Thursday, November 22, 2007

This morning's lessons are from the Fourth Gospel


I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (John 13:34-35, NRSV)

How far we fall from Jesus' injunction.

What twisted psycho-spiritual experience (and fundamentalist brainwashing, of which I know something) leads people to think they are honoring or obeying God and glorifying Jesus when they act hatefully, glorify violence, and take pleasure in the punishment of others?

theyrereal has an article at DailyKos about the rabid version of aggressive "Christianity" that seems to permeate far too much of United States military forces.

Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force JAG and White House attorney for Ronald Reagan, has received over 6,000 complains from military personnel about being harassed by Evangelical "Christians". 95% of these complains come from people who are, actually, already Christians.

For his trouble, Weinstein, founder of The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, has found "dead animals on his porch, feces smeared on his walls, or slashes in his tires. Men have called to threaten his daughter, women to chant rhymes about shooting him in the head, small children to inform him that he will burn in hell."

The story of what passes for "evangelism" is quite frightening.

Jesus began to weep. (John 11:35, NRSV)

Be informed. Read the article. And support the First Amendment.

UPDATE: A second article today by Troutfishing discusses "predatory evangelism."
--the BB

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