Eric Hare is one of my favorite bloggers. He invites reflection.
See what you think from this post, and check out his blog, Barataria.
A Crisis of Faith
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Eric Hare is one of my favorite bloggers. He invites reflection.
See what you think from this post, and check out his blog, Barataria.
He’s correct. It is the outsider groups of xtians that are pushing an extreme and vicious agenda. That’s true of any of the more hateful religious groups we hear about. What scares me about all of this though, isn’t the same as what is worrying Erik.
The “rejection of the most important traditions of faith” doesn’t bother me nearly as much as what religious groups want to do to people like me if they could (and they are actually trying to pass laws making gay discrimination etc OK).
I used to wonder how the hell the Bolshevik revolutionaries did the things they did. Same thing with France during the “Reign of terror.” I mean, they killed a huge amount of people. I wondered, how did these people victimize other people solely due to their money, position and/or religion and then walk away and live with themselves? I just could not figure out how these stuff happened.
Now with the last election and what I’m seeing out of the GOP,the mindset of the right wing and the religious right? I no longer wonder how that crap happened, AT ALL. I’m gay and I’m sick of hearing from these gop/religious wackos about how evil I am as they bomb civilians in the Middle East and do the most evil, hateful things EVER and call it xtian behavior.
Hate crimes hate have sky rocketed since that idiot (who arguably was elected, in great part, by the religious right) won the election and he does NOTHING about it. His cohort GOPers in congress are worse than he is and all of these people say they are xtian.
So, I’m beginning to wonder if the xtian faith can divorce itself from it’s incredibly vicious history and actually be a “religious of love.” Right now, I don’t think they can.
I have the same worries about Islam btw.
Both groups scare me to death and you know what?
It’s hard growing being gay and growing old and realizing you have no God to pray all because these wacked out religious hate groups have kidnapped God and are holding him/her hostage! I had to quit the Catholic church over this hateful crap they’re doing!
It’s hard and it’s depressing and I’m beginning to wonder if all of these words we, on the left, have been espousing and holding close to our hearts about “love beats hate,” etc? Is that true? Does love REALLY beat hate? Really?
I’m babbling but I’ll end with this ..
I had a close friend, Dina (of blessed memory) who was a Holocaust survivor. I’m wondering if she’d agree with that idea (love beats hate). When she was 11 years old she saw her entire family machine gunned to death. I’m guessing she’d have a few points to make about “love beating hate” that we could learn from. Dina was the kindest person I’ve ever known but I think she’d point out, if people aren’t willing to fight for the rights of the underdog, then it’s a forgone conclusion who’s going to win in the “love vs hate” war.
BTW, even as I type undocumented workers are being rounded up and thrown out of the country, LGBTQ people are being bashed, Jewish people are being subjected to hate crimes, anyone and everyone who’s a minority is at risk right now… DUE to the onslaught from the xtain religious right and their political allies. You’ll have to excuse me if I say I’m fed up with the followers of Jesus.
Just sayin. 🙁
Sorry for the long post.
Be well and take care.
PS I think I went way off topic. Sorry. heh. blush.
This topic stirs passionate responses. I am wary of Fundamentalism in all its guises.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
I was brought up in a fundamentalist Southern Baptist tradition. I was always getting into trouble for daring to ask questions. Generally I was ignored but many times I was lied to about very basic questions I had. This was the thing that caused me to grow a sense of hatred toward the church. I eventually turned away from the church and became an atheist. The hatred and vitriol that comes from fundamentalism (of any kind) causes more harm than good. Fortunately, in my late twenties, I came to realize that I needed something greater than myself. After doing a lot of soul-searching I converted to Judaism and I am eternally grateful for the openness that I have found in my new faith and community.