Prominent Christian leaders are warning their community members to be wary of 'Christian nationalism' and its potential to condone white supremacy, encourage racist violence, and ultimately damage America's constitutional democracy.
"Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian," read a statement endorsed by nineteen religious leaders from groups including the Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, the Franciscan Action Network, the Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, to name a few.
"[Christian nationalism] often overlaps with and provides cover for white supremacy and racial subjugation. We reject this damaging political ideology and invite our Christian brothers and sisters to join us in opposing this threat to our faith and to our nation. Conflating religious authority with political authority is idolatrous and often leads to oppression of minorities and other marginalized groups as well as the spiritual impoverishment of religion."
The strongly-worded statement explicitly says that America has no second-class faiths and demands Christians stand up and speak out against Christian nationalism, "especially when it inspires acts of violence and intimidation-including vandalism, bomb threats, arson, hate crimes, and attacks on houses of worship-against religious communities at home and abroad."
Nationalism Moves to the Mainstream
White evangelical Protestants have become the poster children for this more politicized strain of Christianity in recent years. Indeed, Christian American exceptionalism is a belief that has gone from the fringe to the political mainstream recently. From beliefs that America brings about its own violence and misfortune by not allowing prayer in school to the belief that gun ownership is a God-given American birthright, the language of Christian nationalism is increasingly being invoked in defense of socially conservative causes. Evangelicals' desire for a more Christian nation was made perfectly clear in the 2016 election, where they supported Donald Trump at a whopping rate of 77%.
So while Red Letter Christian founder Tony Campolo may insist "the true Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat," it's evident that an increasing number of evangelicals disagree.
Religious Extremism on the Rise
What's wrong with Christians veering further to the right?
Well, researchers at the University of Maryland who analyzed the Global Terrorism Database reported that 2017 showed a "sharp increase" in the share of attacks by right-wing extremists, from 6% in the 2000s to 35% in the 2010s. The share of attacks by religious extremists also increased between those two decades, from 9% to 53%. Another study published in the Sociology of Religion found that "Christian nationalism can serve as an ethno-nationalist symbolic boundary portraying nonwhites and Muslims as threatening cultural outsiders."
The University of Maryland study defined "right-wing extremism" as "violence in support of the belief that personal and/or national way of life is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent." It includes anti-globalism, white supremacy, and nationalism. The same study found a precipitous drop in left-wing and environmental terrorism over the same time period, from 64% of the share of terrorist attacks in the 2000s to only 12% in the 2010s.
When Quartz studied that same database, it found right-wing extremists committed most attacks in the US: in fact, 37 of the 65 total incidents in 2017 were tied to racist, anti-Muslim, homophobic, anti-Semitic, fascist, anti-government, or xenophobic motivations, including neo-Nazi extremist James Field's attack against a crowd of counter-protesters in Charlottesville; attacks against a gay bar in Puerto Rico; mosques in Washington, Texas and Florida, and a vehicle decorated with Jewish iconography in New York. Islamic extremism accounted for only seven attacks in the same period.
As white nationalist and Christian nationalist language increasingly make their way into the public discourse, some Christian leaders are decrying a trend they see as worrying.
What are your thoughts? Is Christian nationalism the slippery slope to dangerous radicalization that the statement sponsors seem to think it is?
115 comments
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Liz Dix
My Good and Loving Creator is not a wrathful, unapproarchable, exclusionary Diety. God (dess) of Love and Light, make me an instrument of your Divine Love: where there is hate, let me share love, where there is bitterness, let me show the Sweetness of your Love. Where there are Fools so blinded by hate of darkness and despair. Lend me your strength and courage to stand for the right of Love and Light ! So let it be So might it be!! So let it always be !!!
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Lionheart
Your good and loving creator is indeed very wrathful, hence the mythical genocidal flooding of the earth, and his killing of the first born infants due to his wrath with Pharaoh, just to mention two occasions where death is involved at his hands.
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CrystalPrizm
Hold on, Lionheart. Was that comment aimed at Liz? May I ask, how do you know Liz' personal beliefs? Sounds like you are assuming she is referring to Christian belief system. I thought this was a MULTI faith organization. (I will state that I am Wiccan, so it's not assumed I am of another faith)
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Lionheart
You are quite right. My apologies for incorrectly assuming.
Peace ✌?
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Carl Elfstrom
Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. There will be an answer. Let it be. Now would you like to hear me sing Imagine?
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Joe
Yes Imagine No country No possessions No religion Pure Socialist/Communist doctrine. The left wing Democrats and their cohorts in the liberal media are promoting hate and fear to further their cause.
