A pastor, citing the murder of political activist Charlie Kirk, has called for his neighbors to take down their “Hate Has No Home Here” signs, claiming those messages endorse political violence against people like him.
Yet, at the same time that he called upon his critics to tone down their rhetoric, Andrew Isker escalated his own language, angrily demanding vengeance against those he perceives to be his political enemies.
Christianity in this case is only superficially a religion. It’s really a signifier of in-group status. Say the right words and appear to submit to the authority of god and you’re in the club. Actually reading and following the manual is optional, or actually an impediment in carrying out the right’s political project.
I mean that’s why Bible study is basically a church leader selecting approved materials for group reading.
They truly don’t read the one book that they say has all the truths of reality in it. I almost want to ask them if they think they really know there Jesus. It’s like a phantom religion.
I think there’s truth in that in modern America. It wasn’t like this 30 years ago. Growing up, religion was a big cornerstone of social life & had very specific impacts to your upbringing: confirmation, Sunday school, etc.
I think Evangelicals likely represent the main example of your critique. As someone who reads the Bible often & someone who respects the focus of Christ’s works, a lot of sermons against empathy that I’ve seen have felt disgusting. Christ washed the feet of prostitutes. He was angry at the money lenders / capitalists in the Temple. The story of treating the poor man equal to the rich man (or maybe better) is another example.
In Luke, people turn the disciples away, and they ask Christ to smite them. He reprimands the Apostles for wanting to enact vengeance.
I’m a Unitarian Universalist. I’m informed by Christ, I go to church every Sunday (went earlier today), and I do consider my faith a meaningful aspect of my life. I was an atheist for the 20 or so years prior. I do think religion can have greater importance than surface level, but I also believe that what Christianity was 30 years ago has mostly eroded or been hijacked by monied interests.
Great song about this.
So if the prostitute was turning a trick in the temple, do you think he’d have whipped her, too?
He wasn’t angry because they were “capitalists” he was angry that they were doing their capitalist thing in the temple.
Keep in mind the money lenders were there as a service to people basically on a pilgrimage to make temple offerings- from around the entire region. People who wouldn’t know where to trade money and get sacrificial animals. It was probably like the money changers at the airport- catching people who needed to change money and didn’t mind the convenience tax.
Most likely.