An Easter rant

When I was a young girl, my brother and my mother were killed in separate accidents a year apart. At the time of my mother's death, my father and other brother were also hospitalized for a lengthy period of time, and I, a scared and lonely eight-year-old, stayed with my emotionally distant Quaker grandparents. One thing my grandmother did do for me, though, was give me a book, A Child's Bible Reader, which became my comfort and escape. I loved the stories of the Bible people, their fantastic adventures and how their faith helped them persevere through the most troubling times. I especially loved Jesus with his message of love and peace. I loved the way he gave hope to the poor and downtrodden, to the outcasts and misfits, widows and orphans of his time.

After his recovery, my father remarried (to a nurse who cared for him during his hospital stay), and we joined her church, the Church of the Brethren, another one of the traditional peace churches. Church was a big part of our lives, and it was important to me. I especially loved the Easter traditions. On the Thursday before Easter we would gather for a "Last Supper" of boiled beef and bread around a long communal table. The ladies wore their little net bonnets. We had a foot-washing ceremony, and took communion of unleavened bread, made by the church ladies, and grape juice. We sang songs such as "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" which gave me chills. Easter Sunday was a joyous time with a sunrise service and rousing hymns -- Up from the grave he arose, with a might triumph o'er his foes. It was a time of optimism and hope, rebirth, life triumphing over the bonds of death. It was a message that resonated with me so strongly.

As I grew older I grew more skeptical, of course. I began to question the literalness of the virgin birth, the resurrection, some of the miracles, Jesus's divinity -- but I never lost my belief in the teachings that he stood for. The power of love and forgiveness, our duty to try to make peace and to care for the hungry, the naked, the prisoners. To treat others as we want to be treated. These are difficult standards to live up to, and I have often failed, but for 50 years I have relied on the teachings of Jesus as my moral compass and as a blueprint for the way I wanted to live my life.

But now my Jesus has apparently been kidnapped by the far right, who have replaced him with a cheap impostor whom they are pimping to the masses as the genuine article. And I call them pimps -- Jerry Falwell, Randall Terry, George Bush, Tom DeLay, and those of like mind -- because they are using this paint-and-powder Jesus to make themselves rich and to increase their power very much like the flashiest pimp daddy out there on the street. They are exploiting to a criminal degree what seems to be a natural human tendency to seek spiritual guidance and comfort, and many, many people are fooled into buying. It sickens me.

I'm angry. I want the Jesus back who I knew and loved as a child. I want to be able to say that I follow his teachings without being presumed to be just another "customer." I want the pimps to stop forcing their product on me. This is NOT MY JESUS. This Jesus is a fraud.

If the Jesus I knew were to come back to America today, he would no doubt suffer a similar fate as the original. He doesn't fit with their program. They would kill him. Maybe not literally, but I know they would find a way to silence him.


Anyway -- happy Easter, DUers. Sorry for the long rant, but this has just been building up in me and I had to get it out.

like you, I think Jesus has been kidnapped by the rw. Which means all who have read His teachings must stress what Jesus REALLY stood for.

Its just very very hard to talk to people who are delusional.

and want these other assholes to admit that they are worshipping some kind of Mars-like God of War and Hate. They certainly aren't worshiping the God of the Bible.

And not just that but, as you say, they are using their smoke and mirrors and bullshit to exploit people, which is an even WORSE sin than merely worshiping a false God.

I know a lot of us feel the same as you, about the hijacking of Jesus. It hurts that his teachings have no place in their narrative and that the New Testament itself seems to have been forgotten.

I'm glad that your grandparents gave you that book, and that the Church of the Brethren was a good experience for you. No child should have to suffer the losses you did.

I still love the Mass, but I don't go. I understand that I SHOULD; my not going is really more my fault than theirs. I am just so angry at what "Christianity" is now. Around here, there is this fundamental rejection of and antipathy toward anyone who does not conform to middle-class values. Middle-class = Saved. You can go anywhere, exercise class, restaurants, the grocery store, and hear people gossiping visciously about one another, and the church does nothing for fear of loosing $support. This goes on constantly, and it is considered a small thing, but think of all of the hurt and vengence everywhere that it causes!

I wouldn't mind "Christians" making such a big deal all of the time about being "Christian" if they would also talk as freely about how far, specifically, they are from being anything like Jesus Christ.

about these "saved" Christians is when my father -- a wonderful man who had attended church and sang in the choir every Sunday for decades, taught Sunday School classes, who went out of his way to be tolerant, caring, informed, who never raised his voice in anger, who had endured and optimistically persevered despite the death of three children and his first wife -- was approached by a fundie friend shortly before his death and asked if he had been "born again." The affrontery, the nerve. I was left speechless. If my father didn't embody everything that was truly Christian, nobody ever did.

if they just didn't consider it their responsibility to inflict it on others; this is blasphemous. In doing so, they get results the opposite of what they say they want, i.e. stronger christians. They get weaker Christians and inflict much pain in the process.

