Chickenhawk is a political epithet used in the United States criticize somebody who strongly supports a war or other military action (i.e., a War Hawk), yet who actively avoided military service when of age. The term is meant to indicate that the person in question is cowardly or hypocritical for personally avoiding combat in the past while advocating that others go to war in the present. Generally, the implication is that "chickenhawks" lack the experience, judgment, or moral standing to make decisions about going to war. The term is not applied to those who avoided military service without subsequently adopting a hawkish political outlook. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney: King of the Chickenhawks Ted Nugent: He claims that 30 days before his Draft Board Physical, he stopped all forms of personal hygiene. The last 10 days he ingested nothing but junk food and Pepsi, and a week before his physical, he stopped using the bathroom altogether, virtually living inside his pants caked with excrement and urine. That spectacle won Nugent a deferment. Mitt Romney: He claimed that he was a minister of religion to get out of Vietnam. He went to be a missionary in France. George W. Bush: He was flying planes in the middle of the country not in Vietnam, which he brags about, which is sad and pathetic. Rush Limbaugh: Had a Pilonidal cyst on his ass which is true, and he used that to get out of Vietnam and said that he couldn't sit on it, and now he sits on his ass for a living. Dick Cheney: This guy had five deferments. He said that "I had other priorities in the '60s than military service." Really? People were killed in war and this guy had other priorities? Newt Gingrich: Choosing to obtain deferments granted to college students and fathers, Gingrich did not enlist in the military, and was not drafted during the Vietnam War. He expressed some regret about that decision in 1985, saying, "Given everything I believe in, a large part of me thinks I should have gone over." He stayed in college longer to get out of Vietnam. Tom Delay: Said that he couldn't go to Vietnam because the minorities took his spot? Really? Henry Kissinger: Kissinger's take on our brave men and women in uniform? "Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy." -- Henry Kissinger, as quoted in "The Final Days" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in chapter 14. Page 194 in the paperback version (1995). Kissinger has never denied saying it. Chickenhawk Bios by Cesar Perez, member of The Christian Left ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
Jesus' commands to love and care for others were given as universals, without exempting any human organizations or institutions. All human institutions, governments and businesses included, are responsible to care for others --- especially since individual or private charity can never be or do enough. I created and wrote this list after reading this article from "Soulforce" a while back. I've saved this list on my computer for use in response to right-wing bigots who often condemn homosexuality by misusing the Bible in order to support their own hatred. Here it is: FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE AND HOMOSEXUALITY: 1.) Leviticus is an ancient Jewish cleanliness code, and does not apply to Christians. It only applies to observant, orthodox Jews. It also bans shellfish, football on Saturdays, sleeping with a woman who's on her period, and mixing fabrics. 2.) Sodom was destroyed for inhospitality and its maltreatment of the poor. Not because of homosexuality. The crime in Sodom was attempted rape -- not homosexuality. 3.) The Ten Commandments say NOTHING about homosexuality. 4.) Jesus says NOTHING about homosexuality. 5.) NO PART of the Bible mentions homosexuality AS WE KNOW IT TODAY! 6.) Paul, in writing to the Romans, was upset because people were using Temples for orgies -- NOT because of the TYPE of orgies or the TYPE of sex which was occurring. 7.) Even Christians believe that sex is for MORE than just procreation. It is a HUMAN way of expressing love, affection, and desire. 8.) The word, "homosexuality", did NOT even exist at the time the Bible was written. 9.) The current-day versions of the Bible CANNOT be taken literally because there are SO many versions and SO many interpretations of it. The Bible must be INTERPRETED and read, prayerfully and thoughtfully ... NOT literally. 10.) In short, the BIBLE and JESUS do NOT condemn the loving act of homosexuality, when it occurs in a non-exploitative way, between two consenting adults, who are not related by blood. 