 1500 years. United with the global economic/political power of the bush/enron/halliburton/mobile beast, the potential for it to fulfill the terrors found in prophetic books is very real, indeed. It is very important for the millions of Christians of genuine good will to take a public stand against this immoral twisting of the true message of the prophet Jesus. Look closely at the movie The Passion: our federal government is Rome; many of the national "religious leaders" are as crooked, jealous, and petty as those Jewish leaders that cooperated with Rome in killing Jesus; and his suffering is literally the suffering of the least among us today in the world --the victims of that hatred, jealousy, and greed -- and what are we going to do? My friend Dick Gregory asks us, are we going to speak up? Are we going to back down, in frustration, fear, and depression? Or will we confront evil, even if it wraps itself in a flag and holds a bible? No! It's time to confront this evil.

[progressiverealist]

10. the organized Christian church has become an enemy.

It has been eaten from the inside out by the fundies.

[seabeyond]

8. this is what i have been saying

the real battle is the hijacking of a religion and a jesus

bush/christ christ is their vp. anyone bothered yet

[progressiverealist]

15. Ask the average American to name a good Christian... most will name

George W. Bush. Or maybe Billy Grahm or Pat Robertson.

[BabsSong]

9. organization, organization, organization

They found the keys to the kingdom----or shall I say to overthrowing our government piece by piece. They are organized. They have made a science out of targeting people, mailings, and, of course, the tv preachermen. They began their rise by outright announcing they would get their people onto school boards, local governments, etc. where few pay attention and few vote. And from there, as they promised, they have taken control of this country. Unfortunately, all the rest of us are unorganized---and when you think of it, how are we going to get organized. They have the basis for a 'natural' organization; we are a collection of tens of millions of people not lead by one entity. I have long blamed 'mainstream' reglion for sitting on the sidelines and letting this happen. Unfortunately, now mainstream religion has looked at their success and begun to sound more and more like them in order to pack the pews.

[progressiverealist]

11. exactly. Mainstream religion now IS fundamentalist... GOP owns the church

they have won this battle, but not the war (for our country).

[H2O Man]

16. Yes!

You are really hitting the nail on the head! It's not enough to vote for president every four years. Get involved on the local level. The work we will be doing may not get immediate results, but we can not allow ourselves to become discouraged! It's like building a house: the first part is the hardest. It's all under the surface, so you can't see it if you drive by. But it's the foundation that everything else is built on. People on here talk about the need for a new political party, a third party. Yes ... but it has to start with a foundation. I see the potential here .... hundreds of smart people, with diverse views, but dedicated to the same goal -- building a new house. There is no one person, not Kerry, not Dennis K., not Gov. Dean, who can build that house, or make those changes we need to make! NO! But, one BAD person, one george bush, with the assistance of a congress of snakes, can do terrible harm! It will take AT LEAST 25 years to repair the damage these people have done to not only our house, but to the whole neighborhood! But it can be done!

[NewJeffCT]

12. what made me sick last night

On CNN last night, they had on a gay preacher for gay marriage and then a black baptist preacher against gay marriage who had hung a sign outside his church that AIDS was God's gift to gays. He then talked about how the Bible was against homosexuality. I was shouting at the screen that the Bible says a hell of a lot more to promote slavery and the practice of slavery than it does about gay marriage...

[Az]

14. And then there are those

that think the bible is just wrong on a lot of issues. Sorry, just not into stoning kids for disrespecting their parents.

[terryg11]

17. where do you people live?

considering I live in a rather socially conservative state and attend church on a somewhat regular basis I'm shocked I haven't seen more of what you all talk about. Of the four churches I might attend (depending on what town I'm in) I can only think of one that might even come close to resemble what everyone here is worried about. Everywhere else, most of the congregation and especially the ministers are pretty sane. The pastors are wonderful, seriously involved in their communities and not a word of religion comes from their mouths while they do this work unless asked.

[cboy4]

18. You take a poll at all four of those churches

and you ask the congregation about:

(a) A woman's right to choose
(b) Gay rights
and
(c) Who they'll be voting for in November...