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Rick
Really? You can't possibly believe that....The racist hate from the Right.....and we are still on the fake news propaganda......The world will never be at peace with the right wing fox agenda
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Joe
The Commies have always been so peace loving.
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Lionheart
Don’t you think Illan, AOC, et al “The Squad” are full of race hate? They don’t seem to have anything nice to say about Israel, or even those of us that are white here in the US.
It seems to be the pot calling the kettle black. Oh sorry...did I say black? Let’s change that to “The pot calling the kettle white”. ?
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Ken
Guess what Rick? All conservative Christians i know are NOT racist you ignorant brain washed sheep. It's humblecucks like you who will wish our countries be invaded by the Real enemy. (Face palm) I have no time for this stupidity
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james thomas
isn't no country, no possessions, no religion about heaven? Well the description of heaven in the bible does sound like a totalitarian communist regime.
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Anna Brown
Joe, "The left wing Democrats and their cohorts in the liberal media are promoting hate and fear to further their cause". I think that is the right projecting onto the left.
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Ken
It's funny because this article is more racist than any Right wing Christian I have ever met. Something is in the water ppl are getting dumber i swear
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John A Anderson, CD, CIF Mons ON
extremism of ANY stripe, whether Klan, WBC, Wahabi, or Volk, is problematic, for that way leads to increased fear and hatred.Those then lead to the idea that we must attack that which is different, and then, that which is outside our borders. If we don't learn from what happened in Germany in the 1930's, it WILL happen again.
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Carl Elfstrom
I've heard that the Cosa Nostra is a very nice family organization. Just don't cross the family, or you'll have to go sleep with the fishes.
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Liz Dix
One of my latest Facebook timelines..... ?? "won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgement day" ?????????✈?☔??? when new tin soldiers crawl away !!
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Liz Dix
Should have read no t I n soldiers crawl away!!!
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Carl Elfstrom
Do those tin soldiers have keys in their backs that need to be twisted in order for them to function? Wouldn't it be better to use robotic sex dolls in military uniforms. Just change their programing a little.
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Rev M Dodd
The Ledgend of Billy Jack "One Tin Soldier". ...There won't be any trumpets blowing, come the judgement day. On the bloody morning after, One Tin Soldier rises away!
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William Waugh
What do you expect when your leaders base is a basket of deplorables. Oh yes I did.
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Liz Dix
Lionheart: yes as you say the God of the old testament (according to stories past down word of mouth or so) was indeed a vindictive Diety. But if you take the time to read between the pages, God was wrathful 3 times Kicking Adam and Eve to the curb, dumping tons of salt on Lot's wife and environs, and the Great Flood. When that Same God as much as we known made us exactly as before. So was the destruction caused from our failure to LOVE AS For directed or by a returning child?
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Lionheart
Well, I only mentioned two, so lets include his infanticide, and add to that his approval of slavery, plus his decision to stone people to death, one for picking up sticks on the Sabbath.
So, was our failure to love the reason? I doubt those who died at his hand, and directive, and also slaves would agree.
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Lori
And then there was the apostles story where a husband and wife were killed for holding back money from them, Nice picture of who god is.
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Gary
Maybe you should re-read. There are many instances when the Hebrew tribes were invading the "Promised Land" where God told them to wipe out the indigenous populations.
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Carl Elfstrom
Do you think God eats popcorn while he's watching the show?
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Oh Mo
There is no verifiable evidence God is watching. But, if it were watching, Junior Mints might be the snack of choice. that or Raisinettes ?.
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Anna Brown
Jr Mints are an abomination! Mint destroys the great taste of chocolate so god would not eat those :)
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Liz Dix
You do it course realize that is (was) valuable human beings, with religious -socially - political tendencies that have (and do still), tell us these things. And perhaps the God of the Old Testament, abdicated when Christ was born. And too perhaps some of the ancient philosophers are not wrong, when then spoke about Gods, crashing their strengths and energies from our belief in them. However; the case might be: My CREATOR is a God (dess) of All things bright and beautiful.
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Lynn Gideon
I don't think people know what a Nationalist really is? Nationalism is for our constitutional rights!
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don ricardo
You’re talking about federalism. Nationalism is identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.
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directortice
I'm reading Isaiah now... I post a daily Bible Study and this is the posting from today..... https://forums.somd.com/forums/religion.30/
I use to go to a Bible study that was hosted by a preacher's mother. A few women.... whom I respected as Christians.... would meet in her home once a week. I had to stop attending.... as a matter of fact.... that's the first time I ever felt the need to walk out of a Bible study.