"God" would not have made us free if "he" didn't want us to come to "him" by our own free will, not through manipulation, not through coercion, not through persuasion, no matter how well intentioned. Something like that can only be real if you've chosen it personally, and even then you can get it wrong, and the only way you'll be able to learn from your errors is if you choose to do so.

That was perfect.

Your sentiments need to be shared.

You wrote what I have felt about the Wal-Marting of Jesus for the last several years. I'm printing your post up and tucking it somewhere in my desk where I can pull it out and read it again.
Thank you.
:)

I want my Jesus back, too. What happened to the greatest commandment of all?

Why do the details of mystical events matter? What in the Bible could be proved untrue that could cause me to not follow the Jesus who took care of the hungry, the naked and the oppressed and taught us to do the same? I learned the answer to that during the "monkey trial" in my youth and I sided with science, as did my parents.

This rapture stuff just started in the early 1900's and it is really scary.

Thanks again.

...THE GREEK PASSION by Nikos Kazantzakis. The main conceit of the story was that indeed, Christ would meet the same fate he met then if he was to come back in the modern era. This seems especially certain if he was to return to *'s murika in 2005.

one of my all-time favorite books (and movie.

in our religion to be repugnant.

To my way of thinking, Mother Teresa exemplified the teachings of Jesus more than anyone else in recent history. She quietly and purposefully followed his word by helping the poor and disenfranchised.

he'd most likely say, "That's NOT what I meant".

While I empathize with your loss and your longing for times gone by, I would point to you that you need not look to Jesus or any other roll model in order to practice the power of love and forgiveness; to make peace; to care for the hungry, the naked, the prisoners. To treat others as we want to be treated. Confucius practiced and preached those some 500 years prior to christianity. Those virtues are timeless and not the sole propriety of one religion.

It's all in you. Whatever you celebrate, remember the ONE-ness

I also resent His being kidnapped by the RW, which is why I stay in my Church and say 'No more!'. Surely there are those in your Church who feel as you do, because there are many in my Church who feel as I do. May He strengthen you in your battle to wrest him away Him away from those who seek only to exploit Him, rather than serve Him, as He commanded us.

:hug:

You said:

But now my Jesus has apparently been kidnapped by the far right, who have replaced him with a cheap impostor whom they are pimping to the masses as the genuine article. And I call them pimps -- Jerry Falwell, Randall Terry, George Bush, Tom DeLay, and those of like mind -- because they are using this paint-and-powder Jesus to make themselves rich and to increase their power very much like the flashiest pimp daddy out there on the street. They are exploiting to a criminal degree what seems to be a natural human tendency to seek spiritual guidance and comfort, and many, many people are fooled into buying. It sickens me.

Maybe these ideas perpetrated in the name of Christ are the real anti-Christ. Something for the above mentioned pimps to think about.

It's a nice story, nicely shared, but ya know what? There's a Religion forum here and IMO it would be far better posted there.

DU is a political discussion forum and in THIS country, there is (still) separation of Church and State. I strongly prefer that my politics don't involve your Church or any other, and I perhaps even more strongly prefer that my political DISCUSSIONS in a place where people who believe (politically) mostly as I do don't involve religion.

I personally am offended by unsolicited religious discussions in public, and I don't believe I'm alone. Your "rant" comes at a time when some of the cable news programming is tilting toward the outright religious more than ever before. It's a virtual assault on those of us who are turned off and revolted by gratuitious Christian discussions and programming. There were at least two different Aaron Brown shows last week where HE was absent but in his place was blatant religious programming, pure and simple. There have been other very recent examples, none that I saw quite so blantant. HOWEVER, it's easy to speculate that we are being desensitized to inappropriate introduction of religion into our SECULAR lives (like news broadcasting) and instead of just offensive, it becomes alarming. Frankly, DU has seen what I consider an appalling -- and to me very unwelcome -- increase in "religious programming" as well, and I for one DO NOT LIKE IT.

In fact, I was actually thinking about this very thing earlier today: I'm about to start putting offenders on Ignore, wholesale.

My advice: TAKE IT TO THE RELIGION FORUM here at DU.

I certainly meant no offense, and I am far from being any kind of raving Christian at this time. I believe my point is that Jesus/Muhammed/Buddha/Moses or whoever is not meant to be tied up in government or public policy in any way. THAT'S MY POINT! You will not find a stronger believer in the separation of church and state than I am. Again, THAT'S MY POINT. My dear Eloriel, you and I are on the same side. But this is an open forum for "general" discussion, and I believe that I am allowed to post my thoughts as much as you are. Are you the thought police?

