Posted by: the warrioress | December 11, 2013

Our Friend, Robert

Robert was a unique, one of kind, special person. I’ve known him since he showed up on my property eight years ago and began renting from me. He was the kind of guy that most people were drawn to because he was always cutting up and loved to talk.

Robert loved the out-of-doors and would sit outside of where ever he lived with a few empty chairs around him. He would have a cup of coffee or whatever beverage of the day was on the agenda, and encouraged all of us on the property to join him. I would plan on a moment or two of chat, just to be polite, but would find myself still there listening and sharing, four hours or so later. By then we were usually barbecuing and I was kicking myself for lolling about letting another day go by.

Robert didn’t see it like that, I don’t suppose. To him, human interaction was the most important, valuable thing in the world. Taking time to visit and laugh with friends or family ranked up there as a really good way of spending one’s time. Most of the time, Robert could cheer me up if I was down, and visa-versa. He never took things too seriously. He was a productive person and had worked as an over-the-road truck driver most of his life. In his later years, he became a tree doctor and began his own company.

Robert dropped in and out of my life through out these last eight years, always returning to rent from me, letting me know that he felt at home with my daughter and I and enjoyed the many animals and happy chaos here. When I didn’t hear from him for nearly three years, I kind of thought he might have passed away, but he was visiting his brother and eventually returned here about four months ago.

Unfortunately, during the three-year sabbatical, Robert had aged, grown weary, and perhaps a little tired of life. He was seventy-two years old and seemed a little depressed and beaten down, but strolled up the drive way, his pick-up parked in front, collapsed into one of the patio chairs and grinned up at me. “Got a cup of coffee?” I just stared at him wide-eyed. “Robert!” My daughter bounced around in happiness at seeing him.

The last four months have been busy but rarely did I not enjoy Robert’s company. Sometimes I felt as if I was mothering him, especially when he became very ill with flu-like symptoms and I was over to his unit bringing him hot soup, roast  and veggies, and other sundry hot meals to help him get better. I good-naturedly lectured him about eating more and stopping smoking, and he seemed to appreciate my concern.  My little girl visited with Robert daily, as she and he rescued two baby kittens and were raising them together over at his place.

Eventually as the weather grew colder, Robert took to the bed and became so ill that we had to telephone EMS.  Robert went into the hospital and never returned to our happy home. I finally reached his family a few days ago as things became more serious and they took over making decisions for his care.

Robert passed away this last Monday evening about eight o’ clock pm. My daughter and I have lost a very dear friend with a wonderful sense of humor, who had the gift of gab. I remember inviting Robert to our church, which is very different and lots of fun. People can wear blue jeans if they like; no one dresses up much or puts on airs. Robert loved our church and our lead pastor with the English accent. He seemed to want to go back again until he became so sick.

I was finally able to find the right moment to talk with Robert about God and the salvation of Jesus Christ when he was in the hospital. I hope he was able to find a relationship with our Lord in the time he had left on this earth, and pray he is under the care of our Father who art in Heaven.

Robert, you will be greatly missed. We loved you dearly and will always remember you. We thank you for coming in and out of our lives and blessing our family with your wit and silly antics. My daughter loves you and I love you.

May God bless and keep you, Robert, and now we let you go knowing that we loved you well, the best we could, and thank you for your friendship.

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Posted by: the warrioress | December 5, 2013

How Can A Christian….. ?

English: Barack Obama delivering his electoral...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“How can a Christian vote for President Obama when he supports abortion and gay marriage? You can’t be a real Christian if you vote for or support President Obama or the political left. If you do vote Democratic, you’re being led by Satan. You must choose.

Choose left? You’re choosing the devil.”

There are actually bloggers who claim Christianity who feel this way, who blog this kind of thing, who go to astounding lengths to accuse and hound other Christians who feel differently than they do, politically-speaking.

