Christian Taliban

The subject of religion is a touchy subject at best.

I think that religion can offer people a good spiritual grounding should they need one in their life. Some people need a form of spiritualism in their life badly. This need, when sated, can make certain people feel well rounded and happy. I applaud people who take steps in their lives to find contentment. Most people need religion and spirituality, period. That’s just the way things are.

I however am very biased when it comes to people trying to convert people to their personal theology. Like when you get a book or a DVD from some relative concerning how having “Christian” ethics can make you happy and enjoy a long and fruitful life. Or when you draw something or say something that shocks someone of the religious ilk who isn’t use to such things. They tell you “I’m going to pray for you.” This statement incredibly upsets me. If someone wanted to pray for you they just could. In their mind’s temple they could let lose with “Uh…God. Keep an eye on this one. He can be a jackass and can probably get into a lot of trouble” No problem. They pray for you, big deal. Done. But by telling you they’re using it as a moral high ground. Letting you know that they are superior to you, you lowly charlatan dog. They have Christ and God and the Holy Spirit. To some (not everybody) having these elements in your life also gives you the “Holy Redeemer” card. “Go forward, young Christian soldier! And confront the godless heathens! Turn them into god-fearing (I always hated that phrase. I’d personally like my God. I’d hang out with him/she/it and drink a pint or two and joke about the absurdity of life) into others like yourself. I hear the Jewish recruitment drive is in full swing and they’re getting big numbers! We can’t have that can we?”

Does this attitude come from a very oppressive Catholic upbringing? Most definantly. Catholic School was the worst experience in my life. In college I took Philosophy classes and World Religion studies to learn more about the “Satanic” (And yes, the nuns at Holy Angels in Arcadia, CA. would refer to other religions as “Satanic”) religions of the world. In context I’m extremely glad I did. I learned my own path and deviated directly away from the Catholic path.

Would I have problems with someone telling me they’re going to pray for me all of the time regardless? Of course not. Say I’m going in to get some operation that could be life threatening. If someone said to me that they’d pray for me, I’d welcome it whole-heartedly. This situation merits spiritual help if possible. This instance is a far cry from when I draw a devil or a skeleton and someone huffs and says they’re going to pray for my immortal soul. That’s the discrepancy.

Up until recently I used to go off on organized religion around other people I barely knew. It became rather abusive. I was basically being a hypocrite. I’ve learned my lesson though. Now I just keep it to myself around people of faith.

I have no problem with people who are religious so long as it stays away from me. But that’s hard when they run the country and have a very puritanical and simplistic view on rights and freedoms.

Hatemongering under the guise of religion has always been around. I saw this article concerning what conservative political figures and media personalities have said in the recent past and got a chill. Go look...See? This is what makes me so worried. These are political figures talking from the fire and brimstone pulpit making policy for us, the American public. It’s like the American Government has slid back into some primitive Crusade with William the Conqueror. This type of Hatemongering religious view seems to be like something that the Taliban would do (who by the way, is in my eyes is more messed up then the Christian Right could ever be due to their views on women and harsh death penalties for non Muslims).

For another example of the Christian special interest in Washington, this article concerns how a secretive Christian organization known as the Fellowship” finances a million dollar home for Politicians with a Christian agenda. Among their number is Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who is spearheading the drive to get Howard Stern off of the air.

You need a good moral ground to be a good leader of people. That morality can come from the way one was raised or from the religion you practice. But deep religious theology does not always mean high morality, and it is disastrous to the country when ones religion dictates a national agenda strictly from your sermon pulpit. To have John Ashcroft, The Attorney General of the United States say that “Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And because we have understood that our source is eternal, America has been different. We have no king but Jesus." At Bob Jones University on May 6th 1999 (a ultra right-wing and ultra fundamentalist University known also for their anti-African American segregationist policies) is indeed incredibly scary. This stance and statement should chill you to the bone even if you are a religious person.

The founding fathers had it right when they called for separation of church and state. Secular interests have no place in running a government. And it seems like the United States ebbs closer and closer to the oblivion of a theocratic state.

Just think about where this union of church and state has gotten us lately. Something needs to change quickly.

Pray for that.