When they sprayed the children with pepper spray..... that cut it for me.... ripping the babies out of the arms of "criminals".... that's cause for concern.... and I wanted to know more.... but when they sprayed the babies with pepper spray.... that was too much.... and when I said something in my Bible study about how cruel I thought it was.... I learned the true nature of the women I thought were "good" Christians.
The preacher's mom had an abortion.... hail Molech..... It was ok to spray the babies with pepper spray.... they were breaking the law.... hail Ceaser
Now.... I can see how this all came about..... I use to listen to WAVA radio in Washington DC.... so I can see how my "good" friends might have been indoctrinated.... whatever the preacher says must be right.... after all he's read the book.
Humans have gotten too full of themselves.... IMHO.... and this is just one more sign....
We need to ask for forgiveness..... we need to take care of our children... all children.... and homeless.... and needy.... and sick....
IMHO.... we're at this point because humans have gotten too bigheaded.... and now our church leaders and our government leaders are no better than the pharisees and sadducees of the days of Jesus.
Pepper spraying babies is just like rubbing hotsauce in their eyes..... Mothers.... look at this.... Fathers.... look at this....
Remember.... Jesus loved children.....
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Anna Brown
You may think Jesus loved children, but if you believe in the trinity, then everything the god of the OT did (including killing LOTS OF CHILDREN) Jesus did that too.
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Don
"Remember…. Jesus loved children….."
Even the children of unbelievers whom God said his followers would be happy to murder by dashing them against rocks? Psalm 137:9
Or the children murdered and raped per God's command? Numbers 31:17-21
That's quite the perverted way to show love!
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directortice
I know.... and it makes me sad every single time I read it.... but the people made a covenant with God.... they agreed to behave and then they went chasing any little man made idol they saw... still do as a matter of fact.... how many preachers have let money get them.....
Parents have to correct their children when they misbehave. God is a parent figure..... the Bible shows He's patient.... more patient than I would be in His position. It's a horrible shame that children are bashed against the rocks...... It's a horrible thing that after God let His own Son be sacrificed so that He could conquer death that keeps killing His humans..... people still won't acknowledge Him as the one true Living God.
What about all those babies that died after the humans fired up the statue of Molech until it was glowing hot.... and then threw their own babies on it.... as the babies screamed in pain as they die.... the parents sang.....
What about all the babies that have been aborted in the last 50 years? What about all the women who have breast cancer from the pill that was supposed to save them from "unwanted" or "inconvenient" pregnancies.
Nope.... I don't put the blame on God.....
Humans pervert live every day..... I'm surprised God has been this patient.....
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Lionheart
....and what about the babies god killed due to his anger management issue with Pharaoh, and the mothers, pregnant mothers, and children he drowned.
It's a good job that none of this is true. Horrific tales none-the-less.
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directortice
Oh Pharaoh.... the politician who thought he was God.... the politician who decided that there were too many people of Israeli descent so he ordered the murder of all the Israeli babies? That's how Moses got in the position to take out Pharaoh.
Oh Pharaoh who required all the Egyptians to worship him as a god? He actually thought he was god.... he ordered the deaths of Israeli babies.... .
Oh and by the way... a simple choice would have saved the lives of all the first born.... all the Egyptians had to do was spread the blood of a lamb across the top of the door.... they believed in Pharaoh.... but Pharaoh was not God
Pick a god any god.... that's what was going on in Egypt..... Pharaoh picked that fight.
God never required anyone to give up their babies. Humans came up with that brilliant idea. God just showed them how horrible it was.
I bet that curse would have never bothered Pharaoh at all as long as the first born Egyptian to die wasn't his own son. That's how God proved to Pharaoh and his worshipers [yep they were worshiping Pharaoh instead of God] who was boss.
Yep humans have been aborting babies all along.... and then they call God the murderer. That's why babies died in the Bible....humans...
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Lionheart
And that was your gods only answer to the Pharaoh issue? Poor choices! It would have been easier to take out Pharaoh, or turn him into a pillar of salt, or drown him. Know what I mean? The type of thing that your god normally does, instead of killing babies.
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Don
"and it makes me sad every single time I read it…. but"
Disgusting and PERVERTED that you would find a way to rationalize the RAPE AND MURDER of CHILDREN. No human is or has ever been more perverted than the god character in the Bible.
And then you double-down with the "whataboutism" nonsense...
To defend this trash is just sick. Hopefully you have no children.
