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And I wouldn't call the atmosphere uber-Christian, either. It feels more like a ubiquitous cult that has appropriated and subverted Christian symbology to contr

And I wouldn't call the atmosphere uber-Christian, either. It feels more like a ubiquitous cult that has appropriated and subverted Christian symbology to control people's relationships and behavior. That sounds like a distinction without a difference to me these days.

logfromblammo 8y ago
Yes, I think I know what you mean. I think there are genuine Christians around. You may have even met one. I also think there are people who call themselves Christians, because they attend a church that declares itself to be Christian, and publicly declare themselves for Jesus, and who may or may not even realize that what they do and what they say that they believe do not always align. Not being Christian myself, and having no stake in what it really means to be Christian, it nevertheless seems to me that the various points made in the Sermon on the Mount should be relevant. And yet there are so many around here that stand and pray in the churches and the schools and the stadiums and the courthouses and in the town squares and on the street corners, that they may be seen by others, and heap up empty phrases, to be heard for their many words. It couldn't be clearer in the narrative that Jesus--the main protagonist of the whole religion and the illustrative model for righteous behavior and wisdom--said, "don't do this". And then people do it anyway. A genuinely uber-Christian atmosphere would (in my non-Christian opinion) not have so many public declarations of piety blasted around everywhere. Nor would it constantly be trying to oppress minorities, and strip health care away from the poor. Nor would it be building weapons of war, or turning away the oppressed without a shred of comfort. Maybe you get a different experience when a priest reads to you from the Bible and then tells you it means something other than what it says, but when you go direct to the source material, and take the myth at face value, the hypocrisies are obvious.

logfromblammo 8y ago

Yes, I think I know what you mean. I think there are genuine Christians around. You may have even met one. I also think there are people who call themselves Christians, because they attend a church that declares itself to be Christian, and publicly declare themselves for Jesus, and who may or may not even realize that what they do and what they say that they believe do not always align. Not being Christian myself, and having no stake in what it really means to be Christian, it nevertheless seems to me that the various points made in the Sermon on the Mount should be relevant. And yet there are so many around here that stand and pray in the churches and the schools and the stadiums and the courthouses and in the town squares and on the street corners, that they may be seen by others, and heap up empty phrases, to be heard for their many words. It couldn't be clearer in the narrative that Jesus--the main protagonist of the whole religion and the illustrative model for righteous behavior and wisdom--said, "don't do this". And then people do it anyway. A genuinely uber-Christian atmosphere would (in my non-Christian opinion) not have so many public declarations of piety blasted around everywhere. Nor would it constantly be trying to oppress minorities, and strip health care away from the poor. Nor would it be building weapons of war, or turning away the oppressed without a shred of comfort. Maybe you get a different experience when a priest reads to you from the Bible and then tells you it means something other than what it says, but when you go direct to the source material, and take the myth at face value, the hypocrisies are obvious.