A Real Christian is not a Christianist!
A recent blogger has posited the notion that extremism resides within the church in North America. To this end, I believe we need to realign our semantic relationship as regards some of these aforementioned church-goers. Yes, we often hear about the christian right in the U.S. - especially the ones in the midwestern states. To wit, the intelligent design espousing, homosexual harrasing crowd; those sure-as-hellfire denizens of the homeland who need the added "security"; the oft-flaky demographic that even Cheney - allegedly - calls " the crazies."
Yes, you know them, you have seen them. The ones with the shiny eyes: the very ones who believe they have "dominion over [all] the fish in the sea and over [all] the fowl of the air" (and are therefore going to shoot every thing in sight.) The milieu who think that the world is only several thousand years old, and that dinosaurs and mastadons are a satanic conspiracy?
Yes, you say. The christians.
Wrong. Not christians at all. The fact that they give themselves this moniker is of no concern to me. As far as I am concerned, they are about as far from being like Jesus Christ, spiritually, as Rhode Island is from being near Alpha Centuri, geographically.
These people are CHRISTIANISTS. I am not sure who first coined the term (I did see it used in "Savage Love," though, so that's good enough a pedigree for me!!)
In the spirit of Voltaire, I believe pretty much everything is okay as far as free speech goes. I just do not like unhelpful descriptors. As jars of peanut butter and jam have content descriptions and nutritional information, so should religion or ideology.
A true Christian is someone who seeks to emulate Jesus the Christ by spreading love and tolerance about the hearts of human beings. A Christian seeks to use her art as a warrior of peace to assail the realpolitik and the heal the biosphere...
A Christian organization is not, therefore, one that will condone bigotry, pedagogy, misogyny, plunder or the absolute and unalterable obscenity of war.
At this juncture I must point out, I have been lucky insofar as I have been able to visit many powerfully peaceful Christian churches and Quaker meeting houses in my time on this planet.
Essentially Mahondas "Mahatma" Gandi said it the most succinctly when he proclaimed, quote, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
If only he had the word christianist at his disposal! Sisters and brothers, we now have a new neologism at hand. I believe it needs to be used. Yet may it be used wisely.
Peace, love and kindness to you all.
It would be prudent to also
It would be prudent to also add that this extremism isn't just within Christian realms. I have met Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Islamics, Hindus, and more, who are both extreme and those who are more Christ-like.
Wielding the sword with a broad-brush I've learned is quite dangerous. In the blog-entry where I stated there exists extremism in North American churches, was a tailing sentence that also commented on extremism in the middle-east. It wasn't so much a means of picking on anyone, it was actually picking on all of us.
Extremism shows its' ugly head outside of religious and spiritual realms as well. We see it in business, we see it in activism, and how about that: We see it with virtually every ism that exists.
I share this with two goals in mind. One is to add my perspective and point to what I originally wrote, and two, to offer a balanced perspective that takes some of the sting off the Christian shoulders, and back onto the shoulders of society at large where it rightly belongs. It is in the art of communication and seeking understanding that we can repair the damage that has been done by all world religions, misguided political agendas, and corporate irresponsibilities - to which we all have contributed.
Best wishes, Lee
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Lee Down is a professionaly trained Coach committed to the awakening and development of the human spirit. In this capacity, and as a Spiritual Teacher or Guide, One Man Can wants to inspire and empower your life, your relationships, an