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Ken
John 10:34 Jesus replied, "Is it not written in your law, I have said ye are gods"? Psalm 82:6 I said, "You are gods"; You are all sons of the Most High.
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Lionheart
Oh good! Well that’s nice isn’t it? When I’m a god I’m going to set the stakes up just a little higher and make sure my dad God sees in me the importance of real morals. I’ll set him an example of how he should be in future.
I won’t perform any drownings, or killing of babies, or agree to cutting the end bits off penis’s, or turning anyone to salt, or stoning anyone to death.
Little children will not suffer.
If anyone doubts I exist I will personally show up.
You know....the type of things any god should be, worthy of being called a deity.
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Carl Elfstrom
Good for you, Directortice. You gather up all those poor, homeless, sickos, and take them home with you. And please start with the ones in my neighborhood. And the crack whores, too. They'll appreciate you respecting them, which is something they'll never get from me. And however you hep them you can do it in the name of Jesus. And they'll act like they're very appreciative of all of your assistance. Some of them will undoubtedly help you get to Heaven a lot sooner than you expected, and then we won't ever hear your silly BS on this blog again. So, please, go for the gusto!!!
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Hardley
???
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Hardley
What Carl said... ?
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james thomas
wow, you're just angry and plain mean - but I bet you feel justified.
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Carl Elfstrom
Let's crucify the American Nazis, in the name of Jesus!
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John Owens
This is all preventive paranoid conspiracy theory on the part of the Left, trying to silence those against socialism by pretending this farce.
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Hardley
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Ken Morrow
I am anti-Marxist and anti-Fascist. Both have terrible track records. I am opposed to Globalism under ANY political banner. I am anti-monarchy and theocracy, too. And because I oppose theocratic totalitarianism, I an anti-Islam. Notice the common thread? Totalitarianism...period. People can call me what they wish. I'm fed up with the propaganda from EITHER end of the spectrum. Hate, pride, and lies are the domain of The Evil One.
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Don
So you're also anti-Christian...or a hypocrite.
Which is it?
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don ricardo
How would you classify your own paranoid conspiracy theory, then?
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Carl Elfstrom
I'm not a christian, but at least I look like a white boy, and stand for the national anthem. However, I'm getting most of my groceries from Amazon now, so I won't have to go to the store more than once or twice a month. How can I be sure they only hit what they aim at. That's alright, I enjoy the solitude. Ofcourse, I couldn't live without my android phone.
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Alexia Martinez
I teach history and i stress to my students tolerance when we get to the religion unit. War are historically started from religious difference and/or resources. Yet as a society we continue to erase or forget our history and that guarantees a repeat. If everyone would just sit down and evaluate other religions they may see that they have more in common with eachother then they realize. Its the tiny difference between the faiths that cause so much hatred. Then when we look at race and ethnicity, for centuries people have intermingled amongst others so whose to say whole is "white" and non-white. Just because you look white does not mean you are. noones blood in truely one ethnic group anymore if you look at history.
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Ken Morrow
There is no Heaven for White people, Hispanics, Blacks, rich or poor, etc. There is just Heaven and Hell...fully racially and ideologically integrated. He says a lot of us are going to be shocked by who ends up where.
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Don
"He says"? What if this mysterious voice that apparently only you can hear is lying? Or isn't really there?
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Pastor Dave
At the ripe old age of 73 I have concerns that I will leave this mortal life with the world in worse shape than when I arrived. Born in 1946 and possibly the world's first baby-boomer I arrived to a world filled with optimism, following the peace so valiantly faught for and won in 1945. I and my siblings as kids attended church and Sunday school regularly. And Christ has always been with me as my life-long companion. Fast forward to 2019 and the TV show being streamed on Netflix titled The Family. It is all about how entitlement to God's riches are graded by who you are and where you are located in the world's pecking order. I find the message and indeed the facts as presented deeply disturbing. Two Biblical messages stand out. That those who seek to be greatest shall be servants of all. and that it is easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The word rich I equate to referring to money rather than life's blessings. I believe it is time to throw out the manual on political correctness and acknowledge that inclusiveness is not determined by whatever term is used to address you. What the world needs is for all to adopt the highest level of kindness, friendship, compassion and caring. Only in that way can we live together, one, as God's people. And by treating our planet like a precious gift from God and unite to do a better job in looking after it.
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Don
"Only in that way can we live together, one, as God’s people."
Right...after all of the "non god" people have been exterminated. Even the women and children butchered. You're leaving out key parts of your Bible god's commands and directives, and you've had plenty of time to read it all. Why the dishonesty?