It is extremely frustrating to read these kinds of blogs/bloggers too often. I do my best not to, but sometimes I just can’t help but take a little gander and it never fails to outrage me when I do.  I know that these Christians are entitled to their own erroneous opinions, but I worry about the example that they are setting. I worry about how many of the unsaved they are driving away from our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

The stupid question/comment above in italics is a common, repetitive theme on these kinds of blogs, by these kinds of people. They insist that they are “real” Christians and that the rest of us are misguided, under Satan’s rule, and on our way to the lake of fire, in their opinion. They actually attempt to quote scripture in support of their personal opinions. This cherry-picking, and contortionist twisting of the bible is enough to leave one truly shivering, and not with the cold out of doors either.  This is scary stuff.

First of all, I don’t believe that President Obama “supports” abortion. I think President Obama is in favor of the law above all, and he knows that women will get abortion one way or another if they feel that they need one. When we make abortion completely illegal and unavailable, it still occurs, but not only does the baby die, the mother often dies as well. We don’t want this to happen; we don’t want to go back to the dark ages where women died in back-alley dungeons in the hands of sociopathic butchers. President Obama does not support that kind of madness, nor do I. We have no choice but to keep abortion legal, but fight to reduce the need through a host of avenues, in BIPARTISAN fashion.

President Obama believes that every citizen of America should have equal rights, including minorities, women, Muslims, and people who belong to the LGBTQ community. He is standing up for the rights of all of these just as he continues to stand up for the elderly, working poor, infirmed, unemployed, uninsured, homeless, and the downtrodden. He is a professor of LAW. He chooses to be fair and reasonable, regardless of what is going on in a person’s private bedroom. He sees gay marriage as a civil right, and that’s his right to see it that way.

As a Christian, I don’t have to agree with gay marriage or abortion to stand with President Obama’s primary politics — (which I believe are much more “Christian” and “Christ-like” than the politics of the far religious right). I’m of the personal opinion that far right wing politics are anything but Christian, and are a trick of Satan himself.  However…..

As Christians, we can vote for whom we choose to vote for, and anyone who judges us or our Christianity because of our different opinions exhibits rotten, ugly fruit of the spirit that belies the truth. There is no love, no Holy Spirit, and no life within a mouthful of hate that spews forth a mauling & twisting of the Holy Bible, God’s word, with an rigid Republican interpretation and agenda attached to it.

When I see these blogs/bloggers venting their rage and antiquated diatribes of viciousness, I normally attempt to pray for the owners and writers of said blog and ignore their writings — but when they continue day after day, I think it’s important to make a stand and express an alternative point of view about what Christianity really is and what it is supposed to look like.

Christianity looks like Jesus Christ. If you can’t see Jesus sharing whatever is being said, somebody needs to get back into their bible and start fighting their battles on their knees instead of bickering and causing division in a public forum.

I hope no one is being fooled and this so saddens me. I especially worry about the innocent who read these kinds of postings, who won’t want any part of Jesus Christ if that is what a Christian looks like.

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Posted by: the warrioress | December 5, 2013

7 Lies About Christianity

Good Shepherd

Good Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Visit this entire posting here:

“Christianity is great, but not everything we say or believe about it is necessarily true. Here are the most common stereotypes that Christians have about Christianity that are wrong:

You’re Always Happy: There’s an unhealthy expectation within many faith communities that we’re always supposed to be joyful, as if being anything other than a smiling, peaceful, and jolly spiritual cheerleader is detrimental to Christianity.

“Being a good witness” is often the Christian way of saying, “act the part.” But while contentment and happiness is a spiritual virtue, it should never come at the expense of honesty, transparency, and truthfulness. We shouldn’t pretend to be happy and use the facade of joy as an evangelism tool.

God desires reconciliation and renewal, and this often means confronting broken relationships and dealing with sin within our lives. Asking for forgiveness, admitting addiction, confronting abuse, seeking justice, requesting help, and serving others often makes you the opposite of happy — and that’s OK.

There’s a season for everything, and some of life’s most important, loving, and holy moments are times of trial, sorrow, and sadness — so let’s stop trying to turn Christianity into something it was never meant to be.

Your Problems Will Disappear: Some people use Christianity as a form of escapism, a crutch, and a way to avoid the pain, suffering, and struggles of life. But at the center of Jesus’ life and teaching is (again) the concept of truth. Christianity isn’t about ignoring reality but embracing it, engaging the real world and all the baggage that comes with it.

