Today being Good Friday, I have to confess that I have long pondered the fact that so many self-described Christians are pro-death penalty. One would think that people who claim to worship a deity that manifested as an innocent man who was brutally executed would be against the execution of criminals... especially since eventual exonerations are not uncommon. The incompatibility of the death penalty with the teachings of the Gentle Nazarene becomes even more stark when one ponders the actual words of the Gospel (in this case Matthew 5:
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It's almost as if death penalty supporters don't really care that innocents have been executed... it seems that other considerations are at work in the application of the death penalty.
Bumper stickers that say "Keep Christ in Christmas" are quite popular... maybe we need ones that say "Keep Christ in Christianity".
The death penalty--and blasphemy. After all, what was Jesus charged with? It's one of the weirdest things about Christianity--all of the examples of what Christ was about, from giving the example of the Good Samaritan to healing the servant of the centurion, are right there--don't turn aside the sinner, the stranger, the unbeliever, if asked to go a mile with someone, go two; if asked to give up your coat, give your cloak, also. Love your enemy. Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to your Lord. And the very religious--those whited sepulchers? Give a million dollars to bigots while the son of god starves on the streetcorner. And they kick Him aside so they can pray there the next day. And they get their reward.
ReplyDeleteThank Odin, I'm an atheist.
Well, it's also important to remember that American Christianist dogma is completely informed by America's particularly nasty form of nationalism. And in America, it is the religious mythology that must give way to the nationalist mythology. America is John Wayne, it is Roosevelt on San Juan Hill, it is Hiroshima and it is Falluja.
ReplyDeleteAs Americans, we solve problems with violence, we kill and destroy those we decide to hate, and we use violence and intimidation to shelter those we choose to befriend from any consequences of their actions. We go to war more than any nation, we have more guns and more gun murders than any nation, we incarcerate our people at a higher rate than any nation - there is no mercy, there is no nuance, there is no thoughtful consideration.
We pretend otherwise, but we are a simple, brutal, savage people who were accidently blessed with a huge nation with tremendous resources. Our economic power enabled our worst instincts, and our bloody history has become a legend and a mythology greater than the Christianist scriptures. To pretend that even the most extreme Christianist worships his god above his nation is to close one's eyes to the extant reality of the 21st century American Christianist...
Bumper stickers that say "Keep Christ in Christmas" are quite popular... maybe we need ones that say "Keep Christ in Christianity".
ReplyDeleteHmm. I ought to make one that says "Keep Christ out of my bidness"...
Psalm-time?
ReplyDelete~
That 'Hamish Mack' dude should start a blog.
ReplyDeleteLove your enemy. Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to your Lord. And the very religious--those whited sepulchers? Give a million dollars to bigots while the son of god starves on the streetcorner. And they kick Him aside so they can pray there the next day. And they get their reward.
ReplyDeletePretty much... they really don't have much use for that Jesus guy.
Well, it's also important to remember that American Christianist dogma is completely informed by America's particularly nasty form of nationalism. And in America, it is the religious mythology that must give way to the nationalist mythology. America is John Wayne, it is Roosevelt on San Juan Hill, it is Hiroshima and it is Falluja.
It's as much informed by consumerism as by nationalism. Worship the guy who told you to give away all your possessions and you'll get rich!
Hmm. I ought to make one that says "Keep Christ out of my bidness"...
Is Jesus all up in your grill?
Psalm-time?
You've really taken to the Twitter thing... I may have to set up an acccount.
That 'Hamish Mack' dude should start a blog.
He should, and he should ask another eccentric genius to be his co-blogger.