I'd list some chapter/verse examples. but given your knowledge of Scripture that would be insulting.
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Valerie
Religion means nothing as long as you love God, but Jesus is his Son and my brother and I will always show love to him
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Lionheart
If you don’t believe in Zeus, I just want you to know that Zeus loves you. ?
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Rev. Clifford Oliver
Religion and Spirituality are two different things. New Physics is showing that we are all connected in both heart and mind. There is no separation. So perhaps rather than compartmentalized beliefs. All religions should be seeking a Universal commonality.
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Don
"New Physics is showing that we are all connected in both heart and mind."
Citations needed. Otherwise this is just more woo-woo.
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SGM
It's Canada. Unless you're Canadian, it's just an outsider's opinion. Like China offering advise to the US.
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Rev. Jim
Religion is a private contract, an agreement between the individual and God as they conceive him/her in much the same way marriage is a private agreement. It defines your personal conduct but does not apply to anyone else. It is up to each and everyone of us to make our own commitment to that agreement and do our utmost to live up to it.
Secular government is a social contract between all the members of society including the noon-religious. The 'rules' of the social contract may and often do overlap those of our individual religious commitments (murder, theft, etc.) but where our individual contracts do not overlap those of society, the 'rules' of our religion apply only to us and it violates the sacredness of our religion to try to make them apply to those whose do not share our religion. Doing so assumes that the secular government is a higher authority than the God we commit ourselves to. It is not up to us to force others to believe as we do. Our task is to make our beliefs evident through the way we live our lives and are accepting of those who do not share our particular relationship with our maker.
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Ken
All this is an attack on Americans! Not only whites. Just wait until they make us accept radical extremism then you tell me how bad right wing "extremists" were you'll see. All the conservative Christians i know are NOT racist, homophobic, anti Semetic blah blah blah. Shame on you for spreading such nonsensical lies.
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Secretary3rd
Those of Islam will not care what you think. Your consider to be lower then camel dung. The Prophet said that Infidels are pig and apes so far it seems that he is correct. Islam is carve in stone there is not anyone who would dare to leave that religion. Must bow 5 times a day and do as Imam tells him to do. Until recently women of that religion had no voice. They were on the same level as women in the Catholic Church. Islam is very conservative. Men are told that the must strike out at anyone not of the Islamic faith. It would seems that in America all you need to do as you want is join a radical white group and no one can tell your a Muslim or not. Remember there are different branches of Islam attacking that other branch is consider getting closer to Heaven. Catholic Church attacking other not of your Catholic faith and your closer to Heaven. Strange in the name of God how that works.
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Don
Even stranger is where Jesus in the Bible condones the beating of slaves (Luke 12:47-48) and tells a parable that teaches to murder all unbelievers (Luke 19:27). Things you seem to think aren't there.
Oh, and there's plenty more. Would you like a list?
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The Doctor
Muhammad's Promise to the Monks of St. Catherine's Monastery Until the End of Days :
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."
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Qrez
I view all abrahamic religions are hate groups unless they specifically renouice tthe part of the old and new testament that are homophobic or hostile to women or which incite tribalistic violence against other groups. the old and new testaments are pretty vile... and call for the murder of numerous groups.
You cant claim to be the good guy while legitimizing your religion with a holy script that also happens to contain various hateful murderous texts...
If you want that historical legacy then you are also tainted by it.
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William Waugh
Ok. You got your argument down pat. Now, convince the shiite and sunni muslims to redact the words of "Allah"..... .until then.....Red Alert. All hands on deck. ..This is not a drill. .....You, yes you; are an infidel........go on over to Iran or Saudi Arabia or some such and see how long you keep your tongue, or your head. ......and yes all the abrahamic religious texts should be redacted. Good luck with that.....and......stay safe.
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The Doctor
Muhammad's Promise to the Monks of St. Catherine's Monastery Until the End of Days :
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."
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Don
This would be the same Muhammad that rode the magic flying horse, correct?
And people still believe it in today's day and age...
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The Doctor
Do keep in mind actual christians in the pre catholic era were 100% pacifist. It was very clear based on the teachings of the man called jesus that the old ways of blood and sacrifice were to be left behind, that the new covenant was meant to be one of humble living, and aiding those less fortunate, to feed the starving with your last crust etc.
The passages that call homosexuals abominations have never been found to exist in any version prior to those put out by the later churches that used the faith to militarize its followers.
