A Florida church (the ironically-named Dove World Outreach Center — is hosting an International Burn a Quo’ran Day on 9/11. This is to support all Jesus-fearing people everywhere, maybe? Hard to say.
Next month, the group is having a No Homo Mayor rally.
(I’d post some of the church’s “Braveheart Shows” — available on YouTube — but they’re too ignorant for words. I’d say “Bless their hearts,” but I don’t even feel that charitable about them. This is, for so many, the public face of Christianity — short-sighted, wrong-headed, and dumber than a box of hair.)
One of the most overworked tropes in science fiction, especially during the Cold War, was Aliens Attack Earth, Earthlings Put Aside Their Difference And Unite To Repel the Invaders. I think the film Independence Day was the ultimate expression of this, but I haven’t see the whole movie, so correct me if I’m wrong.
The reason I’m reminded of this is because of all the people who have tried since 9/11 to warn us that we are doing more damage to ourselves–especially religious tolerance–than al-Qaeda or the Taliban could have ever done on their own. There have always been people like this around, but their enemy was other (“false”) Christians–they barely knew what Islam was–and they never had a national audience like they do now.
Do you think 9/11 shocked people into listening to these cretins? I mean, if you’re frightened, you don’t always use good judgment.
I didn’t quite finish that thought, did I? I got distracted by ice cream.
Yes, instead of uniting us–which it did, for about 2 minutes–here we are almost 9 years later, more divided than we have been since before 1861. I think that one thing we lacked was a leader who wanted us to unite. Instead, he wanted us to go shopping. Church-corporations like Dove World Outreach see an opportunity to profit and seize it.
I’m amazed the dude in the videos (I watched three and then got distracted by reality) looks so earnest. He believes this? Really? Based on what scholarship?
I think the destruction of the World Trade Center and the resulting fatalities were collateral damage. They attacked our psyches… our way of life… I’m having a hard time putting it into words, but the divisivness, me thinks, was their ultimate goal.
So in that, the terrorists did win. Remember how everything was an act to keep the terrorists from winning, back in the day?
Yes. If we don’t go shopping as usual, “the terrorists will have won.”
Then I’m afraid they’ve won on Hughes St. Neither one of us hits the malls/shoppes/shops/stores much.
Having watched my daughter in two performances of The Laramie Project in the last two days and crying both times – can I just say – what the hell is going on. It is the 21st Century and these Un-American, un-Christ like slugs and thugs are making a mockery of what we are supposed to stand for as a people and a nation. I’ve said it before but …. Here … but I’ll say it again – I really feel like we are finding ourselves in pre-WWII Germany and the dangerous, crazy, nuts are gaining strength.
I’d like to think they’re not gaining strength, but trying to enjoy a last gasp before their lights go out completely. No, they won’t go out completely. There will always be the fringe lunatics, but when right-minded people — regardless of their politics — say “Enough,” then they’ll simply have to stop.
And good on your daughter!
Truly frightening
You see, these people are why I often put the word “Christians” in quotes, to distinguish between people who actually follow the teachings of Christ vs. people like this, who have hijacked the name for their own hateful purposes.
I get the quotes, the reason behind them, I mean. I just wish people who aren’t Christian would understand that these people have taken the text and gone far, far off the deep end.
You folks definitely have an image problem. Although the Dove folks may be an extreme example, they do represent the new public face of Christianity in this country.
From Lou Engle’s avenging God calling for Christian martyrs to fight pagans and demons, (endorsed by Gingrich and Huckabee shortly after George Tiller’s murder last year), to the RCC’s openly aiding and abetting sexual predators to Christians in Uganda executing gays with only marginal “condemnation” eventually forced out of Christian leaders, (like Obama’s own Rick Warren), in this country to the Phelps family God that Hates You and You and You, Too…The Army of God…Randall Terry……
I could go on and on…(I already got my Legion of Christ dig in this week)…and we have barely touched on the anti-Islam gospel being preached by just about every pastor from here to Washington, D.C.
The God of Unconditional Love and Forgiveness is being replaced by The God of Vengeance and Punishment. That’s the God getting the press. That God is becoming the face of Christianity, especially organized Christianity, in this country.
It may be short-sighted, wrong-headed, and dumber than a box of hair…but that’s what people are shown…and that’s what is drawing people in.
So for those who attend the church that Jesus built — or for believers everywhere — the notion is we have to get our message out there in such a way that if people want something besides vengeance and anger, they know there’s an option? When I talk to my atheist friends about this, they constantly point to the examples you name — and rightfully so, though I can’t be held accountable for those folks much. i mean, I don’t exactly have influence in bringing them to The Light, but. It is a conundrum and it’s crappy to have to explain, “Yes, I am, but I’m not that kind.” I’m not proselytizing here (however you speel that). Just stating fact. If you belong to a group that’s getting (well-deserved) bad press, it’s lousy to have to explain yourself all the time. As I am a newspaper journalist, too, I get to explain myself a lot.
It’s definitely an image problem. I’m not saying all the examples represent the true face of Christianity…but these are the people getting the press.
Righteous Christians need to hire some skilled PR managers to counter the nonsense.
Existing popular “mainstream” preachers, (like Rick Warren), aren’t getting the job done. You need something sensational, charismatic, media-friendly to grab the headlines. Something better than the image of Mary in a pancake or the image of Jesus on an oil stained driveway.
You guys need a miracle.
That would work. More than water into wine, though.
How about water into beer? I have a friend who can actually do that.
With a wave of his/her hand? Nifty!
How about raising the dead? I have a few I’d like to see again.
I think it takes a couple of weeks.
Oh. Slo-mo wave. Works!
“…but that’s what people are shown…and that’s what is drawing people in.”
Oh goodie, it’s okay for us to hate and hurt! At last!
It’s very freeing, yes? Except I don’t believe most people actually want to hate and hurt. Call me Pollyanna. Someone already has and not that long ago.
“Except I don’t believe most people actually want to hate and hurt.”
As the previous comments suggest, probably MOST don’t, but the ones who do get all the attention. And that probably draws in more of those of like minds.
“Call me Pollyanna. Someone already has and not that long ago.”
Here and I wasn’t paying attention? Kind of hard for me to imagine someone seeing you that way.
No, it wasn’t here, and it surprised me, too. Maybe we give so much attention to people who want to hurt and hate because they’re outside the norm and we don’t quite know how to handle them.
“Maybe we give so much attention to people who want to hurt and hate because they’re outside the norm and we don’t quite know how to handle them.”
Maybe. But it does seem at times to be an upward spiral — “see, THEY’re doing it and getting away with it, AND they’re saying what we believe, so WE can do it too!”
That’s when the righteous joins hands and says “Knock that shit out.”
Mmmm, they sure don’t seem to be getting the message from The Righteous. Nor does the general public.
Maybe we’re not yelling loud enough — and I don’t mean just the Christians. I mean The Righteous — the people who know right from wrong, the ones who refuse to operate from a position of fear.
“The goal of these and other protests are to give Muslims an opportunity to convert, he said. ”
Sure would draw ME in!
Right. It would warm me right up, make me want to run — not walk — to the mercy seat.