"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
--Gandhi
--Gandhi
I don't think anyone has summed it up quite as well as Gandhi. One of the things on my mind lately is how badly Christianity has been failing and how far it has strayed from the original meaning. Everyday in the media we see, read, hear, and experience all of the nutcases out there preaching and waving their little bibles in the air with unwarranted self-importance. They spread ignorance, hate, bigotry, commit acts of violence, abuse all in the name of their religion. The things these people say and do the most outrageous things.
If you haven't heard of Fred Phelps, prepare to find yourself wondering if I'm making this shit up. I wish I was. This little old man...is deciding to spend the last few remaining years of his life telling people that God hates U.S soldiers (oh hell no...), Canada (Wtf??), Ireland (ditto), and so on. In Toronto, a church group stands in front of a homosexual couple's home preaching, praying and the usual shenanigans of any church group with a megalomaniac for a pastor. And of course the church group organizing the Burn a Quran day...Aaaaand my own experiences with the kooky Christians.
And as I learn about these church groups, I can't help but sit there and wonder: "is this what Jesus went around preaching and eventually got crucified for?". I don't know, I must have misread the bible, because I certainly don't remember the rest of the whole "love thy neighbor" thing. What was it? Hmmm *taps foot* ...Ah! Now I remember: "love thy neighbor, unless they are gay. a different faith, non-believer, a witch, dress in black, listen to Justin Bieber"
...Okay, maybe the Bieber thing is excusable. But, yeah, no so what was Jesus doing this whole time? Because in my mind he went around performing miracles and helping the less fortunate, and a whole bunch stuff with non-violence, brotherly love...I don't remember the part about condemning everyone who isn't like you and driving them out of their homes, harassing them, beating them, killing them, even. Well, gosh, all of that stuff seems pretty bad...But hey, it's okay because you're Christian, all you have to do is pray because God hands out forgiveness like people hand out Halloween candy, and you're still on your way to heaven, right? You go, girl/boy! *highfive*
... *siiiiiighs and rolls eyes* Really, people?? Really? And the really sad thing about all this is that the good, honest, level-headed Christians that do have a much better understanding of the teachings of God get lumped in with the rest of these clowns. I mean, what kind of image do those clowns think they're putting out for Christianity when they go out and promote so much hate, ignorance and intolerance? It makes me very sad to see these people not only doing all of this and getting so much attention to it.
Why would someone like Fred Phelps, or any pastor for that matter, claim that God hates so much, when God created all of these people, the Earth and so on? Why would God create something just to hate it? If God is all-knowing, don't you think he would already know what that person is going to be like? What they're going to do? When they're going to die? If God loves us all, why would so many of these people calling everyone else a sinner, that they will be cast into Hell for eternity and that God hates them? That's just extremely hypocritical. And I'm sure a lot of people feel this way, whether you're religious or not.
So in the end, shouldn't these "Christians" instead be going out there and helping the less fortunate, fighting for worthy causes instead of being a bunch of ignorant a-holes? There's so much wrong in the world, and if they truly believe in God, then they should be going out there to help solve these problems with everyone else so we can work together to build a better world.
I know it seems like I'm bashing on Christianity - I'm not. I know there's other religions out there that face this same problem with these same kind of people that make everyone else looks bad. However, I find that Christianity is a repeat offender that almost never even gets a slap on the wrist. Honestly, think about it: if Fred Phelps were a Muslim, you think people would be letting him preach the hateful messages he preaches? But because he is a Christian, they just call it "freedom of speech", if he were a Muslim, he would have been dragged away by the FBI a long time ago. Because in this country, Christianity is the major religion (and everyone knows Christians can do absolutely no wrong, they go to church every week! That alone is proof!)
Aaaand before anyone starts accusing me of anything (because you won't believe the shit I get accused of all the time), that I'm some anti-Christian, devil-worshipping witch (by the way, yes I actually have been accused of being a 'devil-worshipping witch' before...) - I try not to put a label on my own relationship with God, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a Christian. Surprising, yes? So, no, I don't hate Christianity...I hate what the people have done with it. And it makes me sad to see how it all came to be like this when God has created so much, and people preach on how all-merciful and all-loving he is and yet...when they see someone different from them they fear it, hate it, persecute it, judge it. There's just so much hypocrisy in Christianity that I could literally spend hours and hours and hours typing it all down.
So, any of you wacky Christians out there with a big, shiny hate badge please re-educate yourselves, learn the true meaning what Jesus preached about God, and stop making the rest of us look bad, okay? I don't hate on the homosexuals...they're not doing anything wrong, they are certainly not sinners. I've met many, they're all really sweet people that deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as everyone else. The same goes for people of other religions or don't have a faith. If you're not doing anything to hurt others or yourselves, all's good in my book. And I know some of you reading this might not believe in religion, and that's cool with me, but in the end doesn't everything I said make some sort of sense?
And I believe Victor Hugo also summed it up nicely in his book Les Misérables, especially regarding televangelists and other high-profile pastors/priests:
"You have told me you are the bishop, but that tells me nothing about your moral integrity. Now, then, I repeat my question: who are you? You are a bishop, a prince of the church, one of those men covered with gold, insignia and wealth, a fat sinecure - the see of Digne, fifteen thousand francs per year, ten thousand francs contingent, total twenty-five thousand francs - you have kitchens and retinues, give fine dinners, eat good poultry on Friday, show off in your gaudy coaches like peacocks, lackeys in the front and lackeys behind, and travel about in the name of Jesus Christ, who walked barefoot."
Now, as I said, I could go on and on, and I'd like to. But I have other things I need to get to, and you probably want to do, and I think I've gone on long enough. XD I just don't know when to shut up sometimes, so, sorry about that. Alright, so, until next time! Byeee~ :3
Oh! Wait! Wait! *gives everyone a hug whether they want it or not*
Byyyyeeee. :3
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