Which Christian Nation?

I've been trying to explain to people why the United States is not a Christian nation. My focus in doing this is trying to convince people that many of the main figures of the Founding Fathers were not Christians, or not Evangelical Christians, or at least not the kind of Christians we have today. We do have wonderful Christian figures who have done great things throughout history such as William Wilberforce, but our country is no more a Christian nation than if you walk into a garage you are a Volkswagen.

In that vein, I found some quotations from our founding fathers and I did some research to check their validity. First is Thomas Jefferson. For the uninitiated, he actually wanted to see the end of the Christian faith and favored more of a universal moral gospel.

"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man." Thomas Jefferson

This quotation is a paraphrase of the original here (emphasis mine):

"...those who live by mystery & charlatanerie, fearing you would render them useless by simplifying the Christian philosophy, the most sublime & benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man, endeavored to crush your well earnt, & well deserved fame." - Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Priestley, Washington, 21 March 1801

“Religions are all alike -- founded upon fables and mythologies”
“The Christian God is a being of terrific character - cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust”

Also: "But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." Thomas Jefferson

Next Ben Franklin. He was really a Deist, known by some as a champion of generic religion, and claimed by several denominations, he did not affirm some extremely vital tenets of faith in Jesus such as: salvation, hell, Jesus Christ’s divinity, and he believed in the goodness of man.

"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." Benjamin Franklin

And Finally John Adams.
“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it”
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." John Adams (To be perfectly fair, this one is also credited to George Washington, so it may be one or both.)

The overriding principle here is that even if each and every one of the founders were born again evangelical Christians, the goals of the US as a country and the principles of the American Dream do not mesh with true Christian principles. We are promised "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and all these "freedoms" bandied about by the politicos of today. The Bible doesn't promise us any "freedoms." The Bible promises us death, imprisonment, and torture. So as you can see, our country was not founded solely on Christian principles and more importantly, it is not a Christian nation. We even have separation of church and state, something that not even Switzerland has. Our country was founded as a nation where there is freedom of religion, which may be somewhat of a Christian ideal, but Christianity functions best under persecution. But, freedom of religion does not equal Christian Nation. Nor is there anything in there about freedom from taxes, liberals, homosexuals, or Asian automobiles.

What has been done in the name of being a Christian nation by a self proclaimed born-again president has done incalculable damage not only to our country, but especially to the true faith of Jesus Christ. Wars started in the name of a god are the kind of thing done in Islam, not in true Christianity. Our politicians need not soil the name of God by proclaiming publicly that attacking a sovereign nation without just cause is "the will of God" because it is no such thing.

Please do some research. Faith's only worth is found in the object toward which it is directed. Faith in politicians who tell you what you want to hear is useless.

WiredForStereo

How War Works with Muslims.

I think maybe Jesus was onto something with the whole "love your enemy" paradigm. As the past 60 or so years will attest, Muslims don't respond to war in quite the gentlemanly fashion that the US and other countries would like. They fight back, to the last man, woman, and child.

So what to do about them? First of all, realize that Islam is a religion of war and violence and revenge and realize that Christianity is not. Then fight fire with water. I know I am speaking Cantonese to some of you conservatives out there, but kindness actually works.

Jesus said so anyway.
WiredForStereo

Another Lying Email, This Time, it is About Barack Obama

I just finished reading chapter 11 of "The Shack" by William P. Young, and after crying to the point of not being able to continue reading a few times, I really don't feel like writing right now, but I feel that I must, because one thing I've done here is combat bogus email forwards, and I have another one for you.

Again, I have no political affiliations and just because this post is the second in a row in regard to Barack Obama does not mean that I am voting for him or in any way trying to support him or any other candidate.

I received the following email from a friend from church. He is a great guy, but he is a conservative after all.

Subject: MEET BARAK...A TRUE STORY ABOUT OBAMA..........OMG I WILL PRAY REAL HARD!!!!

Meet Barak

Guys we need to pray hard, our Nation is in a bad
place for the next Presidential election, in 2008.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please
forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what
lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and
pray about it and share it.

THIS DEFINITELY WARRANTS LOOKING INTO. THIS COUNTRY
WAS FOUNDED, "ONE NAT ION UNDER GOD". ALMIGHTY GOD, NOT THE GOD OF THE KORAN.

We checked this out on "snopes.com". It is factual.
Check for yourself..

Who is Barack Obama?
Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein
Obama was born in
Honolulu , Hawaii , to Barack Hu ssein Obama, Sr., a
black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel , Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita , Kansas ..

Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii . When Obama was two
years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya . His
mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim
from Indonesia . When Obama was 6 years old, the family re located to
Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent
two years in a Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is
a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but
that he also attended Catholic school." He does not say the Pledge
of Allegiance, sing the National Anthem, nor put his hand over his
heart when others pledge or sing.
Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that Obama's
introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was
temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya
soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over
his son's education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husb and of Obama's mother,
Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in
a Wahabi school in Jakarta .

Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim
terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since
it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when
seeking major public
office in the United States , Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United
Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim
background.

ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID
NOT use the Hol y Bible, but instead the Koran (Their equiva lency to
our Bible, but very different b eliefs)
Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected
presidential candidacy.
The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the U.S .
from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest
level - through the President of the United States , one of their own!!!!
If it comes down to being between him or Hillary .. then we REALLY are
between a rock and a hard place.

Please forwa rd to everyone you know. Would you want
this man leading our
country?...... NOT ME!!!

Please do note the multiple misspellings and especially the gratuitous mention of snopes.com where all these claims are supposedly verified.

When I first read this, it didn't look right. After all, I am a conscientious American person who has already investigated somewhat into the candidates of the upcoming election. I had heard the rumor before that Obama was a Muslim and decided to check and found that he was not, and for many reasons. So just to make sure, I actually went to snopes.com and checked out whether or not these things were actually true though I already knew they were not. You can find the page at the following url.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp

What to my wondering eyes did appear but that Barack Obama was high atop the top ten list at the fabulous Snopes website. So, as has become my practice, I hit the "Reply All" button and wrote a scathing reply to aforementioned bogus email and sent it off with a hint of nervousness as per the usual. You see, as a champion of truth (that I strive to be) I cannot let things like this go, so not only do I need to tell the person who sent it the error of their ways, but I need to spread the word in like "Forward" fashion, especially to those who have already received this poison (as any lie is.) I have done the same thing several times before, each time I have documented the corrections on the blog here, but I have not enumerated the procedure I have used.

These lies are damaging to the political process, and I am embarrassed for my friend because he claims to be a believer. As a Jesus Freak, I cannot allow lies like this or any other to continue to be espoused, and I cannot let a fellow believer to spread lies especially in a religious and Christian context. It is simply wrong. It does not matter if Obama were a Muslim or a Scientologist or a Satan worshiper. To lie and to be a Christian are mutually exclusive states of being.

In conclusion, Think people! Do you think that something like a Muslim candidate for president of the United States would have slipped through the cracks? For crying out loud, there's been enough minority talk, it would be like if someone missed the fact that Hillary was a woman. There would be an uproar. So don't believe lies. Don't believe things that look suspiciously like lies. Don't believe things that are supposedly secrets yet are being broadcast wet willy (you know who you are) nilly throughout the internet. And for the love of all things righteous and good, if you are gonna tell us you looked it up on Snopes, at least have the stones not to lie about that either.

Good night to all both of you,
WiredForStereo

The Fundamentals of Fundamentalists

Fundamental, noun: A leading or primary principle, rule, law, or article, which serves as the groundwork of a system; essential part, as, the fundamentals of the Christian faith.

Wikipedia says:
Christian fundamentalism: A movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to Modernism, actively affirmed a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: the inerrancy of the Bible, Sola Scriptura, the virgin birth of Christ, the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

So, let's compare the definition with the group, but first, what are the real fundamentals of the Christian Faith? Think for a second. I think we could consider a subject that is mentioned more often than others in the Bible a fundamental don't you? Ok, what is mentioned most in the Bible? Is it the inerrancy of the Bible? No, I don't think that's in there. Is it Sola Scriptura? No, the Bible even quotes other books. Is it the Virgin Birth of Christ? A few times, but still no. Is it the doctrine of Substitutionary Atonement? More times but still no. Is it the bodily resurrection of Christ? Closer, but no. Finally, is it the imminent return of Jesus Christ? No, money is still mentioned more than that.

So what is it?

What is mentioned more than anything in the New Testament, and comes in second in the Old Testament? Simple. Poverty. What? No, surely not, you mean it's not abortion or gay marriage or immigration or even Islam? Number one in the Old Testament is idolatry by the way.

Poverty. Poverty is mentioned over 2000 times in the Bible.

So we have a case here of missing the fundamentals by the Fundamentalists. How ironic, don't you think? A political party that claims a monopoly on Christianity and Faith, yet seems to be pro war, pro rich, and only pro American to quote Jim Wallis.

