All We Need Is Love
Some obvious statistics came out in this month’s edition of Harpers magazine. “Only 40 percent of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite the four authors of the Gospels. Twelve percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife.” This doesn’t surprise me, especially when I hear Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), spout off about gay Teletubbies, or inadvertently flip past the Christian Network (TCN) on my way to “Girls Gone Wild” and see the woman with the colossal pink hairdo trying to convince non-Christians why they need Jesus.
Coming from a nation that has extensively boasted its Christian heritage, most notably in the Middle East, it’s not hard to see that Christianity has long been the trademark of our nation’s religious foundation. Many Christian leaders alike promote the idea that even the framework of our constitution was inspired by nothing less than the worlds’ longest running best seller, the Bible.
What is interesting about our current state of affairs, and these latest statistics exposing the religious ignorance of our Christian people, is the profound disconnect American Christians have with the one they hold so dear to their hearts, Jesus. His messages of “love thy neighbor” or caring for your enemies have ostensibly disappeared during these days of war and political partisanship
In fact, from the war on terror, or perhaps you prefer the new convoluted title “the Global Struggle against Violent Extremism,” to America’s culture wars, Christians are beginning to take on more of likeness to Attila the Hun than Jesus.
Now, I’d just as rather cite the blasphemous and outrageous and unpatriotic Bill O’Reilly than Bill Maher, a man obsessed with drugs and anal sex, but Maher once wrote, “We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies.” Surely it’s hard to disagree with Maher from one point of view, for surely it was religion that justified Islamic extremists who hijacked jumbo jets and flew them into buildings. And to be fair to Muslims, it was religion that justified Christian extremists who bombed health clinics and killed innocent human beings. Also, it was religion that justified Christian extremists who marched into the Holy Land during the Crusades and killed millions of innocent people who were at the time living in peace and harmony, Jews with Muslims and Christians. And, it was religion that justified Christian Spaniard extremists who committed genocide of the indigenous people of the Western world. And, it was religion that justified Bush who refused to view cases involving mentally retarded death row inmates while he was Governor of Texas, yet when he became president he couldn’t keep his hands out of the Christian cookie jar when it came to saving the life of a woman in a “consistent vegetative state.” And, it was… well, you get the idea.
I don’t mention these things to spur the wrath of Christians, for surely I can be tolerant of all religions, just ask God. I don’t mention these things to expose Christian hypocrisy. Lord knows, I’ve been a walking contradiction many times over. I mention these things, because along with them, comes a great deal of anger. And anger is where American Christians get Jesus so wrong.
Jesus spoke to his disciples and gave a clear presentation of what he intended for his followers. In John 13:34 he tells his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Love was Christ’s intention for humanity. Love was the one thing on which Jesus based life. Love was the reason he ate with and comforted whores and thieves. He wanted an uplifted human far from the cries of the old covenant of “an eye for an eye.”
On CBN’s official website, Pat Robertson has a question and answer page. Concerned Christians have the chance to get some of their most prominent inquiries satisfied by a man of their own faith. One such concerned Christian asked if killing could ever be just. This is Pat’s response:
"Well, Alec, I was a lieutenant in the Marines and I served in Korea. The Bible says, 'He that wields the sword does not do so in vain, but he is a minister of God to execute judgment on evildoers' (Romans 13:4). I don't like war any more than any other thinking person. But the time does come when free people must defend their freedom and rescue those who are oppressed from wicked men who would enslave them and destroy them www.CBN.com ."
It must be noted here that this verse is taken completely out of context, as are many verses that Robertson uses to twist his own sick sense of reasoning. Paul was setting the groundwork for how government leaders and their people should act. In the last verses in the preceding chapter, Paul clearly states, “Therefore, ‘If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts give him drink…’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Roman 12:20-21). I don’t know about you, but this approach was not even remotely considered by the Bush administration when dealing with Iraq. Furthermore, Paul goes on to say in chapter 13, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law" (13:8). Love is the common theme in the dispensation of Jesus' teachings. It is His new law, though many Christians, especially those who support Bush, seem to continually miss this point.
