My Problem with Christianism
I cannot say it any better than Andrew Sullivan did in his essay at TIME.com. What amazes me is how much people in position ignore or neglect this frustration and misrepresentation of people of faith. How long will this go on?
"I dissent from the political pollution of sincere, personal faith. I dissent most strongly from the attempt to argue that one party represents God and that the other doesn't. I dissent from having my faith co-opted and wielded by people whose politics I do not share and whose intolerance I abhor. The word Christian belongs to no political party. It's time the quiet majority of believers took it back."
"I dissent from the political pollution of sincere, personal faith. I dissent most strongly from the attempt to argue that one party represents God and that the other doesn't. I dissent from having my faith co-opted and wielded by people whose politics I do not share and whose intolerance I abhor. The word Christian belongs to no political party. It's time the quiet majority of believers took it back."
posted by danny at 5/09/2006 05:27:00 PM
2 Comments:
I agree that the word Christian belongs to no political party. However, just from that excerpt, it seems as if he is being "intolerant" of people who believe a certain way. You cannot tell someone that they are wrong for the act of telling someone else that they are wrong. I was just in a bookstore and saw the numerous books on how the name Jesus and Christianity have been "hijacked" by the religious right. I don't know what angers me more, conservatives that tell people that they are not good Christians if they don't vote republican, or people that think that all conservatives (and our president) are all intolerant, power-hungry, corrupt, socially-blind, bigots.
Of course I need to read that guy's whole article, but it sounds like he's judging people for being judgemental.
I could be wrong.
Yeah, you kinda gotta read the whole artcle; he doesn't "think that all conservatives are all intolerant, power-hungry, corrupt, socially -blind bigots" because he does see that "there are very orthodox believers who nonetheless respect the freedom and conscience of others as part of their core understanding of what being a Christian is. They have no problem living next to an atheist or a gay couple or a single mother or people whose views on the meaning of life are utterly alien to them--and respecting their neighbors' choices. That doesn't threaten their faith. Sometimes the contrast helps them understand their own faith better." I think we'd both agree that alot of Christ followers, not necessarily "Christians", would fall somewhere along those lines. Where my frustration and his source of ire stems from is the line being drawn by people of influence who use the language of faith to endorse their political agenda. By dissenting, he isn't judging but merely taking a stand by refusing to be misrepresented by those who have louder voices. And I share the very sentiment you expressed, I too am angered when our faith gets polarized in the political/social arena.
Post a Comment
<< Home