Christians Are Scaring Me – By Mrs. Blue

I’m almost scared to be around Christians anymore.

And I’m a Christian. Born again, believing in Jesus as the virgin-born and resurrected son of God. Daughter of a preacher. Reader of the Bible pretty much every morning and every night (which is actually more than I can say for my husband…so why is he doing this blog and not me? 😉 OK, he knows stuff, too, I kid him mercilessly about more than his Bible reading habits)

But seriously, I am kind of frightened of Christians these days because I’m never entirely sure what I am facing. Am I looking at someone like me, who keeps faith and critical thinking both very handy? Am I looking at a “sheeple” kind of person who needs to be (and allows him/herself to be) led by a pastor instead of “studying the word to be approved”? Am I possibly looking at someone who would do me harm for not agreeing with their outlook on Christ and the world at large?

I did a guest post here some time back called Faith Gone Bad where I mentioned my friend Mrs. Eager and her desire to move to the Bible Belt, for no other reason than to find a church she likes and greater numbers of really churchy people. Of course, maybe I shouldn’t call her my friend anymore because we don’t talk hardly at all now. No falling out or anything like that; it’s just that we don’t see eye to eye on things. Hell, we don’t even see eye-to-navel. I think we’re looking off in two different directions.

So why am I scared?

Well, let’s look at VP candidate Sarah Palin. She has a pastor praying over her for finances and political success (pretty self-serving, particulary since this pastor fired up a mob…and police…to run a woman out of a town in Africa because HE thought she was a witch). She has said she believes dinosaurs and people were around at the same time. She has said she expects the End Times and the Rapture to occur during her lifetime. She keeps painting the campaign as a battle of “us” vs. “them” at a time when we’re all up the creek without a paddle. She’s trying to make the working class think that somehow their plight is difference from those “elitist” middle class folks and she’s winking and flirting with conservatives and good ole boys like a madonna-whore tease.

And people are eating her up. And a lot of men, including so-called fundamentalist Christian men, want to eat her out, it seems. They are lusting after her even as they claim that our country’s moral fabric is unraveling.

Too many people seem to think we’re waging a holy war on God’s behalf over in Iraq.

Too many people are voting on issues like abortion, stem cell research, church-state issues, teaching “intelligent design” in school and other stuff related to religion, and all of this at a time when our foreign relations are in the dumper and our economy shudders on the brink of the abyss.

I don’t even want to call myself a Christian anymore because too many Christians are showing their hypocritical and ignorant asses. Sometimes I just call myself a follower of Christ.

I don’t want to call myself an evangelist because a lot of the scariest and most conservative Christians label themselves as such, and so everyone else assumes that evangelism means berating people and judging people, when it just means that we share the good news of of the gospel with people. I don’t know what to call myself here, since I do consider myself evangelistic. My dear hubby has suggested we try “ambassadors for Christ.”

This is bad. I don’t like to get into discussions with many Christians I know about current events or world events or politics because it seems like too many of them want to spout off about what their pastor told them they should think or what Sarah Palin thinks.

Why aren’t they using the brains God gave them?

People are being fired up, both under the banner of patriotism and faith, to get nasty. People are shouting “kill Obama” at campaign rallies now. What the hell is up with that? When did Jesus call upon us to kill anyone? Or judge anyone? Or use him as an excuse to do nasty things?

I see my faith being co-opted by a bunch of freaks, and it sickens me. Because while I don’t believe Christianity is simply the bastion for the weak-willed or ignorant, the fact is that savvy people are using it to lure in and herd people who are both of those things. Christianity has been turned on its head for real now, to the point I can’t hardly go to most churches in my area because it’s clear that they are taking sides and would rather have leaders who institute a church-based set of laws than to have leaders who can interact in a healthy way with the world and promote issues like healthcare, economic stability for everyone and tolerance.

It’s scary, I tell you. Scary as hell. It’s like I’m in a zombie movie except that all the zombies are wearing crosses around their neck and I’m afraid of two things:

That those zombie will get me because I’m not one of them.

People who are sick of those zombies will get me because they fear I’m a zombie too.

(Photo by Edd Sterchi, from eBibleTeacher.com)

(If you want to read any of Mrs. Blue’s other infrequent posts around these parts, go here)

7 thoughts on “Christians Are Scaring Me – By Mrs. Blue

  1. kellybelle

    I feel you, Mrs. Blue.

    Maybe you could call yourself “follower of Christ.” That way you don’t get lumped in with the people who’ve effed up His name–not to be judgemental, as I eff It up myself.

    I’m still up because I’m sad. Trolling the nets for some positive stuff. Ha!

    Why do we like to hate so much? I like it too! When you are depressed and without hope, anger feels like energy. Chanting U.S.A., like Iraq and Afghanistan are Olympic events and calling Barack a traitor probably feels like political savvy.

    Maybe Jesus will come back! But if He did, they’d probably shoot Him, for demanding peace in Iraq and healthcare for the poor.