I am not saying they are not all stained in blood and forever tainted, they certainly are. but once upon a time christianity at its beginning was meant to spread peace and humanity.
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Don
"It was very clear based on the teachings of the man called jesus that the old ways of blood and sacrifice were to be left behind"
Not even close to what Jesus said.
Matthew 5:18 - For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, till all be fulfilled.
In other words, make NO CHANGES to the Old Laws. The exact OPPOSITE of your claim. Sorry about that.
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William Waugh
Likely another church insertion. You don't think the bible arrived today in the pristine condition it began, do you. .....it even sounds like a cover-up.
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Liz Dix
I agree whole my agree with that assessment of the old and new testimests. Especially the old. It proves that a great many so called modern people have not came out of their caves. And they still need a big stick to bash in the head of the stranger, to prove their dinosaur is better than mine.
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William Waugh
Could you?......do you think, maybe?.....you could instill this concept in the minds of those who call you infidel? I am close to seeing things the way you do, I think. But am leaning toward the science that the universe itself is alive and conscience. ( on various levels ). But todays reality is that militarized muslims have their weapons out for us and jews in particular, so we educate kids in high school to be sufficient office employees and send some to boot camp to contain the radicals. This is where we are. We are not yet in the "star trek" fantasy of living in a post religion driven political society. .......I do think that the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump are "pied pipers" dancing their followers to their graves........just taking longer than I used to think it should.
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Liz Dix
If you really take the time to READ, all the Holy Books. Perhaps in the earliest of days, it was necessary for one society to promote their social, religious, economy, as a" my dinosaur is better than yours" philosophy. But this is not case today. Today's bigoted cave dwellers are that way because free thinking has been made taboo. If the Creator does end is again it will be for the same reasons: bigoted people, who can not See beyond their long noses (pointed in where it does not belong), people who are only in black or white and straight lines. People who fail to love, because Hate might get them an extra scoop of ice cream (one shot deal !).
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Norbert Laengrich
The article seems to want to link "right-wing extremists" with conservative evangelical Christians. The chart below compares the two
CEC. Right Wing Extremists 1. Supports Israel & Jews 1. Anti-Semitic 2. Racially integrated 2. White supremacy 3. Generally Pacifists 3. Prone to violence
Examination of the people who committed the domestic violence and you will find that they were not associated with evangelical Christianity.
Religion could well be the root cause for the death of this world.
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Funny that you think that since religion has a lot to do with our getting this far. My money is on the time when we run out of fossle fuel. Renewables will only support around one tenth of the current population. There may be no survivors of the battle that ensues.
According to Wikipedia, of the 1763 known recorded conflicts throughout history 123 have religion as the cause, so, many people have died and didn’t get this far.
Now that some radical religious countries are close to having nuclear capabilities, the next war could be the last the earth will see.
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Close?? Some already have that ability.
So 93% non religious wars. Radical religion is more radical than religious. True some nut with a nuke could do big damage. The difference post fossle fuel is that rebuilding will be less if at all possible.
We could always mount windmills to our cars and houses.
Brother Carl we would all be better of returning to the horse and buggy days a much slower pace of life, no high stress levels etc etc.
Reverend Dustin August 24, 2019 at 7:43 pm " ...returning to the horse and buggy days a much slower pace of life, no high stress levels etc etc. "
Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Geronimo all rode horses. 10 days without running water or a cheeseburger and it's all you would have in your head the moment it hits the pavement 20 stories below.
/s/
How much farther could we have gone if religious ideologies didn't interfere with scientific progress?
If not for the Dark Ages, humanity would have colonies on other worlds by now.
Kenneth & Anna Brown August 21, 2019 at 3:36 pm " How much farther could we have gone... "
Religion, like all else, when weaponized wielded horrific destruction on humanity. However in the hands of true believers it has allowed humanity to flourish. Faith in something greater than ourselves was borne from our darkest times when only ourselves wasn't enough. Faith(called hope, before any gods), before any science, moved us forward.
How much farther? Well, science has gifted us a global nuclear arsenal that can incinerate the earth twice over, and a godless president that thinks science is a lie. You tell me.
I can't imagine this planet "dying" for millions of years, and many civilizations will rise and fall before then, although it might take a while for the air to clear before the next one gets started.
Really? Have you read biblical prophecy and looked at current events recently?
Prophecy? Oh gawd...there are some in every generation for the last 2000 years.
"Of COURSE it will happen in MY lifetime, because Jesus wants to meet ME!"
Hubris.