11.) GRAB A CLUE! Graham Bengen -- Member of The Christian Left For the most scholarly, the most authoritative, and the most entertaining theological essay out there on the Bible and homosexuality check out "Clobbering 'Biblical' Gay Bashing," by Rev. Mark Sandlin Numbers 5 11 Then the LORD said to Moses, 12 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him 13 so that another man has sexual relations with her, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act), 14 and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure—or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure— 15 then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour olive oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder-offering to draw attention to wrongdoing. 16 “‘The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the LORD. 17 Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. 18 After the priest has had the woman stand before the LORD, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder-offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you. 20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”— 21 here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the LORD cause you to become a curse[d] among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.” “‘Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.” 'Abortion' is far from a 'cut and dry' issue in the Bible. Jesus said nothing about abortion. Nothing. If it was such a big important sin, you would think he would've at least mentioned it. The bottom line is that the political and religious right have used the abortion debate as a cash cow and a rallying point for the rest of their policies of death. We're not falling for it any longer. Neither should you.
For further reading, check out The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, "Perspectives." Also, be sure and read our comprehensive piece on the topic: Life is a mystery ... Agnosticism: While not really a "theism" in its suffix, it is still in this category because this is a doctrine that affirms to the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge or higher powers. Basically, an "I don't know" type of situation; an Agnostic is on the fence about higher deities. There may or may not be a Supreme Being but no one can prove it either way as of yet. Allotheism: this is the belief or worship of strange Gods. However, what is strange to one person may be normal to another. To define oneself as believing in allotheism would indeed be strange, this is most likely a term applied to someone else when their Gods are not understood. Animism: This is a belief that all natural things (objects, phenomena, and the universe itself) have souls or a spirit. It is also the belief in spiritual beings or agencies or a doctrine that the soul is the principle to health and life. Atheism: the prefix means "non" in this case (think asexual) and means a disbelief in any supreme beings or any form of God. Deism: this is best explained as either a belief in a God based on the evidence of reason or nature with rejection of supernatural evaluation. It may also mean a belief that God (s) exist but that they don't take part of our lives or that they created the world but are now indifferent to it. Ditheism, Duo-theism or Bitheism: Di, Duo or Bi, meaning two, is the belief that there are two Gods of equal power such as in the religion known as Wicca that believes in male and female, known as the God and Goddess or Lord and Lady. Ditheism can also be said to be a belief in two antagonistic forces such as an inherently "good" God and an inherently "bad" God. By this definition Christianity could be considered Ditheistic with its beliefs in Satan and God rather than as a monotheistic religion. Note: Duo-theism is used incorrectly, it is not a real word and the closest word to it is "dualism" which does not necessarily pertain to religion doctrines. John R Robison: the definition of "bitheism" or what ever is incorrect in that in orthodox Christianity Satan isn't as powerful as God. If one takes a reading of Job properly, Satan isn't even God's adversary. Cheryl Chambers Anway: Nice but the idea of duo-theism being "By this definition Christianity could be considered Ditheistic with its beliefs in Satan and God rather than as a monotheistic religion." is incorrect. It states that the gods would be equal-- good and evil. Since we think of Satan as pretunatural in nature rather than supernatural, like God, he is not equal. He is evil, but not equal. Michael Phillips: John R might be describing dualism, an accurate term in describing some forms of Christianity where there is good / evil; light / darkness. However, there are texts which suggest bitheism, i.e., the 'god of this world' = satan. Sooo, like many things, it depends on whose ox is being gored, which axe