I only put my story out to express my dismay at how the right has co-opted what should be a matter of one's personal spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) and made it an issue as to whether or not someone is a good citizen.

as long as they do not violate DU rules. And ThAT, is MY point: that your choice of posting religious content here is offensive to some of us -- perhaps in the minority, but still, that is PRECISELY what our secular government is set up to do, protect the rights of the minorities where religious and other important matters are concerned.

And using the term "thought police" in reference to my complaint is precisely the kind of arm-twisting that I'd expect from those on the right who INSIST on foisting their religious content off on the rest of us. As a result of a comment like that, along with your inability to see my point, I'm not at all sure about this:

My dear Eloriel, you and I are on the same side.

And I apologize for the "thought police" remark. It was perhaps an insensitive and knee-jerk reaction to what I perceived as your overreaction to my original post. I chose to post in General Discussion, not General Discussion: Politics, because I thought it was the appropriate place to express the thoughts that I had about the right wing's version of Jesus being crammed down our throats.

Anyway, no offense intended. Everybody's just a little on the tense side lately, I think, and with good reason.

It is very well written, and most welcome to come across here.

Thank you for sharing it with us.

Those who have politicized a narrow, fanatical version of Christianity are much in the news. They have been working to control our government for some time & have been all too successful.

A reminder of what religion means to so many good people is quite suitable in this forum--especially at this time of year. Especially while we're seeing so many bad examples reported by the media--intruding on a family's grief, pushing nonsense into science classes & calling a murderous president "pro-life."

I thought it was one person's journey. Other people have similar stories--ideals lost, goals forgotten, what were once vices are now civics.

And the lunatics are in charge of the asylum.

We got there different ways, but I appreciated your story.

Unless you were just looking for an argument, then carry on...

RL

public discussion of religion, then you know very little about that particular amendment.

Nominated for great page.:thumbsup:

I respond to a very small percentage of the posts that I actually read. I had to respond to yours though. It's very moving, very well-written, and very appropriate for the times. My heart goes out to you for the hardships you endured at such a young age. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

who actually UNDERSTAND what a revolutionary Jesus was. In a time of brutal and physical violence as well as extreme oppression of minorities/outsiders, he brought a message of love and acceptance that all people who believe in both a religious and/or a historical Jesus would do well to remember today.

There is so much more to Jesus than his infancy and crucifixion.

It's his middle life that gives us a role model to follow, someone who believed in peace, love, tolerance, and forgiveness.

That's my Jesus.

Sue

OUR Jesus never changed.

I don't know who that is the right is using like a baseball bat, hitting everyone over the heads with him.

But the Jesus I grew up reading about would not approve, of that I feel sure.

"I want my Jesus back."

Thank you for sharing this with us. It was a delightful Easter present. :thumbsup:

(for the record, I am not calling you The Easter Bunny.)

Thank you! That is just how I feel! They are dragging our faith in the mud, and all their work is as filthy rags. I really believe that.

My minister at Unity Church said of "The Passion of the Christ", "I have always loved Jesus. Why would I want to see Him tortured in that movie."

I agree.

I have also received emails from fundamentalists that end with, "Jesus said, If you are embarrassed by me in front of My Father then My Father will be embarrassed of you when you die" in an obvious intent to guilt you into forwarding the email.

Some Christians are ascribing human flaws to Jesus and God to serve their own distorted views. It is totally absurd. Of course I have "Replied to all" to express me views on this. I haven't received one in a long time. I don't know know if they are still going around.

sentiments. Why someone would feel threatened by it to jump in and attack you is beyond me. I suppose some people are so insecure as to feel the need to strike back at those with differing religious beliefs. Ignore the negative input.

Regardless, thank you for your piece. I became the 11th person to nominate it for the front page.

The Jesus I see paraded on TV, around the Hospice of a dying woman, at abortion clinics where workers have died, at the funeral of a lost loved one and even in the hollowed halls of our government is not my Jesus.

My Jesus spends his days with the poor, the needy, the sick of body and spirit, he travels to other countries to spread a message of love and hope and joy. He doesn't go there to force feed his message. He offers it to those who wish to listen.

He goes to help when tragedy strikes. He goes to provide comfort for the comfort-less, food to the hungry, medicine to the sick and injured and he doesn't do this at the point of a gun.

My Jesus would be angry at the way his name is being used to promote an agenda that has nothing to do with love, compassion and hope for those in need.

I know who my Jesus is. I'm not sure who the right are trying to sell.

of Christ. The one that is portrayed in the New Testament. Their Jesus is one the imposters that you are warned about.

Nothing so personal to relate, but the feeling that something good has been taken and something facially similar but horrible left in its place....

The power-brokers of the Right seem to be stealing Jesus with one hand and America with the other. I don't know how they can live with themselves.

well said, and honest.
Of course Jesus had some apt comments about those who make a public show of their 'great piety'.

:-)

Keep fighting for your beliefs.

on a contentious subject. Its always encouraging to see that 95% of DUers show a mature respect for each other, regardless of their differences in race, sex/sexual orientation, and religion.