RE: I am confused by American christians
August 5, 2017 at 10:21 am
(This post was last modified: August 5, 2017 at 10:22 am by tjakey.
Edit Reason: typo
)
Some of the people I love most in the world are deeply dedicated Christians. Some of the see Trump as a moral outrage and one family is deliberately setting up their lives so that they can "escape" the US on very short notice and without having to pass through any choke point like airports or boarder crossings.
Others, who are friends of mine, are equally devoted Christians, voted for the Turd in Chief, and see him as god's gift to "save" America. Oddly enough, my feeling is that the two groups despise each other's ideology more than either one of them despises atheism. Yet each can, and does, find a defense for their views in the bible and in Christian history. (Catholics seem to have a more nuanced view of the bible than protestants.)
Though my sympathies are with the former, I suspect the latter are a better reflection of "true" christianity. At its core the bible (and christian history) are authoritarian, judgmental, and violent; an accurate reflection of the christian god. After all, this god will torture anyone, regardless of how good or evil they might be, simply because that person didn't bow down in worship. Worship the god and it doesn't really matter what kind of life one led, heaven awaits. (Again, the catholics see to have a slightly more nuanced view; the life one leads matters, so long as it includes sacraments and tithes. One can still be a thief and a child rapists and expect heaven as a reward, so long as one partakes in the magic of communion.)
Which is going the long way around to saying that American Christians worshiping at the feet of Trump are a pretty accurate reflection of the religion. They don't surprise me at all. In is the christians who stand in opposition to everything that Trump stands for who are the surprise.
Others, who are friends of mine, are equally devoted Christians, voted for the Turd in Chief, and see him as god's gift to "save" America. Oddly enough, my feeling is that the two groups despise each other's ideology more than either one of them despises atheism. Yet each can, and does, find a defense for their views in the bible and in Christian history. (Catholics seem to have a more nuanced view of the bible than protestants.)
Though my sympathies are with the former, I suspect the latter are a better reflection of "true" christianity. At its core the bible (and christian history) are authoritarian, judgmental, and violent; an accurate reflection of the christian god. After all, this god will torture anyone, regardless of how good or evil they might be, simply because that person didn't bow down in worship. Worship the god and it doesn't really matter what kind of life one led, heaven awaits. (Again, the catholics see to have a slightly more nuanced view; the life one leads matters, so long as it includes sacraments and tithes. One can still be a thief and a child rapists and expect heaven as a reward, so long as one partakes in the magic of communion.)
Which is going the long way around to saying that American Christians worshiping at the feet of Trump are a pretty accurate reflection of the religion. They don't surprise me at all. In is the christians who stand in opposition to everything that Trump stands for who are the surprise.