is being sharpened, which "orthodoxy" is being defended or assaulted, in turn. The definition conflating pantheism with panentheism is also incorrect -- pantheism is god is everything and everything is god, but panentheism says all that is in the cosmos is in God, but there is more to God than all that is in the cosmos. In other words, panentheism has a god that envelops / includes, but does not end at the margins of what is enveloped / included... Paul Murdock: God created the angels, Lucifer is a fallen angel, and therefore cannot be equal to God in that a creation is less than the creator..... Dystheism or Maltheism: That God or the Gods do exist but that they are all evil. Egotheism or Autotheism: this is the doctrine of God's self-existence or the dedication and worship in oneself; self-worship. Hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good a person can achieve; it is a devotion to maintaining personal pleasure as a way of life. Henothism: this may be defined as belief in more than one God, but that only one is supreme. Also to be used in the case of tribes or families who worship one God but don't deny the existence of others. Ancient polytheistic religions held beliefs similar to this, such as acknowledging that others had Gods but they did not worship them but instead worshipped the ones of their own culture. This was a common theme in the "Hercules" and "Xena" TV shows in which they often spoke of a race of people's other Gods but worshipped their own. Hulo- or Hylotheism: this is the philosophical doctrine that identifies a God or Gods with that of matter. Worshipping a tree or a stone might be two examples, perhaps this is what the 10 commandments meant in stating that idolatry is a sin: worshipping an object is not really a religion, but according to this theism it is. Kathenotheism: similar to Henotheism, this is the belief of more than one God but that only one at a time should be worshipped; each is supreme in its turn. Greek and Roman mythology could be said to follow this. The people of ancient Greece and Rome believed in all of the Gods of their people, but worshipped each one in turn depending on the requests or needs they had. Misotheism: this is a doctrine that does not deny a God (s) existence, but rather is just an outright hatred of the God (s). It makes me wonder what has happened to a person that a plain and simple hatred has developed for all or any Gods. Monolatry: this doctrine is a little confusing, or rather it is a little like multiple personality disorder. This is the belief in more than one God but that they are all expressions of the supreme God. In my opinion, to believe in this sounds rather like one God but he has many faces or personalities. I tell people that while my husband and I might work together as one unit, being a married couple, but that we are still our own unique persons and individuals. Monotheism: this is the most common belief, that of one God. Christianity, Muslim, Catholicism and Judaism are such examples of Monotheism. Donald Calvin Joseph Rice: i'm not catholic, but under the Monotheism description, i find it a bit insulting to list "Christianity....Catholicism" as if Catholics are not Christians. let's not give credence to that old evangelical protestant canard. being orthodox, i've had the same "charge" against me, too. Thomas Prus: I'm a bit put off by this: "Christianity, Muslim, Catholicism and Judaism are such examples of Monotheism." Islam is the religion, Muslims are its adherents. Catholicism is one form of Christianity. I know the post isn't original, but this is a mistake. Panatheism: this is the belief that because there is no God then nothing can be termed as a sacred or holy object. The statues, the places deemed holy, the artifacts such as the Holy Grail; all of these are just objects or places with no inherent holy value. Pantheism, Panentheism or Cosmotheism: the belief that the universe is part of God and God is part of the universe; they are equivalent. God is the transcendent of reality and the matter and humans in the universe are only manifestations. It denies God's personality but identifies God with nature. seeing_the_light, from Reddit.com: Pantheism and Panentheism shouldn't be lumped together, as Panentheism just says that God is ubiquitous, immanent and interpenetrates every part of nature, whereas Pantheism says that God is nature. It is an important distinction. Orthodox, for example, are Panentheists, but not Pantheists. Polytheism: this is the belief that many Gods or Goddess exist. This is sometimes known as paganism, or any religion that is not monotheistic or non-abrahamic. Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Celtic and Native American are a few examples of polytheism. Tritheism: the prefix, tri, means three and this is the belief that the three persons of the trinity are three distinct Gods, each one is an independent center of consciousness and determination. An example of a trinity is best known in Christianity with the belief in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Wicca also has a trinity of the 3 phases of the Goddess; Maiden, Mother and Crone. In Christianity the three people in the trinity are not viewed as separate beings but 3 in 1. However, in Wicca, the three are viewed as separate beings and represented by three different Goddesses. outsider, from Reddit.com: Trinity isn't tritheism. It's one God who is three persons. Not three gods. Source: Defining the Types of Theism If you have any Theism jokes that aren’t mean, please share them. Here’s one: Q: Did you hear about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac? A: He stayed up all night wondering if there really was a dog. A satirical illustration of other “isms”: Note on Tyler Durden: Tyler Durden is a character in the novel, "Fight Club," by Chuck Palahniuk. Tyler is a charismatic, yet nihilistic anarcho-primitivist who despises consumer culture. He frequently describes and acts on his aversion to mass society, materialism, property, capitalism, and almost all technology and social order, going as far as vowing to annihilate civilization itself. Tyler's desired utopia is a neo-paleolithic paradise established in the post-apocalyptic ruins of industrial civilization. "Because of his nature," Tyler works night jobs where he sabotages companies and harms clients. He also steals left-over drained human fat from liposuction clinics to supplement his income through soap making and create the ingredients for bomb manufacturing, which will be put to work later with his fight club. He is the co-founder of Fight Club, as it was his idea to instigate the fight that led to it. He later launches Project Mayhem, from which he and the members commit various attacks on consumerism. Tyler is blonde, as by the narrator's comment "in his everything-blonde way". The unhinged but magnetic Tyler becomes the antagonist of the novel later in the story. -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_Club#Tyler_Durden
Endnote: With all the "Theisms," and "isms" out there, the one thing that made the difference for us was Jesus. He provided a walking, talking example of everything we wouldn't expect from an all-powerful God, but everything we would want. Things like humility, love, sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness, and a thousand other things. If it wasn't for Jesus, we can honestly say we wouldn't be Christians. Because of him, we are. At an ecumenical gathering, an Orthodox Christian, a Catholic, and an Episcopalian were standing in a large room that had a burnt out light in the ceiling above. The director of the gathering came into the room and asked the three if they could get the light bulb changed. The Episcopalian said: “Well, we can form a committee, study the issue for 10-15 years, publish a communique, and get it changed then.” The Catholic said: “Well, what we can do is send the information to the Vatican, where a papal body will investigate the claims made of the need to change this light bulb, and after about 500-600 years, the Pope will call an Ecumenical Council and ask the Bishops of the Church to vote on the findings. If it gets that far, the light bulb will be changed.” The Orthodox, looking a bit befuddled, said: “What is this ... ‘change?’” Kathleen Schultz Heard: it as “How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?”----same punch line. Colin Leach: Alternatively for the Orthodox: “The Orthodox changed the light bulb, but only after consulting the Venerable Barsanophius of the Holy Mountain and discovering that patristic tradition says it is permissible to change lights at all other times except during Great Lent, Advent, and the Apostles’ Fast.” Kate Nolan: In the meantime, a nun just changed the bulb and moved on to other work. David Cheung: Being Orthodox, I find that funny. erhrm...IS AN OUTRAGE!!! Paula Trietsch Chaney: And along came a United Methodist who recognized the darkness, changed the light bulb and provided light for all. Caitlin ‘Cake’ Gateaux: And the Charismatic changed the bulb since his hands were already up there any way. Lauren Leach-Steffens: I’m a Quaker, and we didn’t notice that the bulb was burned out, because we sat in a circle and focused on the Inner Light. Donna Stephens: Meanwhile, the Unitarian Universalists had an evening discussion group on whether there was a way to find out if the light bulb wanted to be changed, if change was