The Christian Paradox

[texastoast]

http://www.harpers.org/ExcerptTheChristianParadox.html


. . .

And therein is the paradox. America is simultaneously the most professedly Christian of the developed nations and the least Christian in its behavior. That paradox—more important, perhaps, than the much touted ability of French women to stay thin on a diet of chocolate and cheese—illuminates the hollow at the core of our boastful, careening culture.

. . .

Here is a statistic that does matter: Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” That is, three out of four Americans believe that this uber-American idea, a notion at the core of our current individualist politics and culture, which was in fact uttered by Ben Franklin, actually appears in Holy Scripture. The thing is, not only is Franklin’s wisdom not biblical; it’s counter-biblical. Few ideas could be further from the gospel message, with its radical summons to love of neighbor. On this essential matter, most Americans—most American Christians—are simply wrong, as if 75 percent of American scientists believed that Newton proved gravity causes apples to fly up.

. . .

A rich man came to Jesus one day and asked what he should do to get into heaven. Jesus did not say he should invest, spend, and let the benefits trickle down; he said sell what you have, give the money to the poor, and follow me. Few plainer words have been spoken. And yet, for some reason, the Christian Coalition of America—founded in 1989 in order to “preserve, protect and defend the Judeo-Christian values that made this the greatest country in history”—proclaimed last year that its top legislative priority would be “making permanent President Bush’s 2001 federal tax cuts.”
. . .

[BOSSHOG]

1. Jesus would also not say

Latch on mightily to a tax exempt status in the guise of religious freedom; or hypocrisy is not a sin if it is not uncovered.

[WiseButAngrySara]

2. Their hypocrisy galls me. Modern 'Christians' would have Jesus Christ

diagnosed as insane and locked up, or they would participate in his crucifixion, and not just symbolically or metaphorically.

[realisticphish]

3. Jesus

was a liberal hippie who consorted with prostitutes and thieves

The sooner my right-wing christian counterparts realize this, the sooner our religion can be back on the right track

[triguy46]

12. Our pastor made that point yesterday! n/t

[Deja Q]

4. Americans "learn" by watching TV. They do not read. They do not think.

Also, "Judeo-Christian" as an amalgamation is an incongruous paradox of its own. One used to justify the very hypocrisy we are living in.

[LisaLynne]

5. It's quite a jump from the Jesus of the Bible to ...

whatever sort of Jesus they've invented in their own heads. They just want something to tell them that their greedy selfishness is okay.

[Deja Q]

6. Then they are the ultimate blaspheming heathens.

Ironic, isn't it?

[Arkansas Granny]

7. They "cherry pick" their scriptures pretty much the way the

administration does it's intelligence.

[Joe Chi Minh]

17. And still manage to subvert the meaning!

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. As Chesterton pointed out, "Christianity has not been tried and

found wanting. It has been found hard, and left untried."

Remember, though, that it was Lazarus who triumphed in the end, because of the misfortunes he had suffered through his poverty. In the children of light, poverty is the result, not of fecklessness, but of having their heart set on spiritual, rather than worldly things

[texastoast]

13. I love that Chesterton quote

"In the children of light, poverty is the result, not of fecklessness, but of having their heart set on spiritual, rather than worldly things."

Beautifully said.

[Joe Chi Minh]

16. I think the Chesterton quote is priceless, too - as indeed are

a number of other insights of his.

Thank you for your kind compliment, texastoast. Fortunately, an understanding of such unworldiness is something people from good working-class backgrounds carry with them for the rest of their lives, whatever level of eminence they reach in their career; so that the words of scripture confirm what they have always understood in their heart; and, indeed it is surely noticed and understood by good people at every level of society.

[unblock]

9. they are the "hypocrites"

those who pray in order to be seen praying.

note, though, that america certainly has its share of christians who have actualy read the bible and learned from it and try to live their lives by it.

it's just that they aren't members of the religious right....

[Joe Chi Minh]

11. Yes, an important point that some here try to suppress.

[RobertSeattle]

10. As posted last week...

[Joe Chi Minh]

18. That's a goodie!

[texastoast]

14. Kick

:kick:

[WiseButAngrySara]

15. Evening K & R, because I loved this post! .....n/t