Other reasons I am not a fundamentalist are the first two on the list under the definition, inerrancy of the Bible, and Sola Scriptura. First I'd like to say that the "Word of God" is inerrant. But the Bible is not so much the Word of God as the Word of God and some history according to a number of authors. This is why we have the "Gospel According to ..." not "God's Inerrant Word About Some Stuff That Happened." Was there one Gerasene Demoniac or two? Don't let me discourage you however. The Bible contains the inerrant Word of God, but the whole thing isn't the whole of the inerrant Word of God. This leads me to the second point. Sola Scriptura was created in response to people trying to add onto the scriptures. However, I believe in Sola Scripture insofar as it does not preclude the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And of course as the Bible says, spirits must be tested in light of scripture.

So what's the message here? The prime fundamental of the Christian Faith should be Jesus' work on the cross, because without that, there is nothing else, but then care for the poor, you know, widows and orphans, and then we can add all those other things. Because after all, if we are not following God's most mentioned command, what's the point of trying to pretend we are following the rest?

Inspired,
WiredForStereo

Revenge Doesn't Work

There is a commercial for Glenn Beck's radio show on the local radio station, KFAY AM 1030, where he says that if there is any attack made on United States citizens or leaders, that a retaliatory attack or invasion should be made.

I would submit that this is not a Biblical assertion. Though such actions are consistent with certain forms of Mormon world views, and Mormon history and Joseph Smith writings will show that, but it is certainly not Biblical.

Now forget what I just said about Glenn. He is of no import in this conversation, but I paraphrase him only to expose the point. I believe this is an impressive flaw in conservatism, the tendency to military action. I speak especially of retaliatory military action, but also preemptive action as well.

Now I must qualify my statements by exposing my belief that Christianity is not meant to be a warlike religion, we can leave that to Islam. That is to say, nowhere in the writings about Jesus' life or indeed the rest of the New Testament, is there anything about war or starting a war, or a military action, or nation building, or any kind of offensive violent action whatsoever. In fact, Jesus told Peter that those who live by the sword die by the sword. But we must remember that Jesus also said that the company of the disciples, having two swords among them, was sufficiently armed.

I'll put it succinctly in the words of Rob Bell. "Revenge doesn't work."

Put in the context of scripture, 'Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."' Romans 12:19 ESV. Paul continues: 'To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.' As a nation who many call Christian, are we doing this? Certainly not under the official policy of a President who claims to be a born again Christian. We all remember the scene of the aftermath of 9/11 when the President stood at the site and said that we would find whoever did it.

The Bible speaks against vengeance and revenge and extols the virtue and basic psychological necessity of forgiveness, but what does it speak of self defense? As I mentioned before, in Luke 22, Jesus was satisfied that the disciples had two swords, yet a few verses later, Jesus chastises Peter for using one of those swords. I would submit that this was because Jesus' arrest was something that was supposed to happen, and Peter was acting on his human nature not on the prompting of the Spirit. For a little more insight, let's look into the Old Testament. Exodus 22:2-3. "If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft.” What does this say? If some schmendrick breaks into your house at night, and you kill him, accidentally, you are innocent, but it seems to me that if it is daylight, you are expected not to kill him. Just whoop on him for a while I guess. So if we want to put up a missile defense shield, that's fine, but we really need to fix the base problem, and that is responding to aggression with aggression.

So what do we do when a foreign government or terrorist group attacks us? According to the Bible, we should feed them, perhaps set up some hospitals and schools. What kind of power for good could our country be? I don't know about you, but if some wealthy person had paid for my education, schooling, and food throughout my formative years, when I became an adult and set out on my own, I doubt I'd try to usurp that person. It's just hard to kick against that kind of good. But if I perceived that all my life, a wealthy person had done me and my family harm, while providing nothing for my wellbeing, I might grow up and wish to do harm to that person.

We've heard so many stories of forgiveness and charity in the most trying of circumstances, and those stories had wonderful happy endings, but how many happy stories have resulted from someone taking revenge, someone killing their rapist, or killing the man who killed their relative? What kind of peace and healing can come from that? That's the kind of thing that works in the movies, not in real life.

We are so surprised that Muslim extremists want to kill us all. Why is that? Our lack of knowledge of history feeds this monster. In the 40's, world governments installed Israel on top of a Palestinian society of Muslims, Jews, and Christians that had existed for a thousand years or more. In the 50's, the CIA deposed a democratically elected Prime Minister in Iran simply to regain control of oil supplies. This led to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in the late 70's and the extremist governments therein and neighboring that have given us such problems since then. It took many decades to create this problem, it will take only a few to fix it if we are dedicated to fixing it. Unfortunately, the status quo seems to be the only thing that holds firm. Violence begets violence. It will only get worse.

Fight the Power,
WiredForStereo