Christian' America Lacking In Compassion

[damnedifIknow]

At last week's National Rifle Association convention, Ms. Palin revealed to the cheering crowd how a Christian sacrament would be used to loosen the tongues of suspected Islamic terrorists under a Palin presidency.

"Oh, you can't offend them, can't make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen," she said with a demonic cackle. "Well, if I were in charge, they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists."

Though it is the single most ignorant and heretical remark uttered by a so-called Christian politician in a generation, Ms. Palin has yet to apologize for it. In her world, Jesus' symbol of renewal and repentance lacks the American Jesus' pragmatism and terrorist-defying swagger. Her most ardent supporters are too biblically illiterate to be offended by it in any case.

A recent tweet captured the absurdity of this kind of Christianity perfectly: "If you're looking for the people who think America is a Christian nation, they're busy celebrating guns and torture."

A Christian nation where botched executions are of no moral consequence and baptism is synonymous with torturing one's enemies sounds more like hell than the "godless" alternative."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article38409.htm

[hrmjustin]

3. Thats a rather broadbrush your painting with.

[randys1]

4. most, not all

i wish it wasnt so god damn obvious that i was right, but it is

Christians are so funny, I ALWAYS make sure NOT to say ALL

i mean NOBODY with half a brain would argue with me that AT LEAST 51% of american christians are the worst and most vile pukes alive, right?

[hrmjustin]

5. So your saying there are a few of us that are ok but most of us are not.

[KT2000]

7. The Episcopal Church

used to be known for fighting for justice. But they and other what used to be called mainstream religions are not heard from very much any more. The stage has been handed over to the haters, judgers and otherwise crazies.

I am afraid the crazies are what are defining Christianity in this country now.

[hrmjustin]

9. The Episcopal Church continues to stand up for justice thank you very much!!!

[KT2000]

14. I'm sure it does

as do other denominations but the point is - they are not heard anymore. Who represents Christianity in the media? When positions are taken, who knows about it? what alliances for justice have been made between activist groups and churches?

Ultra-conservatives are the face of Christianity in the media. If the Episcopal Church or any other have taken positions, it doe not appear to be news. Their influence has waned.

I wish the more moderate Christian Churches such as the Episcopal Church would demand the media represent them too; I wish that the heads of those churches would make bold statements of support for justice.

The Pope has rocked the boat with his talk of fairness, justice, humility, etc. He is alone in that respect.

[hrmjustin]

17. It is not our fault the media does not cover us.

We don't call the media when we do God's work. Jesus made clear we are not to sound a trumpet when we do good.

The media knows our opinion. If they want to cover us then they need to decide that.

[CrispyQ]

27. It's been a few years, but back when Jack Cafferty was on CNN,

doing his five minute stints on Wolf's show, he did a segment about the Dominionists. He was downright scared by what he' learned about them. Later in the show, he read viewers comments about the segment & everyone, except one person, was equally disturbed by what they learned. He ended the segment by saying something to the effect of "People need to know what this movement is about because it's not Christianity as I was taught."

Do you think CNN ever did a special on Dominionists? Of course not. They love Sarah the Vapid cuz every time she opens her vile mouth it's ratings for them. Our for-profit news media is just another compromised institution that no longer serves The People.

If the churches made a bold statement, I'm not sure it would be covered, but they should make an effort anyway.

[hughee99]

21. Yeah, Christians are shit!

What's an "average christian American", this guy?

[randys1]

25. nope, he is not an average christian american

the teaparty christians are the 51% I am talking about

religion is an opiate for the masses, there is no god

[blueamy66]

28. Can you prove that there is no God?

nt

[snooper2]

33. I can

[hughee99]

32. The 51%?

You seem to be using a very broad brush describing Christians when the people you're talking about are just barely the majority... and in any case even the "teaparty christians" you speak of don't make up a majority of Christians in this country.

[LanternWaste]

34. As are bumper-stickers an alternative to critical thought.

"Religion is an opiate for the masses,..

As are bumper-sticker philosophies an alternative to critical thought. Regardless, I'm quite sure the faith you hold in your beliefs are as imaginary as anyone else's...

[stone space]

23. Well, I guess that excuses the Palin Blasphemy, then. Clearly they deserved it.

The average christian american is a pile of shit

[randys1]

26. i wish we didnt have tens of millions of american christians who

hate minorities, hate Gays, hate foreigners, hate Brown people etc

but we do, what they have in common is their stupid, knee dragging belief in an invisible man in the sky who says it is OK to kill prisoners even if there is doubt of their guilt, who says it is OK to tell people if they dont work they dont eat

i could go on but should not have to

I love you if you are a true christian, odds are you are not, as a true christian would be almost pure love and no judgment at all

they exist, but not many of them, there are semi good ones i suppose who try and do the right thing, you may be one of them

hey, what the hell, i will love you no matter what, atheists are good at that...but religion is one of the main if not the main causes of almost all human suffering

[Skidmore]

2. American prosperity gospel is a twisted theology.

God with guns and money and a mall church. See them everywhere.