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Really? Really? You embrace a progressive church that does not require "learning what (they) want you to learn", and you still want to go with the literal interpretation of the scriptures of the abrahamic religions?! Carl is right. Man does not have the capacity to stop Earth from existing. Only power to destroy ourselves. .....I think you are a bible thumping evangelist troll making feeble attempts to degrade the beautiful concept of a multidenominational chuch. Take your cherry picking ahole to an audience that wants to hear it. I.e. your local congregation of snake handlers, and other lunitics claiming their senseless babbling is (speaking in tongues) is somehow a message from god. Only nobody knows what it means. .....bottom line---this spiritual warfare nonsense is just that; b.s. ......the universe itself is alive and is "god". ........thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
This was in responce to Tim and his apocalyptic beliefs.
Nice! The universe IS alive and IS "god"! I hear loud applause and perhaps a standing ovation!!!!!
Religion (or lack of it) is not the problem. The belief that we are somehow different from one another is the problem. We need to think of ourselves as beams of light, individually connected to the source. All of us have the power of creation within ourselves. All of us are capable of changing the world, for the better, or for the worse. We need to concentrate on the kind of world we want, not what we don't want.
Instead of looking at any one person, or any one religion or group of people as "Other", we need to recognize that we are all one, and that placing blame on anyone or anything is not productive. If we waste our time feeling anything other than love for our fellow human beings, we won't have any left for affecting change. And by letting anger, despair or frustration enter our thoughts, let alone our actions, we're only contributing to those negative aspects of our collective experience on this Earth that we seek to change.
This doesn't mean that we need to accept actions within each other that poison our world, or injure other parts of our oneness. As when a cell in the human body goes rogue or becomes infected with an illness, problems created within those individual cells can have harmful effects on the body as a whole. As with any illness of the body, we have antibodies available to us to counteract the toxicity.
We need to BE those healing cells. We need to counteract hate with love. Anything we can do to promote the fact that we are ONE, and that hate is a fever threatening us all, is a step toward healing.
Giving a disease a name will not cure it, but identifying the symptoms of that disease and using them to diagnose what is attacking the body is the first step in the healing process. In this case, the disease already has a name. it's FEAR. Anger, despair, frustration and hate are only symptoms. The only cure is LOVE.
If we think of each other as spiritual antibodies, we should ask ourselves if we care about the body enough to surround fear with all the love needed to cast it out.
When I catch myself feeling afflicted by fear (it happens), I try to focus on alleviating the suffering of others, because that moves me from the mindset that I am separate from the rest of the body, and back to the clear understanding of connectedness the body needs in order for me to do the important work of healing.
I believe there is no limit to what we can do, when we combine our individual efforts in working toward a common goal, in this case, peace.
To affect peace, we must understand the nature of LOVE, which seeks to nurture our collective soul. And then we must put that love into ACTION.
Don't be a SLACKTIVIST. Tweeting your grievances without acting to alleviate them will not do anything but add to the grief in the world. Instead, ACT with the intention of loving the problem out of existence.
Peace is possible. You may think it will take a miracle. I believe in miracles. Let's work together to make it happen.
Amen
Thank you, may not inspire us all to go out and do good and find people different than us and get to know them as human beings and realize we are all the same and are all in this together.
Cyndi, it really is that simple. It is time for people to get their head out of the earth, lose the drama, and get back to loving each other; our neighbors, communities and nation. People for some reason think LOVE is a weakness. Fast forward to the year 2119 and beyond, what does our futures take away from our behaviors today? Will we be seen as primitive or progressive in our thinking? I pray the latter, but it appears we are living with an illusion that we are intelligent, one cannot deny that our actions are ridiculously primitive. Personally, I am embarrassed by the way my fellow humans are acting.
Also, there's too much noise, we are being bombarded with message overload, as money and power continues to be the fuel that dictates how we live, this constant noise annoying.
Peace is possible, and miracles do happen, it begins with the image one sees in the mirror everyday. Take care.
Cyndi, you have hit the nail on the head. Thank you! I wish everyone would come to understand this problem as you have very clearly put it. And i pray that we all can follow your recommendation as to how we can solve this problem and heal our world. Thank you!
Nicely said. Thank you. In hope it inspires many.
firs and foremost religion is another word for organization. Show in God's word where is states you must be, baptist,catholic etc. To be a child of God. It states in the the "where 2 or more are gathered in my name there i am also." It does not say anywhere in God's word that you must be apart of a specific religion to worst God. God was mistreated,abused,spit on,mocked and crucified on the cross. They did all those things to him. What makes any of us safe from the exact same things when God himself wasn't.?