I'll wager AT LEAST 75% will say:

(a) Favor getting rid of Roe V Wade
(b) Are opposed to civil rights for gays because homosexuality is evil
(c) George W. Bush and a GOP senator & representative

[terryg11]

19. at the one church you may be right

bt the other two won't be across the boards like you think. It would be closer to fifty fifty (at best) on b and c, as far as a, the majority (though it might be slim) will uphold a but many would voice concern ovr the unborn baby. So see, they can be practicing christians and not be the "devil"

would like to point out you were very sure of yourself about a group of people you don't know and quick to dismiss them. That's a practice I like to think Limbaugh and his ilk have a monopoly on

[cboy4]

21. Sorry, I don't buy it.

50/50 on the gay thing? No way.

But lets just say you're correct.
Bush and everyone else involved in trying
to force their religious views on everyone
would not go to the three "good" churches
you point out.

And it's these types of bigoted Christian
that I have a problem with -- not apparently
open-minded, tolerant Christians like yourself.

[terryg11]

23. birds of a feather do flock together

and in some cases that is most certainly true. If there were some seriously oppressve minded christians going to one of the three "good" churches as you put it, and they didn't like the "free" atmosphre then they would most likely look for one that more openly espouses the views they like. They are welcome to do that.

I'm gonna have to ask at church next weekend on the gay thing now. I bet I'm reading these people pretty accurately. Now if we were dwn south I'ld probably be wrong according to our former pastor. We got to talking about when we'll see a gay bishp in the methodist church and he said, that sadly, not in our lifetime due to the fact that most of the southern denominations of the methodist church, whether through political motivations or spiritual, view homosexuality as an evil. so they would never vote, support a gay bishp.

[Az]

20. Careful in forming assumptions

Opinions are based on what you experience. And the bulk of what you experience comes from the vocal factions of various groups. The religious right is far more vocal than the religious left. Thus they take up a majority of peoples awarness when considering religious issues.

That being said its time the religious left got up off its collective rear and told the religious right a thing or two.

[terryg11]

22. I agree

the Methodist church here in Iowa has a very active lobbying system in place. I would say their goals coincide with most lefties on at least 80% of the issues. there are some others getting active, there were a lot of church groups that protested the war around here before and then when it began.

[silverlib]

24. "Opting for Virtue in Public Life"

Published by Cokesbury, a publishing company for the United Methodist Church, takes a look at the "Social Principles" of the UMC as accepted at the last conference. We are using this book as a study guide in a Sunday School Class.

Here's just a small excerpt from a liberal book about the responsibility of the Christians in our political environment.

"The Church, too, has learned that it must be the voice of those who have been, or are unable, to speak for themselves. When the government enacts laws that fail to provide equal protection to persons on the basis of age, gender, handicapping, condition, or sexual orientation or promulgates regulations that otherwise limit the full exercise of civil liberties of any citizen, the church must use its voice of moral suasion to seek justice and equity."

"The denomination opposes tuition tax credits, school voucher, or any other mechanism that directly or indirectly allows government funds to support religious schools at the primary and secondary level."

"Citizens of all countries should have access to all essential information regarding their government and its policies. Illegal and unconscionable activities directed against persons or groups by their own governments must no be justified or keep secret, even under the guise of national security."

"We recognize the right of individuals to dissent when acting under the constraint of conscience and, after having exhausted all legal recourse, to resist or disobey laws that they deem to be unjust or that are discriminately enforced."

Okay, I'll stop, but there is a lot more. The Christian left is beginning to shine. We will prevail!!!

The Republicans are not an example of Christianity. Our found fathers are my example. They were the real Christians who fought for separation of Church and State.

[drumwolf]

25. One idea to fight the "Christian" Right.....

...is to try to get people to stop referring to them as "Christian", even as part of a larger phrase like "Christian conservatives" or "Christian Right." Instead, I now refer to them as "neo-Pharisees," and I encourage everyone else on this board to start doing the same.

It's not enough simply to draw a distinction between Christians in general and the "Christian" Right. We need to make it loud and clear that Falwell, Robertson, the CC, etc. are the antithesis of what Jesus stood for. Referring to them as neo-Pharisees is the perfect way to do so, and I would like to see this term become more widespread.

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. Well, I am trying to fight from the spiritual left

But I'll tell you, I feel awkward inserting my spiritual beliefs into this that and the other conversation. I guess it's uncomfy using the other side's tactics myself. :(

http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/liberalchristians.htm

[Az]

27. Just have to develop new ones

That both make your heard and respect others views. Silence lets those that would speak for you steal your voice.

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. True.

Thank heavens for the internet!

[Mari333]

28. and then theres this

http://www.yuricareport.com