More telling about the use of this verse is that it completely disregards Jesus’ teachings on violence. When the Chief Priests, the office of the guards, and the elders came to arrest Jesus on the eve of His death and deliver Him to the governor Pontius Pilate, one of His followers pulled out his sword in defense of Jesus and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest. Immediately Jesus rebuked His follower saying, “Put your sword in its place, for he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Clearly Jesus wanted nothing to do with violence.
Not to pick on Pat Robertson again, though it should be noted the man is a complete moron, but his words run far with Christians and he is the mouth piece for many Evangelical groups in America, groups that have much influence in the Whitehouse these days. Therefore, it pleases me to point out that recently this loving Christian actually endorsed assassinating Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. “You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he [Chavez] thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. “It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.” Robertson, a Christian, is actually condoning the killing of a man, not because he is evil, but because it would be “cheaper than starting a war…” When did Christians get into the business of killing for the sake of the economy? Believe it or not, my jaw did not drop when I heard this. The wild and absurd Robertson also justified the bombing of health clinics. I don’t know about you, but killing wasn’t on Jesus’ “to do” list.
Just for shits and giggles, this morning I was listening to Scott and Sam on Good News radio’s Morning Show, a Christian radio program, and I heard Scott say something that I couldn’t believe. To paraphrase, he said that unless we get a Bible into the hands of Islamic extremists, they’re only going to commit more killings. There is something inherently missing in this logic, something that is grossly unrecognized. The problem isn’t with individual extremists; it’s with the systemic approach of organized religion. Organized religion breeds two sins: divisiveness and militantism. Instead of a message of compassion, of love and understanding, many Christians are just as hateful, judgmental, divisive and angry as those they claim to oppose. Remember Bush’s rhetoric regarding the war on terror? “Bring it on!” he said. Taunting enemies for further fighting is clearly not the message Jesus laid out for His followers. More amazing is that the arrogance in this quote comes from a man who considers himself a humble, devout Christian, one who reads the bible and prays daily.
Coming from a nation that has extensively boasted its Christian heritage, most notably in the Middle East, it’s not hard to see that Christianity has long been the trademark of our nation’s religious foundation. Many Christian leaders alike promote the idea that even the framework of our constitution was inspired by nothing less than the worlds’ longest running best seller, the Bible.
What is interesting about our current state of affairs, and these latest statistics exposing the religious ignorance of our Christian people, is the profound disconnect American Christians have with the one they hold so dear to their hearts, Jesus. His messages of “love thy neighbor” or caring for your enemies have ostensibly disappeared during these days of war and political partisanship
In fact, from the war on terror, or perhaps you prefer the new convoluted title “the Global Struggle against Violent Extremism,” to America’s culture wars, Christians are beginning to take on more of likeness to Attila the Hun than Jesus.
Now, I’d just as rather cite the blasphemous and outrageous and unpatriotic Bill O’Reilly than Bill Maher, a man obsessed with drugs and anal sex, but Maher once wrote, “We are a nation that is unenlightened because of religion. I do believe that. I think that religion stops people from thinking. I think it justifies crazies.” Surely it’s hard to disagree with Maher from one point of view, for surely it was religion that justified Islamic extremists who hijacked jumbo jets and flew them into buildings. And to be fair to Muslims, it was religion that justified Christian extremists who bombed health clinics and killed innocent human beings. Also, it was religion that justified Christian extremists who marched into the Holy Land during the Crusades and killed millions of innocent people who were at the time living in peace and harmony, Jews with Muslims and Christians. And, it was religion that justified Christian Spaniard extremists who committed genocide of the indigenous people of the Western world. And, it was religion that justified Bush who refused to view cases involving mentally retarded death row inmates while he was Governor of Texas, yet when he became president he couldn’t keep his hands out of the Christian cookie jar when it came to saving the life of a woman in a “consistent vegetative state.” And, it was… well, you get the idea.
I don’t mention these things to spur the wrath of Christians, for surely I can be tolerant of all religions, just ask God. I don’t mention these things to expose Christian hypocrisy. Lord knows, I’ve been a walking contradiction many times over. I mention these things, because along with them, comes a great deal of anger. And anger is where American Christians get Jesus so wrong.
