The Great American Political Jesus
By James Donahue
Someone sent us a link to a column by Rob Borsellino from the Des Moines Register that notes the absurdity of Christian thinking in American political circles. While written a few years ago, his points are so relative to what is still occurring today, and so cleverly made that we are passing them on to you.
Borsellino claims that Jesus has been "kidnapped by politicians and preachers" in the United States "who decide what he does and doesn’t think. They speak for him, and it doesn’t always make sense.
"They say Jesus is pro-life, but he doesn’t seem to have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks stem cell research – something that would save lives – is no different from murdering babies.
"They say he’s the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims. And he’s not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to," Borsellino wrote.
He said that nutty preacher in Topeka, the Rev. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church, "claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the country talking about how AIDS cures fags.
"Pat Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be a lot cheaper than starting another war," he wrote.
Indeed, the Christian community has been acting rather strange recently throughout America, if not the entire world. There seems to be a world-wide Armageddon agenda that is keeping believers of all faiths confused. The world appears to be driven by a twisted myth from The Book of Revelation that promises a messiah will save us through global conflict.
Because of all the rhetoric by so-called "men of the cloth," who are supposed to know the ways of God, it should not be surprising that Christians in America are confused about just what is right and wrong, or how Jesus thinks about such issues as abortion, stem-cell research and terrorism.
The Islamic extremists seem even more confused as they happily blow themselves up in crowded places, taking innocent men, women and children with them, believing they are doing it in the name of Allah.
Or that the Hindu people of India and the Islamic followers in Pakistan are looking down gun barrels, and possibly setting nuclear sites on one another over ownership of a long disputed territory of Kashmir, that stands between them.
Or that a former Roman Catholic pope in Rome would urge Catholics all over the world to have more babies at a time when the world is already so overcrowded that we are running out of natural resources and drawing the life out of the planet under our feet. At least the current Pope is easing up on the throttle on these and other issues, and attempting to reach out to people of other world religions in a spirit of love and fellowship.
Since taking his position in 2013, Pope Francis has softened Catholic dogma, encouraging interfaith fellowship, encouraging family planning among Catholic families, and making the fight against global warming, consumerism and irresponsible development a focus of his papacy.
While we welcome the thinking of Pope Francis and have nothing but praise for the work of the Dalai Lama we still believe the old and outdated religions of the world should be dismantled. There needs to be a new spiritual movement that encourages the world to seek a real salvation of ourselves, by ourselves.
By James Donahue
Someone sent us a link to a column by Rob Borsellino from the Des Moines Register that notes the absurdity of Christian thinking in American political circles. While written a few years ago, his points are so relative to what is still occurring today, and so cleverly made that we are passing them on to you.
Borsellino claims that Jesus has been "kidnapped by politicians and preachers" in the United States "who decide what he does and doesn’t think. They speak for him, and it doesn’t always make sense.
"They say Jesus is pro-life, but he doesn’t seem to have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks stem cell research – something that would save lives – is no different from murdering babies.
"They say he’s the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims. And he’s not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to," Borsellino wrote.
He said that nutty preacher in Topeka, the Rev. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church, "claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the country talking about how AIDS cures fags.
"Pat Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be a lot cheaper than starting another war," he wrote.
Indeed, the Christian community has been acting rather strange recently throughout America, if not the entire world. There seems to be a world-wide Armageddon agenda that is keeping believers of all faiths confused. The world appears to be driven by a twisted myth from The Book of Revelation that promises a messiah will save us through global conflict.
Because of all the rhetoric by so-called "men of the cloth," who are supposed to know the ways of God, it should not be surprising that Christians in America are confused about just what is right and wrong, or how Jesus thinks about such issues as abortion, stem-cell research and terrorism.
The Islamic extremists seem even more confused as they happily blow themselves up in crowded places, taking innocent men, women and children with them, believing they are doing it in the name of Allah.
Or that the Hindu people of India and the Islamic followers in Pakistan are looking down gun barrels, and possibly setting nuclear sites on one another over ownership of a long disputed territory of Kashmir, that stands between them.
Or that a former Roman Catholic pope in Rome would urge Catholics all over the world to have more babies at a time when the world is already so overcrowded that we are running out of natural resources and drawing the life out of the planet under our feet. At least the current Pope is easing up on the throttle on these and other issues, and attempting to reach out to people of other world religions in a spirit of love and fellowship.
Since taking his position in 2013, Pope Francis has softened Catholic dogma, encouraging interfaith fellowship, encouraging family planning among Catholic families, and making the fight against global warming, consumerism and irresponsible development a focus of his papacy.
While we welcome the thinking of Pope Francis and have nothing but praise for the work of the Dalai Lama we still believe the old and outdated religions of the world should be dismantled. There needs to be a new spiritual movement that encourages the world to seek a real salvation of ourselves, by ourselves.