Cornering the market on God ...

[FirstLight]

...I am a Lutheran, not Born & Bred, but recently adopted by a very liberal Lutheran church in my mountain town. (It took a long time for me to reconcile with the church, and I can now see faith in a different way, and can understand the language used by the church in a more loving tone than before.)

MY God is not a judging God.
I believe that Jesus WAS a "tree-hugging, peace-mongering, long-haired hippie" and am really pissed that the Rethugs seem to have cornered the market on Him.

If they met Jesus on the street today, they would have him locked up for "conspiracy to incite a riot"

I enjoy listening to my Christian radio, but get so upset when the news comes on or any of the opinion segments, because they are just spewing RW fundie propaganda in the name of God.

I thought God was all about bout HELPING our fellow man, not punishing him for being out of a job, or a single mom who leaves her husband who needs a hand up and a hug instead of judgment about being poor and alone...or people who were left to drown in a cesspool while others "ate cake" etc...

How is it that the people who are the most violent, most anti-life and pro war can wrap themselves in a flag and pretend that they have the only clue as to how God works & thinks?

You know, what comes to mind is when the end comes and Jesus says there will be many who say "lord! lord! don't you recognize me? I did it all for you!" and He'll say "get away from me, I never knew you."

Man, would I LOVE to see that !!!

[Warpy]

1. I'm a Buddhist, albeit a very bad one,

who sees a great deal of Buddha nature in the New Testament.

It's really unfortunate that it contains so much myth because it's allowed a folk cult to rise up grooving on that myth while dispensing with all the inconvenient but terribly important teaching the myth was supposed to draw their attention to.

I see two types of Christian, then, the ones who are your garden variety idolators of the book and the cross without considering the meaning behind either; and Christians who have heard the message in that book and are trying their level best to live up to it.

If Jesus came back today, you can bet the first group would have him busted for vagrancy and lose his paperwork, leaving him stuck in jail until he died of old age, his message unheard.

[heidler1]

2. I got this Email a few days ago.

BEST POEM IN THE WORLD!
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one expected you.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JUDGE NOT
Remember...Just going to church
doesn't make you a Christian,
any more than standing in your garage
makes you a car

[FirstLight]

3. I love the last paragraph...

I wish we had more folks whop were willing to speak to this issue. It just KILLS me that the fundies give christianity a bad name!!!

please KICK for the evening crowd!

[willing dwarf]

4. Thanks for this

Just last night going past a big newish church near my house I was struck by the same sort of thing. They had this incredible crystal chandelier all lit up in a huge window/wall. The night was dark and the display of this chandelier coming through the darkness was spectacular, but it just hit me so hard -- what on earth does that church, a vast very expensive compilation of materials, what on earth does that treasure trove of wealth have to do with Jesus and his ministry to the poorest of people, to thieves and prostitutes?

The church in America is all about opulence, and has the flag wrapped around it. It's sickening what they've done, and I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't recognize the Christian Church in America as being at all related to his life and teaching.