Jesus spoke to his disciples and gave a clear presentation of what he intended for his followers. In John 13:34 he tells his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Love was Christ’s intention for humanity. Love was the one thing on which Jesus based life. Love was the reason he ate with and comforted whores and thieves. He wanted an uplifted human far from the cries of the old covenant of “an eye for an eye.”
On CBN’s official website, Pat Robertson has a question and answer page. Concerned Christians have the chance to get some of their most prominent inquiries satisfied by a man of their own faith. One such concerned Christian asked if killing could ever be just. This is Pat’s response:
"Well, Alec, I was a lieutenant in the Marines and I served in Korea. The Bible says, 'He that wields the sword does not do so in vain, but he is a minister of God to execute judgment on evildoers' (Romans 13:4). I don't like war any more than any other thinking person. But the time does come when free people must defend their freedom and rescue those who are oppressed from wicked men who would enslave them and destroy them www.CBN.com ."
It must be noted here that this verse is taken completely out of context, as are many verses that Robertson uses to twist his own sick sense of reasoning. Paul was setting the groundwork for how government leaders and their people should act. In the last verses in the preceding chapter, Paul clearly states, “Therefore, ‘If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts give him drink…’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Roman 12:20-21). I don’t know about you, but this approach was not even remotely considered by the Bush administration when dealing with Iraq. Furthermore, Paul goes on to say in chapter 13, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law" (13:8). Love is the common theme in the dispensation of Jesus' teachings. It is His new law, though many Christians, especially those who support Bush, seem to continually miss this point.
More telling about the use of this verse is that it completely disregards Jesus’ teachings on violence. When the Chief Priests, the office of the guards, and the elders came to arrest Jesus on the eve of His death and deliver Him to the governor Pontius Pilate, one of His followers pulled out his sword in defense of Jesus and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest. Immediately Jesus rebuked His follower saying, “Put your sword in its place, for he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Clearly Jesus wanted nothing to do with violence.
Not to pick on Pat Robertson again, though it should be noted the man is a complete moron, but his words run far with Christians and he is the mouth piece for many Evangelical groups in America, groups that have much influence in the Whitehouse these days. Therefore, it pleases me to point out that recently this loving Christian actually endorsed assassinating Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. “You know, I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he [Chavez] thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it,” Robertson said. “It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.” Robertson, a Christian, is actually condoning the killing of a man, not because he is evil, but because it would be “cheaper than starting a war…” When did Christians get into the business of killing for the sake of the economy? Believe it or not, my jaw did not drop when I heard this. The wild and absurd Robertson also justified the bombing of health clinics. I don’t know about you, but killing wasn’t on Jesus’ “to do” list.
Just for shits and giggles, this morning I was listening to Scott and Sam on Good News radio’s Morning Show, a Christian radio program, and I heard Scott say something that I couldn’t believe. To paraphrase, he said that unless we get a Bible into the hands of Islamic extremists, they’re only going to commit more killings. There is something inherently missing in this logic, something that is grossly unrecognized. The problem isn’t with individual extremists; it’s with the systemic approach of organized religion. Organized religion breeds two sins: divisiveness and militantism. Instead of a message of compassion, of love and understanding, many Christians are just as hateful, judgmental, divisive and angry as those they claim to oppose. Remember Bush’s rhetoric regarding the war on terror? “Bring it on!” he said. Taunting enemies for further fighting is clearly not the message Jesus laid out for His followers. More amazing is that the arrogance in this quote comes from a man who considers himself a humble, devout Christian, one who reads the bible and prays daily.
posted by Caleab at 1:26 PM
2 Comments:
A real enlightening blog. Don't stop now. I'm sure you'd be interested in How to buy & sell hyundai on interest free credit; pay whenever you want.
Love is a person. The Lord Jesus could love a whore or thieve because that is what He is. Love is Jesus Christ. So, the more we "eat Him" as the word (Jer. 15:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3, John 1:1), the more we too become love; capable of loving others. Capable of loving even our enemies. So, it sounds like Bush and Robertson need to eat more of the Lord's word.
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