Onward, Christianist soldiers? | csmonitor.com

The religious right has more clout than most, no doubt. Each day it sems like they get bolder and more brash, but I'd like to ask three things.

First, are these people really christian? They seem to have abandoned all moral duties and sympathies in favor of a very streamlined agenda (the formation of Americaq into a christian state). Can we really say their ideology has anything to do with traditional christianity? Personally, I say no.

Second, are these peopel growing in power? I've heard conflicting reports, but what I do know is church membership & attendance is declining. What I also know is that the most vocal members of these groups are the strict, hardline fundamentalists. Are their ranks growing as other groups' influence is shrinking?

These people are not Christians... These people, also known as Evangelicals are simply a political / economic movement. Their goal is to rise to power and turn America into a Theocracy. They want to strip us of our rights, keep us under control, and make a lot of money in the process. That's why I am always arguing so hard against them on here.

You will notice that they are the ones who like to obfuscate the issues by asking me why I hate Christians. No matter how much I tell them I don't hate Christians, they continue to bring it up despite the fact that many of my closest friends on here (RHS, OtF, OD, NB, Jaaaman) are all Christians...

It is crucial to the Evangelical movement that we believe they are Christians, the sad thing is that all they are doing is damaging the reputation of good Christians around the world...

I think Tad is right. These people are in line with the New American Century and have damaged the image of good Christians, that actually follow Christ's teachings.
I think thier power is pretty well seated in our current government.

Even Buddhists believe in many of Christ's teachings. Christ was a bodhisatva... The problem is the Evangelical act contrary to Christs teachings.

Okay let me tell you what I believe I know about this "movement"...

First, the Bible does say that man was to "take dominion" over the earth. Okay, that is truly, I believe meaning not to dominate so much as to take care of it. To be good stewards of life, of the environment.

Well then we move on into the New Testament and we find passages that tell us that as Christ is, so we are in the world. I believe that. I believe that IF we are going to believe Jesus lives in our hearts, that we are then by that spiritual synergy meant to impact our world with the character of Christ. But you see, there are again, Christians who take that to mean something bigger. They say Jesus is the King and so they want to demonstrate His Kingship and impose His Kingdom in the world today.

And to many believers, that all sounds good. I mean, heck, why not work to establish a Divine Kingdom, right?

But the problem aisi is how there seems to be a zeal that is not from Jesus, but from a lower nature in man. It seems born out of approbation lust and greed, a desire to control and gain a visible difference in wealth and power over the rest of the people. And if calling it a Divine Mission, playing the God Card gets it done, well, then, amen.

But I do believe there is a precedent in the life of Christ that is being ignored by this group. Jesus came and ended up wearing a crown of thorns. He is said to be coming back and will then wear a crown of visible glory on the earth. How come it is that these dominionists want to skip the wearing of the crown of thorns on their heads, and go right for the glory? If following the sequential example of The Lord, it seems they are missing out on being a servant and being humble...and not only trying to take away from the rest of humanity the equity and freedom each person is meant to possess, but they are even taking away from Jesus.

And how come Jesus never addressed politics? He simply said "Give to Caesar what is his and to God what is His. " Seems that is a clear separation of Church and State.

OD

In contrast to his modern day followers, Jesus seemed to be politically aloof. He obviously tried hard to get converts, but he never actually tried to organize political resistance to the Romans. The whole "Give to caesar" thing actually suggests that he condoned the ancient Roman government, no matter how amoral it was. Personally, I think his goal was personal enlightenment, not social change.

Still, this extreme level of faith is, I feel, established by aggressive proselytization to people seeking some sort of purpose in life. Especially in Ohio, membership in conservative christian sects is growing because people are so disillusioned by the decay of their industrial might. Every job available has been outsourced. Now, people in desperation turn to the easiest source, an entity that they cannot sense but to whom they may place faith. In essence, they're turning to someone for companionship in a time of need and are drawn deeper and deeper into the organizations. It's a "come for the comfort, stay for the philosophy" mindset.

Then, they can't get out because these groups so polarize society that people are with them or against them. Many of these groups are so exclusive that they disdain Catholics, even the more conservative ones. If they question the rigid system, then they are ostracized, so they stay silent out of fear.

Yeah, I mean, look at how humble and selfless he was and how he didn't even object to his own death sentence. Now look at people like Jerry Falwell who have billion dollar media empires, huge houses, cars, suits, and other luxuries. Does it make sense that somebody who tries to make himself into the image of his god should act so conversely to him? The christian right is a sham.

Now we're learning the important lesson...

Something that clicked with me was something similar to what OhDear said: "Jesus within our hearts".

Now comparing Christianity and Buddhism again, there are some similarities. In the Zen schools of Buddhism, there is the idea that within every human mind exists a deep, underlying "Buddhanature" -- a nature of compassion, gentleness, understanding. Our minds, having been karmically conditioned by previous lives, are like a muddy pond. If you just stir the pond, you only make the pond murkier. However, let the pond settle, let it be still, and the pond will turn clear and 'reveal' the golden mind -- the underlying, inherant Buddhanature in all of this.

We just need to learn to still the mind so that we may truly see, and bring forth the compassionate, gentle Buddhanature in all of us.

Now, Jesus's physical died 2,000 years ago, but what did Jesus represent? What was he the embodiment of? He was God-made-flesh, just as the Buddha can be seen as Dharma-made-flesh. Jesus was the physical embodiment of compassion, gentleness and understanding. He was very much like the Buddha, my understanding is. To have Jesus within our hearts, is to dilligently practise, everyday, the nature of Jesus, what Jesus means.

Hold Jesus in your heart and Buddha in your mind, and reveal the true nature from deep within.