(no subject)

[sophiaserpentia]

Why do I even bother to look in christianity anymore? Half of what I see there literally makes me sick.

Edit. What disturbs me this morning in particular are (a) ignorant comments about homosexuality which never fails to upset me, and (b) willful ignorance regarding anti-Semitism.

For example, it's being discussed that Gibson has taken a scene out of his movie that shows a Jew lamenting that Jesus' blood will be on their heads forever. Comments such as, "But that's in the Bible, so it's historically true and COULDN'T POSSIBLY be anti-Semitic" are what has riled me.

Comments

[archanglrobriel.livejournal.com]

And people wonder why I refuse to go to any sort of church, even though technically the denomination my parents now attend has a kind of "don't ask, don't tell" policy in place for it's gay members. Gosh can ya FEEL the LOVE of Christ in that room? Nevermind that Christians in the modern epoch are doing any number of things that are claimed as an abomination in the Old Testament, or that Christ came to tell everybody that the old codes weren't all that anymore. Or that Paul had major unresolved personal issues on the subject and that most modern somewhat self aware Christians tend to dismiss most of the Pauline texts as political rather than spiritual...

My personal favorite was the woman who claimed she had an "intimate knowledge of the issue (homosexuality) so nobody start calling me a bigamist."

(laughs out loud)
Oh my. That's just lovely. When 8th graders (or adults with that level of edu-ma-cation) attack!

I only have ONE prejudice: Conta-Protestantism!

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

I think the greatest of the Protestant poets in the English literary tradition is Milton. The Prots who are literary and well-educated salivate over him, and claim he's a greater poet than Dante (which he clearly is NOT), but when you have one of these "born-againers" in a Milton course you will notice that they NEVER bring up the fact that Milton wouldn' darken the doorstep of a "Christian" church during the whole second half of his life. And ALL of his angle on "Christian" religiosity seems to be that one should sit alone with one's Bible, and try to figure it out for oneself. Of course, considering the amount of bile and hatred these people are spewing all the time, maybe sitting alone quietly with their Bibles might actually CONCENTRATE the venom.

Re: I only have ONE prejudice: Conta-Protestantism!

[badsede.livejournal.com]

I'd say that a large part of their position comes from the very act of sitting by themselves and figuring it out by themselves. In my mind, it is quite an act of spirtual and theological arrogance to think that you can get more meaning out of scripture sitting in your room than the millions of amazingly intelligent and learned people over almost 2000 years could.

Re: I only have ONE prejudice: Conta-Protestantism!

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, thoroughly: it's just that I find their religious spirit to be full of "arrogance," even when they're bunched up together, in one of their little sects. Better had they just practised quietism, like the Quakers (the only Protestant sect I DO admire--and perhaps for that very reason, aside from their extraordinarily "Christian" social activism).

Re: I only have ONE prejudice: Conta-Protestantism!

[badsede.livejournal.com]

I've often heard from Quakers that when it comes to other Christians, they feel most akin to Catholic contemplative communities. I admire them quite a bit.

Re:

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

My personal favorite was the woman who claimed she had an "intimate knowledge of the issue (homosexuality) so nobody start calling me a bigamist."

Apparently there are a few people out there who chose to experiment with it, and chose to conclude that it wasn't for them.

That gives them the right to declare that it must be a choice for everyone.

Never mind the flaws in inductive "reasoning" involved.

Re:

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Yeah... "bigimist". I am lost as to where that comment has any relevance to the discussion. Does she mean "bigot"? Does she think bigamy is a form of homosexuality?
I know this sound horrible, but - she seems like a typical willfully ignorant fanatic.