The difference between being Christian, and being Christlike
The following represents the opinions of single member of the SSU, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the SSU as a whole.
Being an atheist with many like-minded friends, I often detect great amounts of animosity toward the modern form of Christianity, and Evangelical sects in particular. Sometimes, this is directed at the Dominionists, as they attempt to override our laws in order to enforce Biblical law upon the rest of us. Other times, it stems from the frustration of being pre-judged as immoral, degenerate, foolish, or ignorant.
Today, however, I saw this animosity coming from the clear hypocrisy of purported "Christians," swirling around a recent news story:
Churchgoers more likely to back torture, survey finds
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new analysis.
More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did.
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/churchgoers-more-likely-to-back-torture-survey-finds/
These Christians claim to follow the man who has long been lauded for his pacifist philosophies which have affected Western thought for centuries.
I speak out of the frustration felt by many whom see these abhorrent policies sanctioned so, when I ask:
How is torture...
- Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-42)?
- Loving thy neighbor (Leviticus 19:18)?
- Loving thine enemies (Matthew 5:44)?
To any who continue to sanction such acts, I quote your Christ (John 8:7), and say:
Let he who is without sin...
- Administer the first lethal injection
- Tie the first hanging rope
- Flip the first electric chair switch
- Waterboard the first suspect
The god of the Old Testament slaughtered mercilessly those who opposed him or his people. However, Jesus commands his followers to turn the other cheek, and leave the stone throwing to god himself.
To the self-proclaimed Christians that support and sanction torture, I ask:
Why do you disobey the god you claim to worship so? Why are you not the first to stand up against those who commit these atrocities in your names?
How dare you condemn the non-religious as amoral, when we reject torture in greater numbers, and even without divine commandments. Take the beam out of thine own eye before condemning the mote in ours (Matthew 7:3).