[KT2000]

6. I asked my friend

if her past employer, a dentist, had guns. She said - of course he does - he's a Christian.

My friend is from China and she thinks just about all Christians are gun crazy. That is the prevailing impression of Christians now. Some subsets of Christianity used to be known for fighting for justice, especially during the Civil Rights era. Not anymore. Now it is gun rights and the long list of those deserving of their hatred.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Not just Christian America anymore. American America is lacking in compassion.

No matter what we pray/don't pray or believe/don't believe in.

[AAO]

11. Speak for yourself

I'm the most compassionate guy I know and I'm a dyed in the wool (WTF does that mean anyway) American Atheist. It's the right-wing nuts, regardless of faith, or certainty, that are driving us over Niagra Falls without a barrel.

[Skip Intro]

10. That's just bullshit.

Palin only serves to represent Christians when somebody like the author of that blog wants to bash Christians.

It isn't these horrible Christians who are slitting the throats of hundreds and kidnapping schoolgirls. It isn't Christians who are condemning gays to death. It isn't Christians who are stoning and whipping rape victims for adultery.

Christians don't lack compassion, and you insult a large number of Dems and DUers when you argue such ridiculousness, especially when torture and mass murder are rampant at the hands of Islamic extremists in real life.

[AAO]

12. And she does nothing for free. She's a grifter and a charlatan.

[Skip Intro]

13. Palin doesn't equal Christianity. The OP is bullshit. n/t

[hrmjustin]

16. In Africa Christians and Muslims kill each other all the time.

Christians supported the Nigerian anti-gay law.

We have our creeps and murders as well.

[Skip Intro]

18. Haven't read about an Christians killing Muslims in Africa.

Have seen pics of Christians being slaughtered by Muslims in Aftica, and elsewhere, however.

If you got links, I'd like to check them out.

[hrmjustin]

19. Here.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/10/central-african-republic-christian-militias-revenge

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/tens-of-thousands-of-muslims-flee-christian-militias-in-central-african-republic/2014/02/07/5a1adbb2-9032-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html

http://read.thestar.com/?origref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F#!/article/530bb05cec0691371900045b

http://www.commdiginews.com/world-news/in-tragic-twist-anti-balaka-christian-terror-groups-attack-african-muslims-9691/

[Skip Intro]

20. Thanks, but...

I scanned the WaPo article, will check them all more thoroughly tomorrow. But, I did find this in the WaPo article:

----------
The seeds were sown in March last year when the Seleka, a largely Muslim rebel group, seized Bangui in a coup, installed the country's first Muslim president, Michel Djotodia, and terrorised the majority Christian population, killing men, women and children. In response, predominantly Christian forces known as the anti-balaka (balaka means machete in Sango, the local language) launched counterattacks against the Seleka and perceived Muslim collaborators.
----------

The attacks and long established and fanatical punishments handed down in many Muslim countries, against gays and women, and Christians, are not the same as retaliation for attacks on them. Gays and women did not attack Muslims, and therefore suffered a like response. It is an apples and oranges comparison.

Thanks for the links, though, I will check them out.

[hrmjustin]

22. The links I gave you were to give you a sense of what some Christians in Africa are doing.

[Bluenorthwest]

30. I'm sorry to say that Nigeria and Uganda are places where Christians are openly calling for death

to gay people. Bishops are also calling on parents to turn their gay children into authorities for life in prison. LGBT people in Uganda are in hiding, and Christians make up more than 90% of Uganda, Catholics 42%, Anglicans 41%, and so forth.
Catholic Bishop praises genocide of LGBT in Uganda
"The Right Reverend Charles Wamika, Bishop of the Diocese of Jinja, praised the Ugandan Parliament for the Anti-Homosexuality Act that provides life in prison for LGBT people.

The anti-gay legislation represents an ongoing, de facto genocide of the LGBT community in Uganda.
Without compassion, and with a malignancy only religious superstition can sustain, Bishop Wamika encouraged parents to turn over their gay and lesbian children to government authorities for re-education and imprisonment.

In a chilling and disturbing Easter address, Bishop Wamika told parents of gay and lesbian children that they would be rewarded in heaven if they turned over their gay and lesbian children to the state for punishment. The Bishop went on to call for a blessing for Uganda’s Christians who worked so hard to “free the land of gays.”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2014/04/catholic-bishop-praises-genocide-of-lgbt-in-uganda/

He's not the only one, either. They are empowered by their global fellowships which constantly claim they are not doing what they are doing.

[spanone]

15. ms palin is an evil twit...she's not remotely christian.

[MisterP]

24. it's just an identity label, not any particular code to follow

whatever and anything you want has God's imprimatur, of course--you don't have to CHANGE yourself, Heavens no!

[L0oniX]

31. Don't expect Christians to be any better than anyone else.

Being a Christian does not mean you will magically become perfect by human standards.