In many ways, following Jesus causes us to accept — and confront — the facts, whether they are good or bad. We shouldn’t hide or pretend or ignore difficulties, but address them.

A faith in Christ requires honesty and bravery, and it demands sacrifice, service, and heartbreak. The New Testament shows us that Jesus’ disciples faced even more problems when they decided to follow him: persecution, poverty, and ultimately martyrdom.

No, our problems won’t disappear, but a relationship with God is worth the accompanying struggles that may come with it.

You’ll Be “Blessed”:  If you’re seeking wealth, prosperity, comfort, and security, Christianity isn’t the place to go.

Contrary to our consumer tendencies, Jesus’ teachings continually instruct believers to sacrifice and be willing to give everything away for the sake of loving others. The disciples of Jesus lived a dangerous and hard life that continually relied on the hospitality and generosity of others. They often ended up in jail or were even killed because of their faith.

Some of the most holy and righteous people I know have lives that are extremely rough and filled with all sorts of trouble. Disease, sickness, poverty, crime, abuse, and a litany of other horrible things happen to good people — even Christians who passionately love God.

Does this mean that they don’t trust God enough or aren’t being good Christians? No! Our faith isn’t a pathway toward gaining an array of physical, financial, or social blessings — it’s not a formula for worldly success, so let’s stop treating it like one.

Missions and Ministry Is Fun and Rewarding: Don’t get me wrong, it often is rewarding, but from the time we’re in Sunday school throughout high school and college, and even as adults, we’re told that “missions” and “ministry” and “evangelism” is fun, exciting, and rewarding. We go on exotic mission trips, work at car washes to raise money for local charities, and spend a day volunteering at the homeless shelter. Most of us then have the luxury of going home, back to our “regular” lives.

Missions and ministry is hard work. There’s a reason the burnout rate is absurdly high for people whose primary vocation is ministry-related. Pastors and missionaries are considered high-risk candidates within the medical community because of their susceptibility to addiction, stress, and abuse. It’s not an easy life.

Being a full-time missionary and minister requires constant service, with very little recognition and plenty of conflict. Combine this with long hours, low pay, and hardly any respectability, and it’s an existence that few can handle.

But within our churches and Christian institutions, we glorify the idea of serving others without presenting an accurate or truthful picture of what it really looks like or requires from us. Instead of telling the horror stories of relational conflict, emotional pain, and physical turmoil, we’re fed stories of revival, spiritual renewal, and miraculous wonders. That’s great, but in many cases it gives us false expectations of what ministry honestly looks like.

We need to start portraying ministry accurately instead of marketing it as some sort of superficial fun-filled adventure. And for those already within ministry, we need to give them all the support and encouragement they deserve.

All Your Questions Will Be Answered: Christianity is full of doubt, uncertainty, nuance, and complexity. There are very few clear answers, and the ones that exist are debated among hundreds of theologians. For those seeking resolutions to life’s deepest questions and mysteries, Christianity will provide some clarity, but ultimately it leaves much to the imagination.

As believers, we need to start accepting the fact that we don’t know everything. When we try to turn the Bible into a set of answers to all of the world’s challenges and questions, we end up manipulating the message of Christ and forming it into our own agendas just to appease our curiosity or quell the objections of others.

The Christian Community Is Great: Many people leave the Christian faith not because they hate Jesus, but because they hate the people who represent him. Christians hurt people. They fight, argue, yell, scream, and do horrible things.

Nobody knows this better than Christians themselves, who routinely suffer through denominational splits, church infighting, community gossip, and an avalanche of interpersonal conflicts.

Christians aren’t better than anyone else. The divorce rates, crime rates, and other “moral” comparative data show little difference between them and the rest of the world. So let’s stop pretending Christians have the market corner on what’s right and wrong.

We need to start listening and talking with others instead of self-righteously judging and convicting others. There’s a reason why you can’t look across a mall and point out who’s a Christian and who isn’t — because there’s no noticeable difference.

