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| Jesus Christ - detail from Deesis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Of course, my fellow Democrats across the nation erupted in outrage. I yawned at the fist-pounding rhetoric reminiscent of Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe against President Kennedy in the 1960's. Apparently, shoe slapping is a popular anger release in many cultures.
Southern Baptist Pastor Dennis Terry said when he introduced Sen. Santorum: "I don't care what the liberals say, I don't care what the naysayers say, this nation was founded as a Christian nation...There is only one God and his name is Jesus. I'm tired of people telling me that I can't say those words.. Listen to me, If you don't love America, If you don't like the way we do things I have one thing to say - GET OUT. We don't worship Buddha, we don't worship Mohammad, we don't worship Allah, we worship God, we worship God's son Jesus Christ."
Caustic Christians are so far removed from what Jesus Christ taught that I'm immune to their constant propaganda because it sounds like the ravings of a mad man. Think current mad man like former Fox News conservative talk show host, Glenn Beck, who is clearly in need of medication to restore him to a sound mind.
Think of the ravings of the above quote from Dennis Terry. Clearly, he wants to control what Americans think, feel and how we worship. This country was founded upon religious freedom for all, not just Christians. And, no, Mr. Terry, this liberal Louisiana journalist blogger is not leaving. Neither is the rest of the country who knows what you said was erroneous at best and cruelly unacceptable at worst. Get used to your neighbors; we are all different, with different ideas, different religions: one America.
Every time I walk into a diner here in Louisiana there is Fox News on the TV blaring out political propaganda masquerading as fact. I roll my eyes and start a conversation at my table, loud enough for nearby tables to hear, about the real facts and how these guys are such manipulators of the public for personal financial gain. That usually perks up a few ears to start the thinking process. It's no wonder as to why God used to send out his roving prophets, telling them to inform the people of the land and set things right again.
I'd like to take the street cred for "converting" many former die hard Republican cult members into the Independent political column but we will have to wait for a Pew Research poll to confirm. :) I've only been hard at work on it for 14 years. It is one solitary occupation with bad hours, no recognition and zero support from the national party as they just take people like me for granted. But hey, at least on Google I get searched as "The Social Prophet," probably an amusing God Joke for validation and compensation.
As it is, my Democrats have not made the case for former Republicans to take up the Democrat's mantle. In fact, they completely blew it on the BP Oil Spill here on the red state Gulf Coast as that was an opportune time to attract new members into the political party. Instead, President Obama and the party buckled and played into the hands of BP, doing their bidding. Sad but true. The new oil rigs out in the Gulf of Mexico are testament to the recent additional oil leases generously given to BP.
Every time I walk into Mailboxes, Etc. to mail a package - or a UPS driver shows up at my doorstep - there is Hate Merchant Rush Limbaugh - or some conservative Louisiana radio host just like him - blaring out his racist, liberal-politics-hating, misogynistic venom.
That's when I ask the woman behind the UPS or Mailboxes counter why she values the opinion of a blowhard that does not value her. That straight forward questioning has been paying off across the nation as the female audience for Rush Limbaugh has melted away to practically zilch in the past ten years. You can see I've been hard at work here too. I sure do get around. :)
I am surrounded by a sea of hate here in Louisiana. Of course, then there's the understandable reverse racism I get blown back in my face almost daily. They are black folks who are fed up with the Republicans and their hate, feeling severely marginalized.
This is the crowd that automatically assumes every white and blonde female is also a Republican and therefore worthy of their mean and judgmental attitude. When I have the time I spend time with them to reassure them they are in no danger. I also clue them in that I was born a brunette but blonde is more fun these days since I'm an eclectic creative soul.
I take it in stride. OK, I pray for all these folks as they are lost souls in my book. Anyone who spends that much energy upon holding the focus of hating others for this reason or that is out of balance in Life. Life is too precious - and too much fun when done right - that why would you want to spend so much time hating or fearing the very people who could become your new best friend? Quality friendships are always just around the corner.
Pastors like this guy at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church should be ashamed of themselves for buying into the Hate Merchant Class. For some reason they have rationalized it is acceptable to God, and clear thinking decent people, that this rabid viciousness is a good thing. What a perverted mindset; one that is so sad it will judge itself. Satan can take a much needed vacation as all his work was already done for him.
Is it any wonder that the Southern Baptist Church as a whole has begun to finally question this selling of hate, racism, bigotry, misogyny? At the moment the top management is finally doing some serious soul-searching, courtesy of the Spirit of God.
Do you think it's foolish polarizing actions like Pastor Terry's that have all of America wondering about yanking the tax exempt status of churches? Caustic Christians have no place in politics. Caustic Christians have no place in America. Caustic Christians have no place in the Christianity of the real Jesus Christ.
To get technical, Jesus referred to this hating self-righteous attitude from Christians as the result of being a "fleshly Christian" and called his followers to learning how to ascend far higher and become a "spiritual Christian."
What Jesus taught is that as long as you choose to hate, there is no room for love in your heart. If you do not love, then you cannot truly get to know God. While still choosing to hate you can know about God but cannot relate to, understand and love God. If Jesus were standing in front of you today, he would say you were completely clueless as to the fullness of his teachings. (That's the kind version.)
Too many pastors have overstepped their boundaries of their pastoral office as evidenced by Dennis Terry here in Baton Rouge. These self-righteous pastors, so full of hate for so many, seem to forget there are other offices in the spiritual church above them. Pastors are nothing but the more publicly visible middle management in the Christian church system.
The spiritual top management are real prophets and real apostles of Jesus Christ that exist everywhere on the planet, and in every generation, though they usually keep a low profile. Do not make the mistake of assuming they are not taking notice. Do not make the mistake of assuming they do not possess the spiritual authority for a course correction involving said hating pastors leading the flock away from the true teachings of Jesus Christ: LOVE your neighbor.
Christians, and other spiritual people of any religion - or not affiliated, decent people of good character, who reject this selling of hate against fellow human beings, should join together into one voice and reject the hate. These are nothing but religious bullies whether they are Caustic Christians in America or Islamic terrorists in other countries.
They all sell the same wrong product: hate. Stand up against hate today, tomorrow and every day. Refuse to allow a culture of hate to exist in your world, your church, your family and your country.
Greenwell Springs Baptist Church pastor Dennis Terry introduces Rick Santorum
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