When President Barack Obama said in his inaugural address that "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers", I could almost hear a collective gasp of disapproval from a number of religious factions followed by murmurings that the new president was indeed an apostate! After all, aren't we a country based on Christian principles and shouldn't the leader of America defend said principles?
Actually, watching Obama during the campaign, one witnessed a man doing unto others as he would do unto himself while consistently turning the other cheek. (Remember his repetitive words of praise during the debates for his opponent and how he was chastised for not going on the attack?) So when President Obama acknowledged in his inaugural address that we are a nation beyond just Christians, he was actually more Christ-like than I've seen from many fundamentalists. The problem is that for many, the word "Christian" is synonymous with "morality." It's as though one must be Christian in order to be moral.
Yet, it's apparent how so many visible and not-so-visible self-described Christians have missed the mark by a long shot. It's also true that countless non-believers are moral without the extra baggage of religion. Without a doubt, not every Christian is a fundamentalist, just as every fundamentalist is not a Christian, but unless one falls into lockstep, fundamentalists are a forbidding society -- one that arrogantly believes should stretch from sea to shining sea.
For the last eight years or so, America was less a democracy and more a theocracy much to the conservative rights' pleasure. So now that the new president is reminding us that we are a collection of people with different viewpoints, they are feeling threatened. Instead of opening doors, not to mention minds, they are revealing a faith based in fear, as though anyone with a contrary thought will somehow challenge and dilute their own conviction. Not everyone believes the Bible's infallibility, but those who do would do well to pay closer attention to how Christ treated his peers. Maybe then they would see the merits in being a nation of diversity where free will must be recognized and valued.
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This is a great blog that not only points out some of the contradictions within the Christian fundamentalist belief system, but defines the essence of the fundamentalist spectrum in any religion. The fundamental ethos is based on fear. Any fundamentalism by definition is clinging to being right, which means everyone else is wrong; this is exclusive and narrow in its perspective. Christ spoke of accepting all people as they are. Obama is challenging us to move beyond our tightly held beliefs and this takes many of us out of our comfort zones.
I write at length about this topic on my website, http://www.drjenniferhoward.com/show_article.asp?article_id=7&ctr=0
Dr. Jennifer Howard
http://www.DrJenniferHoward.com
Although I consider myself a secular humanist, existentialist and Randist of sorts, I have never held any ill will towards most of 'chistendom,' I'm a combat veteran, I am a gay man, I don't accept Jesus Christ as any sort of personal savior, I feel no obligation to worship a deity whose primary place in history is one of jealousy and violence, etc.
I have read the bible, and the koran, the talmud, as well as other, more obscure religious texts and the writings and teachings of many, many philosophers. I find meaning and good advice in all of these and try to practice values and ethics in my life that I have not gleaned only from these but from manuscripts, writings, teachings and thoughts that far predate all of these.
I am more hopeful these days that perhaps there will be more inclusion and tolerance - from all sides. I will respect others and expect the same in return. I will not turn my cheek to racist, antisemitic, homophobic and cultural slurs, but will not react in anger either.
"The pursuit of happiness" extends to all who pursue that happiness peacefully.
Senator Daniel Moynihan once said: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."
There are too many non-Christ following Christians that forget about love and compassion and replace it with hate and bigotry........
If they truly even followed their Leviticus teachings....they would have to outlaw sea food restaurants for encouraging sinners, make adultery and children talking back to parents capital crimes, and they would have to outlaw divorce.
But, they choose to overlook love and cherry pick out gays to discriminate against.
It is wrong! It makes them more of sinner and less in God's eyes because they are ignoring the "do not judge, love they neighbor, and help those who need help" parts of the Bible.
From that very rational, this worldly, and practical book, The Analects, attributed to Confucius:
6:20 Fan Ch’ih asked what constituted wisdom. The Master said, “To give one’s self earnestly to the duties due to men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom.”
15:23 Tsze-kung asked, saying, “Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life?” The Master said, “Is not 'reciprocity' such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” [trans. S.R. McIntyre 2003]
No prelate, priest, pastor, rabbi, imam is needed to police human behavior. All ethics is irreducibly social. Harming others can not be generalized; otherwise, no culture could exist.
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
~Mohandas Gandhi
The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problem.
~Mohandas Gandhi