    I’m on Galatians now. Paul gets on my nerves. But even he said in Galatians 2:19, after he met with Jesus’ disciples, “Remember the poor.” Ha! How wd THAT go over at a McCain/Palin rally?

    Sigh

    Reply
  2. Eldressg

    Ms. Blue!

    I couldn’t agree with you more! I thought I was the only christian who had these same thoughts. I have so much built up inside of me in regard to evangelicals and politics. I cringe when I go to church. What I am finding is that the pulpit has become the pastors’ battleground and platform to express their stand on political issues. They say things like ” I am not going to tell you who to vote for”,when they really do by talking about abortion, same sex marriages, pass out flyers and newsletters with the candidates platform and where they stand on the issues, and say how can you as a christian agree with someone who believes whatever they want to say at that moment.

    It’s a form of manipulation and control. I call it pimping the congregants. What makes it all political is that I never hear discussion or a message on abortion, same sex marriage, etc. until election time. I also never hear what the church is going to do to help reduce the numbers of abortions, how to reach these same humans that God created.

    The church today has become a place where pastors are trying to build their own kingdoms. There appears to be lack of compassion and agape love.

    As for Sarah Palin……I am not pleased at the hypocritical message she is sending out to the world and how the Christian base of the Republican party including pastors are not saying anything. I do not like how they glorified fornication! Yes, her daughter is keeping the baby, but the message that was sent is that pre-marital sex is okay. She may not be saying it out of her mouth, but the action of how this was presented and handled sent a contradictory message. If it was the other candidate’s daughter, they would have been preaching how there is lack of moral,and family values, and how they are not good parents. She can’t run her own household, so how in the world can assist in running this country.

    This is a time where she can really let her light shine before men but instead she is accepting whatever rules, and allowing herself to be used by McCain and the Republican party for thier own selfish gains. I am really disappointed how she is responding to all of the negative campaigning. She is joining right in….She is speaking hatred out of her mouth. This is a time where she can really represent Christ, but she is a compromising Christian instead. I am really disenchanted with christiandom these days. And we wonder why so many people are turned off from church, and becoming christians. I am like you…I am going to just say I am a follower of Christ. Besides,it is Him who I want to please-not man. That’s why I am going to “be” the change and the church that God has commanded us to do.

    Be Blessed!

    Reply
  3. The First Domino

    How eloquent your lamentation. You set my soul afire. As you suggested, religion is being used to advance the selfish cause of selfish people. That is not how religion was intended to be used. I wish I had some words of wisdom to impart that would make your day to day travails a bit lighter, but I’m coming up short.

    I was told over two decades ago by the ‘still voice’ within, and I have written it here before:

    You’re entering a new age;
    A new way.
    A new wind shall blow your way,
    Until the day you die.

    The wind did not build things up, it tore them down. The wind did not hold things together, it ripped them asunder.

    I believe that we will soon see a reversal of all this: we will soon see new structures built where the old structures stood; and a scattering of the debris of all that was broken, so that it will never come together again.

    Yet, a little while, and all will be made whole.

    Turn to the silence within, and ask the God of your understanding for a clarification, and a revelation. It has always worked for me. It will work for you.

    Namaste

    Reply
  4. Kathy

    This is my first time visiting this site, wow, great post. I am not a very religious person, but I do have faith. And, for me, God means love, and not asking for things or bargaining. The most I can ask for is to do my best, and ask for acceptance. This movement in the US of a false Christianity is frightening to me too. Thanks for writing this.

    Reply
  5. Deacon Blue

    Well, my wife doesn’t post often here, but I’m glad you liked her post. Hope there’s enough other stuff here to give you reason to return from time to time…God bless

    Reply
  6. BlackWomenBlowTheTrumpet.blogspot.com

    Hello there!

    Thank you for sharing this.

    You mentioned:
    I don’t even want to call myself a Christian anymore because too many Christians are showing their hypocritical and ignorant asses. Sometimes I just call myself a follower of Christ.

    No one can ever DEFAME Jesus Christ. The reputation of Jesus Christ stands and His history stands. His reputation is not based on those who associate themselves with Him. Christ is and shall be who He is.

    Plenty of people have tried to give themselves the label “Christian” who are not Christian.

    That is one thing that will never change.

    There are plenty of black women doing things that I find deplorable but I am not going to say I am not a black woman – just because there are some who belong to the group who are embarrassing the entire lot!

    Plenty of people who claim to follow Jesus Christ do not even read the Bible. They attend church and go through the motions. THere are plenty of naive and gullible people in churches everywhere who ASSUME that all ministers study the Bible regularly and pray regularly. They think every preacher who stands in a pulpit was sent by God and that no one wearing a robe and quoting scripture who stands in the pulpit is operating on an assignment from Satan.

    I know many who claim to follow Christ who think that the major cults operating in this country are Christian denoninations! They tell me “they say they are Christians and that they believe in Jesus! I read their web site!” Pleeeease. Spare me.

    What you have noticed should motivate those who are TRULY committed to Christ to be consistent in their witness and to spread the TRUTH to as many as possible.

    Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
    Lisa

    Reply

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