It Makes You Better Than Others:This is the hardest truth for Christians to swallow, that they aren’t any better than anyone else. In fact, Jesus continually tried to instill the virtues of humility and humbleness throughout his ministry, repeatedly trying to teach his followers that everyone was loved by God, regardless of social, financial, or spiritual status.

When we see ourselves as superior, we become like the Pharisees, who craved power and control and authority. But God, the ruler of the world, made himself nothing, and died on a cross for the sake of others — for the sake of those who were in the process of murdering him! Are we willing to become nothing for the sake of others, even for those we dislike?

The problem with romanticizing Christianity is that we turn our faith into a product, using various selling points to make it look more attractive. It’s not that the above headlines are entirely false, it’s just that Christians publicize them as being entirely true. This creates false expectations and idols, and inevitably leads to disappointment and sense of failure.

Instead of promoting Christianity as a set of benefits, we need to promote Christ. In the end, when everything else fails and falls short, Jesus will remain faithful through it all. We can trust him above any form of religion we attempt to turn Christianity into.”

Stephen Mattson has contributed for Relevant Magazine and the Burnside Writer’s Collective, and studied Youth Ministry at the Moody Bible Institute. He is now on staff at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. Follow him on Twitter @mikta.

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Posted by: the warrioress | December 3, 2013

“Christ” Back in Christian

 John Thompson The war on Christmas was lost when retailers convinced everyone to buy, buy, buy gifts for each other for Christmas. They got the people to forgot it was about the wise men bringing expensive gifts to a poor child born in a stable. Jesus isn’t under our Christmas tree. He is the poor, hungry, the homeless in our streets. We lost the war when we were convinced that it was about greed.

 

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 30, 2013

Covetousness

English: DC USA, Target, Black Friday

English: DC USA, Target, Black Friday (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” – Luke 12:15

There is something missing when we’re always focused upon the next thing to purchase, or something else we feel that we “need.” Certainly there are the obvious and practical purchases:  food, clothing, television, radio, computer, and other basics like these, but I’m not referring to the basics of which most homes have within them; I’m talking about a sense of believing everything will be better or “right” if we just have that particular dress, jacket, shoes, IPAD, smart phone, car, ring, jewelry, purse, etc.

Are we living happily within our means? Are we satisfied with the material possessions that we have, or do we find ourselves always needing more? Thankfully, I’ve reached a point in my life in that I’m quite contented with what I have materially. I don’t need a brand new vehicle and my home and property are modest and paid for. It feels good not to have to make some mortgage payment until I die.

Certainly I could live in a fancier house, but I would have to work so hard away from it just to pay for something like that– no thanks. I’ve got enough clothing to have a nice outfit or three to wear to church or meet someone for dinner.

The only thing I really feel that we lack here is a good handyman (chuckle) perhaps. The limbs need trimming badly and the barn needs a good remodel/repainting. At any rate, I’m just so glad that I don’t have to be constantly “keeping up with the next door neighbors” in terms of always having the next or better material possession or the other. Life is simple, in this regard, and I love it this way!

I’m focused on the smaller things, the more important, really meaningful things: time with my young daughter, watching her grow up day by day and attempting to be there for her every step of the way, time spent with my beloved animals and friends; there is just no substitute for these in any store.

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 26, 2013

Blessed

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him … Col 3:17

… in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you …1 Thess 5:18

saying: “ Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Rev 7:12

saying: “ We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned … Rev 11:17

I’ve been feeling a lot more thankful this last week, and recognizing that there are so many blessings in my life. I’ve had a lot going on with an ill tenant/friend whom I praying for. I realized that I don’t remember whether we’ve ever talked about his knowing Christ or not. He’s getting rather elderly and is in the hospital. I’m praying that I’ll find an opening to discuss this with him over these holidays.

My daughter still isn’t feeling consistently well. Some days she’s okay and some days not; this seems to be going around for a lot of people. Guess it’s possibly the never ending ups and downs of Texas weather.

We’ve got a very quiet Thanksgiving planned here. I suspect we’re going to be munching lots of goodies and probably visiting those who aren’t able to be at home for Thanksgiving with their family and friends.