possible, if change would actually be a good thing, and finally decided that the matter was pressing enough that they held a vote and their congregation unanimously resolved that it would only buy fair trade coffee in future. Laura Boustani: Oh....I just saw Donna’s post. Right on the money! Well, and once they decide to make the change, they’d change ALL the light bulbs to make sure all light bulbs are treated equally. Renee L. Orth: You all forgot about the Methodist potluck right after to celebrate the changing of the bulb! Jerod J Husvar: The Zen Buddhist sat and contemplated the need for light. The agnostic decided that there might be a bulb to change, but couldn’t pick one. Kevin J. Rice: The Unitarian wanders into the room and overhears this. He leaves, drives his Prius to the hardware store, buys an LED bulb, comes back and replaces the Bulb, knowing that you must be the change you want to see in the world. He then invites them over to a pot luck with some Jews and Buddhists so they can talk starting a neighborhood soup kitchen. Sue Tathwell Wille: Also forgot the Presbyterians standing by to make sure it’s all done Decently and in Order. The Christian Left: Renee, The Lutherans will bring a Jell-O sculpture to the potluck. ;) Kevin Stohlman: AND beer. Floyd Miller: The Amish man asked, “What’s a light bulb?” Charles Vladimir Fee: Potluck? OM NOM NOM NOM. Marty Veltkamp: We always joke about the Christian Reformed elders wondering what “change” was, too! Marty Veltkamp: Hilarious! This is the best post you guys have done yet! We desperately need to laugh at ourselves. Aunt Meldy: Why wasn’t an Independent Catholic invited? Steve Fay Old: Mayor Daily, a priest, and a rabbi were adrift in a lifeboat way out in the middle of Lake Michigan. They had so little food left that they came to realize that all three would starve before either another craft found them or they drifted to shore, if they shared it, but that one might live, if the other two of them volunteered to swim away and let the Lord’s will be done. So they decided to take a vote on who should remain in the boat. A stub of pencil was found, and a slip of paper was torn in three. And when the votes were counted, Mayor Daily won: 15-1-1. Terrie Huff Warren: and an evangelical would have passed laws against the evils of electricity - the Devil’s Magic! Matt Donnell: Very good! But let’s not beat around the bush here. Change “Orthodox” to” Evangelical”, and then it will be understood by even - well, the Evangelicals! Cindy Tony: As an orthodox Christian...that was a good one :) Jennifer McNulty: Then Jesus showed up and said “ I am the light! Start the Feast of Cana! Or the potluck, whatever ya got goin’ on...” Charles Williams: must be with the Orthodox, then. the line here is ‘how many Vermonters does it take to change a light bulb? four. one to change the bulb and three to sit around and talk about how good the old one was.’ Cory M. Warren: you forgot the fundamentalist, who blamed the bulb burning on gays and women working outside the house. Kevin J. Rice: ... and then a Hindu showed up, knew that Divali was coming up, and replaced the light fixture with a massive candelabra of all different color bulbs. Marian L Shatto: Moravians would ask our Archivist to check what Zinzendorf and Spangenburg might have said about it. Receiving an affirmation of the process, we would then submit a written request to the Board of Trustees to be forwarded to the head sexton, who would assign one of his assistants to complete the task, after which the pastor would write a 15 verse hymn about the new light and we would celebrate with a Love feast. Hugh Elwood: And the Baptist said, “Nope! Changin’ a light bulb looks too much like dancin’!” Kate Cabot: As an Episcopalian, I would differ on this. Our church would have had a pot luck to get a work crew together, followed by a “Blue Jeans Sunday” where the work crew would all have discussed changing the light bulb, followed by an hour and a half spent looking for the big ladder that the sexton used the last time but then put away in another part of the basement after the fall fair-- eventually the rector would change the light bulb anyway, cause he’s the only one who knew where the ladder was. Keith Oatman: and the progressive Christian asked where the stepladder and fresh light bulbs were. Susan Kelly Caldwell: The Unitarian Universalist version I heard has the light bulb issue passing through a number of committees and covenant groups, including the RE Committee, who want safe, sufficient lighting for the children, the pagan group, who prefer the natural light, the Green Sanctuary committee who do a study of light bulb energy efficiency. Finally the Light Bulb Issue becomes