"Show in God’s word"
Prove it's God's word before proclaiming it to be so. Remember to include actual evidence.
Failing that, remember to preface your claims with "I believe...".
You said it all, very eloquently. Thank you.
Lionheart..... I read that people like me will come and go.... but while I'm here.... I figured I'd speak up for those of us who believe there is only one LIVING God. Sure there are millions of little make believe gods.... and there are a lot of names for the one LIVING God..... but there is still only one LIVING God..... so.... that said....
Death in the world is not caused by Religion..... it's caused by humans who refuse to recognize God as the only LIVING God. The book of Isaiah [I'm at chapter 23] is pretty clear that God will absolutely put His plans on hold while a new crop of humans comes along that will do what God wants them to do.
He did it when the people were afraid to go into Canaan because someone told them there were Giants in Canaan..... and He did it again when He allowed the Babylonians to murder, rape, castrate, and/or enslave the people for 70 years.... that way He got a fresh crop of humans that weren't tainted by worldly crap.
Yes.... there's death at God's hand.... but ultimately.... humans are getting in the way while God is trying to help them out....
https://forums.somd.com/threads/isaiah-23-a-new-crop-of-humans.346123/
So.... religion.... not the cause.... humans thinking they are gods.... that's the cause.... humans only live so long.... so they can't be gods.... but they keep trying.....
Such ignorant bigotry.
To other faiths, your "one true LIVING God" is just another little make-believe god. And since you don't have any more evidence for your god than they have for the little ones... Stop making outrageous, bigoted claims you can't even support with evidence. It's childish.
Don is quite right. Your fallacious comment about your “one true LIVING god” which of course is no bigger than every one else’s one true living god, are all created by mankind.
As for your suggesting “humans are getting in the way while God is trying to help them out”, try telling that to children dying of bone cancer, or some other serious disease, or try telling that to children in Africa starving to death. Try telling that to victims of earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and tsunamis, which are all classed as “An act of God”.
The very simple reason he just sits back on his throne with his feet up while sipping a glass of Merlot and lets all these things happen is simply because he doesn’t exist. There’s a Nobel Prize waiting for anyone, including you, directortice, who can prove a god, any god, really exists.
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I had to tell my 17 year old that ovarian cancer took her chance to ever have her own babies...... we all have our Job moments.....
I see proof every day.... but I'm willing to accept the concept.
Sorry for your sorrow.....
I can
Humanity needs to wake up, and by that, I mean, realize that since we are Gods children, we also are His expression. Meaning, one in the same. I know many of you refuse to believe this notion, but I have trouble putting my faith into some guy that may or may not have existed. You are Jesus, You are Buddha. There are 4200 religions in the world and all believers think they are right. I believe humans are special, but that's about it. The bible is not a history lesson, but it is filled with Wisdom, and Symbolic Truth. Hope this makes sense.<3
Thank you for your thoughts. I believe that many of us are now awake, and more are becoming awake every day realizing that through logic, education, and reason, we are no more gods children than we are Krishna's children. If there's a Lord at all it's the Lord of Reason.
There are some items of wisdom in the Bible as there are in many books written by men. Likewise, there are some very stupid things in the Bible. In fact, I would. say there are more stupid things in the Bible than there are narratives of wisdom, as opposed to your statement saying that it is "filled with wisdom".
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It is a search for the God (dess) within us all; that causes sentience in a species. The feeling of being so connected and so very much LOVED, brings the healing peace to us all. My Loving Creator, does not care who you are, what you are or where you are, or what Name you call that Divine Deity by, just that you call out of Love.
I do not believe in organized religions. They try to define God who is infinite and cannot be limited, which all religion seek to do. When we are saved we become "new creatures". That was Jesus' true mission, to create a new species to supplant the existing human race. (For at least a thousand years.). Religions tend to devolve into a set of do's and don'ts whereas Jesus came to restore the relationship between God and humanity that was lost when humans tried to be smarter than God (in Eden).
You mean where God became frightened that his LIE was discovered, and kicked them out of the garden?
Genesis Chapter 3 - The serpent told the truth. God lied and got found out, then in fear kicked them out.
Know your Bible.
Lionheart August 12, 2019 at 2:45 pm " ...the root cause for the death of this world. "
The article makes quite clear this isn't about religion. The culture war bullets of religious ideology, abortion or money is the crumb trail for the simple to follow. This is about white relevance, national and global. It's about what race is in control and having a black man for president rose a fear unseen since Martin Luther King.
Religion. Hah