There are always a lot of people who need Thanksgiving cheer and encouragement. I’m so thankful that I have the love of some very close, beloved friends who are always there for me, who pray for me regularly. I’m grateful that I have a beautiful daughter and a family of animals that I absolutely adore. I’m blessed that I have a lovely, unique, fun home that has enough room to take in borders pretty regularly and make these people feel cared for and at home.

I’m glad that we serve God in our home, and love Him above everything and everyone. I thank Him for leading and guiding me all year, keeping me safe, well, and happy. I am so very thankful…..

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 21, 2013

Turn It Over

Thanksgiving holidays are around the corner. I’m looking forward to holiday cheer and peace of mind as I specifically focus upon reasons to be thankful and move my thoughts to a more positive place. The nations problems, painful disappointments, and personal annoyances will still be here, but I’m not going to allow them to continue to take up space in my mind, at least for the time being I’m not.

Dandelion seeds (achenes) can be carried long ...

Dandelion seeds (achenes) can be carried long distances by the wind. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Despite the frustration and resentment I feel about these things, some of which I’ve shared here, the truth is that I can do nothing about any of it.  I can no more change people and their ways of thinking than I can change the weather. God has to do the actual changing; the only one I can change is myself.

According to God’s will, I sprinkle  seedlings, someone else waters them — but it’s God who is in charge of making them grow.

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.  As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” –Matthew 13: 1-9

My place and only responsibility when I’ve done all I can is to pray, be thankful, and focus upon my many blessings because these are so plentiful that they are hard to count. I know God will grow the seeds He means to grow.

On a more personal note, I got my kiddo well, but then she became reinfected again with an upper respiratory infection that everyone seems to have (they call this “allergies” down here in TX).  Anyway, I’m busy cooking lots of hot meals for her and trying to get healthy fluids down her so she’ll be well for Thanksgiving. She’s got Thanksgiving break coming after tomorrow, and I’ll be very grateful for her company. I want to find some fun things we can do while we’re cooped up in the house with rainy, freezing weather. Looking forward to the peaceful break!

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 18, 2013

Unpopularity

Woes of the Pharisees

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” [Matthew 5:10-12]

“Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” [Luke 6:22-23]

——————–

How odd to have to consider that it could be many of the very brethren who say that they love God whom Jesus is talking about in the verses above. I always believed it was the anti-religious, anti-theist atheists and God-haters who would persecute and shun me in the last days. I thought that this is where the real threat to Christianity would stem from — boy, was I wrong.

When we think about Jesus and the audiences of His time, it wasn’t the tax collector, sundry sinners, or the lost who were the true enemies of Christ — it was the Jewish religious leaders, Saducees and the Pharisees who wanted Jesus out of the way. Jesus was attempting to teach them, get through to them, and ask them to emulate what He was suggesting and preaching about. His message wasn’t very popular with them, if you’ll recall. The religious and the pious sneered at Jesus in their hearts; they said He was evil and reproached Him. They plotted behind His back to destroy Him.

When we share truth with our very own brothers and sisters which is difficult for them to hear, we can become rather unpopular. Yet if God has placed His message into our hearts, to whom do we strive to please? Do we shut our proverbial cyber mouths because we might offend? Do we please our brothers and sisters or the Lord?

I am serving God and sharing what He is leading me to share and I do it out of much love. While it may seem political or even biased at times, I’m trying to get an important message across to all of those reading here. The message is that we are Christians first and we are to emulate Jesus first, not the Republican party’s agenda-driven, corrupt example under a guise of false “Christianity.” We must be able to tell the difference between what is of the world and what is of the Lord, as followers of Jesus Christ. This includes what is happening politically in the world and all around us.

When our minds are clouded and made foggy by a love of material possessions, camaraderie with riches and money and “stuff,” power, pride, ambition, and a loyalty to and love of “the haves” over “the have-nots” > (the homeless, working poor, unemployed, uninsured, widows, orphans, the sick, the mentally ill, the criminal, single moms, the powerless, etc.) we’ve lost our course upon the narrow pathway! We have moved out onto that sinful broad highway the whole world is traveling down and we don’t even know it! We’ve been deluded by the devil himself and he is laughing it up at our deluded plight.

When you find yourself looking down upon the poor, the desperate, the struggling, and the “have-nots,” you have lost the way of following Jesus. Read that again, please. It bears thinking about.

When you notice that you are resentful that you have to help feed or clothe or heal them, you have strayed from who Jesus is and what He is all about. You are lost. Do you begrudge your poorest, struggling neighbor anything?

Wake up! Please, American Christians. Wake up already.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and He is not one of the religious right and never will be. He is not a conservative Republican Christian who hates gays and those who have abortions,  and He doesn’t think or act like one. Jesus loves. Jesus is not selfish.  He doesn’t resent others. He does not love money. Jesus shares, heals, and gave up everything.  He loves in humility. He washes the lowliest of the low’s feet! He washed His own follower’s feet. He became as a servant!

Jesus knew enough when He was walking this earth to have elements of all political sides within Him. His mind was open to understanding that there is a need for all of these political perspectives, but alone they all have their serious flaws. Most of all Jesus was and is compassionate, merciful, tender, forgiving, and  He loves unconditionally. He was not judgmental of the lost or sinners. Jesus is always on the side of the underdog and the weak, the humble, the downtrodden, and the lowly, and so is His Father, God.

Connect the dots.

Please, brothers and sisters, please connect the dots.

Excellent readings that go into more depth:

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Matt/Woes-Against-Human-Religion

http://www.tillhecomes.org/jesus-condemns-religious-people/

http://www.thorncrownjournal.com/timeofchrist/religiousleaders.html

http://www.xenos.org/teachings/?teaching=1193

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 18, 2013

Gospel of Selfishness

Gospel of Selfishness Pervades American Christianity

The philosophers of greed now use Christianity as their cover story

by Amanda Marcotte, ALTERNET

“Anyone who has worked in the restaurant business will be happy to tell you that waiters always fight each other to avoid working Sunday lunch shift. Not because they want to sleep in, but because it’s a widespread belief that the post-church crowd is loud, demanding and unwilling to tip appropriately. In the food service industry, “Christian” is synonymous with “selfish.”

Unfair stereotype? Probably. Big groups, regardless of affiliation, tend to tip poorly. More to the point, waiters probably remember the bad Christian tippers more because the hypocrisy is so stunning. The image of a man piously preening about what a good Christian he is in church only to turn around and refuse the basic act of decency that is paying someone what you owe them perfectly symbolizes a lurking suspicion in American culture that the harder someone thumps the Bible, the more selfish and downright sadistic a person he is. And that perception—that showy piety generally goes hand in hand with very un-Christ-like behavior—is not an urban myth at all. On the contrary, it’s the daily reality of American culture and politics.

Bill Maher recently had a rant on his show that went viral addressing this very issue, bad tippers who leave sermons or notes scolding waiters instead of paying them what they’re owed. His larger point is a much more important one: It’s absolutely disgusting how the politicians who make the biggest show of how much they love Jesus would be the first in line to bash him if he returned with a message of clothing the naked and feeding the poor. The Jesus of the Bible multiplied the loaves and fishes. His loudest followers these day gripe about feeding people, claiming it creates a “culture of dependency.” They may even comb through the Bible to take quotes out of context to justify their selfishness toward the poor, as Rep. Steven Fincher did when he claimed the Bible says, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” The fact that those jobs are unavailable didn’t give him a moment’s pause when suggesting this very un-Christ-like plan to his fellow Americans.

There are plenty of progressive Christians who genuinely try to live out Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself, described in the Bible as the root of Jesus’ entire philosophy. That said, statistics bear out the sense that people who are more invested in being perceived as pious also embrace the most selfish policies. Self-identified conservatives and Republicans claim go to church regularly at twice the rate of self-identified liberals. People who go to church more than once a week are far more conservative than the rest of the population. Indeed, the research suggests how often you report being in the pews is the most reliable indicator of how you’re going to vote. (Though it may not be a reliable indicator of how often you actually go to church. In the grand tradition of showy piety, people who claim to be avid church-goers often lie about it to pollsters.)

The attempts to reconcile the correlation between displays of piety and support for selfish policies get complex on the right, with conservatives often arguing that hating your neighbor at the voting booth doesn’t count because church charities supposedly make up for it. (They don’t.) In reality, the relationship between Christian piety and support for selfish policies is fairly straightforward. It’s not that being Christian makes you conservative. It’s that being conservative makes being a loud and pious Christian extremely attractive.

Without Christianity, the underlying mean-spiritedness of conservative policies is simply easier to spot. Without religion, you’re stuck making libertarian-style arguments that sound like things cackling movie villains would say, like Ayn Rand saying civilization should reject “the morality of altruism.” Since Christianity teaches altruism and generosity, it provides excellent cover for people who want to be selfish, a sheep’s clothing made of Jesus to cover up the child-starving wolf beneath. Since Christians are “supposed” to be good people, people who really aren’t good are lining up to borrow that reputation to advance their agenda.

The fact that conservatism causes obnoxious Christian piety in American culture is most obvious when looking at some of the theological developments that have accrued since the philosophers of selfishness decided to use Christianity as their cover story. The “prosperity gospel” that has developed in recent years is a classic example.

The prosperity gospel teaches, to be blunt, that you can tell how much God favors you by how rich you are. While some on the Christian right reject this idea as a tad crude, it’s still wildly popular and its adherents, like Oral Roberts, are some of the major architects and organizers for the Christian right. It’s a perfect example of how conservative ideology leads to pious Christianity. People want to believe that the rich are better than everyone else and the poor don’t deserve squat, so they find a way to blame God for it rather than own their own greed and selfishness.

Pope Francis may be entirely sincere when he says he wants Catholic clergy to deemphasize the right-wing political pandering in favor of highlighting values that are more in line with liberalism, such as compassion and generosity to the poor, but the odds are slim of this message making inroads with church leaders in the United States. The church needs conservatives who need to believe they’re good and holy people despite their selfish beliefs. Without them, who will show up and tithe? Liberals? Most of them are sleeping in on Sundays, secure that their commitment to social justice makes them good people regardless of how visibly pious they are.

The fact of the matter is that the purposes religion serves in America are shrinking in number. Our cultural identity is increasingly shaped by pop culture, not faith or ethnic identity. Our holidays are more about shopping and having a chance to catch up with far-flung family these days, not showing devotion to a deity. Spiritual needs are often addressed through modern means like psychotherapy and self-help. People build communities through hobbies and interests more than through faith communities bound by geography, ethnicity and family.

Increasingly, the only thing religion has left to justify itself is that it provides cover for people who want to have bigoted, selfish beliefs but want to believe they are good people anyway. As these social trends continue, we can expect the alignment between public piety and grotesquely selfish political beliefs to get worse, not better.”

Amanda Marcotte is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and journalist. She’s published two books and blogs regularly at Pandagon, RH Reality Check and Slate’s Double X.  (Source)

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Posted by: the warrioress | November 14, 2013

Pro-life?

Here we have yet another odd conundrum.

A Knights of Columbus sign at the March For Life.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many within Christianity are “pro-life,” allegedly. Unfortunately, this pro-life deal only lasts until the fetus makes it out of the womb alive. Once the fetus takes its first breath of air, it’s an infant — as it grows into a regular everyday baby, all compassion and concern for it come to an end.

At this point, this baby is now considered just another mouth to feed on welfare, grasping for food stamps and other “freebies” which must be slashed and cut so that poor people with children don’t become “dependent.”

There are obvious problems with this kind of attitude and way of thinking. These thoughts do not make good sense. If one insists that all babies must be born, even to abusive, drug addicted, mentally ill parents, why isn’t one willing to take on the responsibility of feeding and caring for these same children as they grow into adulthood? Why isn’t one fostering and adopting these unwanted and abused kids? These actions aren’t consistent with the Christian love of “life,” and I don’t see anything that can remotely be called “pro-life” about it in the least.

No, this is hypocrisy, denial, and stubborn dishonesty. And I believe it’s also sin.

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