the topic of a congregation-wide small-group visioning process, and at some point during all of it, a renter changes the bulb. Susan Kelly Caldwell: Oh, and one morning, a Catholic priest and a Buddhist monk were having breakfast together. The priest suddenly looked into the tub of heart-healthy butter substitute and said, “God be praised! I see the face of Jesus!” The monk looked into the tub and said, “I can’t believe it’s not Buddha!” Ba-DUMP-bump! Lynne Cole: As one who grew up Episcopalian, went to Catholic school and wound up Methodist in the reddest of the Bible Belt red states, let me say ... BAAAHAAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAA! Robert J. White: As an Episcopalian, I must agree with Kate, though at my parish we would most certainly involve any number of frosty malt beverages, at which point someone would forget where the light bulb went to, then the senior warden would change the whole light fixture.... Chef Lee Panache: My Episcopalian pastor used to joke that our emergency fire instructions were to “form a grand procession and march out.” Joyce Sheldon McKnight: And the Mennonite pulled a light bulb out of his toolkit, reached up and changed it! Ellen Harvischak: Thank- you Lord that it wasn’t a Polish joke this time!! :) Anne Dachel Risen: But how many Lutherans would it take to change the light fixture? ten! one to change it, and 9 to stand and shake their head saying that the old one was good enough and would have worked just fine. The Christian Left: Michele Bachmann would write a Bill to forbid the impediment of her freedom to make the choice of whether or not to change the light bulb at all! We will update this blog at the end of each week with the best troll comments from the week. Pop some popcorn. Put the kids to bed. This is gonna be good. "Instead of calling this The Christian Left why don't you call it SATAN'S FOLLOWERS !!!!! UNLESS YOU personally know Jesus you really have no business discussing Him...that's like talking about your neighbors that you never met...GOSSIP is what all this is...nasty, evil gossip...and spewing the lies of the devil himself...Jesus is about faith and not religion because religion is man made...." -- T. Purcell, 04-29-2012 “Where is the dislike button? Please don't call yourself a Christian group when you disagree with what The Christ taught. Since Jesus Is God and God repeatedly says He abhors homosexuality. And He also says He is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. How can you then say homosexuality is not a sin? He would say the same to any homosexual today as the woman caught in adultery. He forgave her, but then He said to her ‘Go and sin no more.’ If you call sin good you are deceiving yourselves. Quit using Christ in your name when you have nothing to do with Him.” -- S.M. Houser, 05-11-2012 Richard Crawford: Take away money from the poor.
Jay Hughes: Murder. Jason M Dye: fight the poor. Emily Expat-Wannabe: They tell people the reason they don't have what they've prayed for is a result of their lack of faith or disobedience to God. That can make people feel VERY bad! Jason M Dye: Christian book/supply stores. Michaela Whitton: 'covertly' try to control other people’s behavior by quoting scripture.. Patrick McGranahan: This reminds me of those unsolicited "Prayer Requests" amongst the gossip circles as a method of cattily disbursing rumors and hearsay about others. "I want to pray for Bill...I heard he's back on the bottle!" Don Richardson: Vote Republican. Patrick McGranahan: Here's another one which occurred in a children's ministry meeting: A: "I have a friend who is a professional actor and he'd love to come speak with the kids' drama group!" B: "That sounds great! Just make sure he's not gay." (un-embellished I assure you) Robin McQueen Mattingly: Shun a family member who isn't Christian. Don Richardson: Listen to really bad "Christian" music. The Christian Left from Roger Wolsey: *Purchase Precious Moments figurines. *Spend lots of money in Branson, MO. *Enable the addictions of televangelists to expensive suits and cars. *Tell homosexuals that they aren't okay the way they are. ...*Condone wars - unjust ones even. .. not necessarily, in that order. Carlos Thorne: The things Republicans do, because of it, although it must be some other Christianity they follow. A religion of theirs that probably Hitler followed too. Don Richardson: Read those God-awful "Left Behind" novels. Side note from The Christian Left: “The Rapture” is made-up hogwash and isn’t in the Bible. Jesus is coming back once. No encores. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-r-coats/whats-real-about-the-rapt_b_716688.html Don Richardson: Stop thinking. The Christian Left: "Yes, regarding (your sin here), God will not be mocked! ... and never mind about my sins. That's not the point." Rick Seelhoff: Think Christians are better than others. Lorraine Verdieck: My favorite is how Bush became know as the 'family values' candidate in the 2004 election, because he was against abortion. ( A Catholic priest where I worked said "A vote for John Kerry is a vote for the devil")... Then he goes and starts a war and bombs the Iraqis, killing millions of innocent people! And STILL has conservative Christian approval!!! Leslie Saverino: Form a committee to form a committee???!! (Technically, this is organized church lameness, but it has always been one of the most comical & frustrating aspects of Christian living for me.) Tim Wilkins: Defend pagan holidays like Christmas and Easter by insisting they are Christian holy days. The Christian Left: "(Your sin here) is AN ABOMINATION! (My sin here), isn't so bad." Don Richardson: Somehow manage to convince themselves that the world is 6000 years old and humans co-existed with dinosaurs, as seen on the Flintstones. (O.k., I'll stop now). Andrew Carter: Burn witches. The Christian Left: @Don, no need to stop. Bring it all on Brother! Tim Wilkins: Practice hatred toward GLBT while proclaiming love for them. Valerie Bock: Pray publicly, for people (not God) to see them; pass judgment on all who come before them. Don Richardson: "And what do we burn, apart from witches?" "MORE WITCHES!!" Jason M Dye: *sigh* the whole pagan/christian holiday shtick is old (it can be both), but what really gets me going is the "War on Christmas" and "Jesus is THE reason for the season" Diane Flath: Do whatever they want to others and then claim it's ok for them to do it because "Jesus forgives me!" Len Flett: Avoid the red letter verses of the Bible like the plague... Valerie Bock: And my personal favorite ... Cite Old Testament lessons as excuses, any time that the New Law interferes with their immediate desire to have what they want, to hate who they want, or to harbor ill will toward others. Jason M Dye: Create museums that celebrate inanity of their "science" (i know. i was just there a couple weekends ago), and theme parks that parade such events as The Passion. Don Richardson: Put fish decals on their SUVs. Don Richardson: Ask, "WWJD?" - and then do everything but. Michaela Whitton: Sigh and use 'The Fall' as an excuse not to do anything Tim Williamson: Build mega churches while people starve around the world. The Christian Left: Make excuses for their own sin (or that of a friend or family member), but refuse to do the same (forgive) for people they don't know. Don Richardson: On a similar note to Michaela's, use Jesus' statement that "the poor are with you always" as an excuse not to do anything about it. Don Richardson: Hate Muslims. Jason M Dye: also backpacking on Michaela's statement, using, "Nothing will be fixed until Jesus comes back and destroys everything," as an excuse to not fix anything. JenniferBaggerplease Woodroff: Demonize progressive Christians. Crap on the social Gospel. Push gays and lesbians out of their congregations. Stage power plays, saying it's for the good of the parish. Place security on the front steps of the Church to keep the poor out. Jocelyn Eudy Bankos: Kick people out of church because they are sinners. Danelle: Aw Pro-Life and Pro Death Penalty...doesn't compute for me. Keith Goss: Ask people if they are saved. Because when someone asks me that I know they are coming from the worst kind of hollow Christianity. Michaela Whitton: Question mother Teresa’s salvation Robert Slaven: Blame the poor for being poor, and then use that as an excuse to avoid helping the poor. Tracy Clifton: Ban the "Twilight" books. No, wait, I'm on board for that one. How about, "Cherry-pick random, out-of-context verses from Leviticus, which is in the Old Testament and therefore not Christian anyways, to justify homophobia and xenophobia, but... ignore all the other verses from Leviticus that aren't convenient to quote because they're too damn weird." Heather Puffer: Read the Bible. Buy guns. Watch NASCAR. Side Note from The Christian Left: We have nothing against NASCAR Joanne Kirschner: Um... they obsess about homosexuality, claiming the Bible says it's a sin. Then, because they apparently have nothing better to do, they go around "outing" anyone whom they "perceive" to be a homosexual. If you're not a manly-manly or a fem-bot, well gee you must be gay. Stan Colenso: Think services are only on Christmas and Easter, and save their money for more important things than the collection plate. Len Flett: Think they're fulfilling Matthew 25 by giving a gift basket to a needy family during the Christmas season, but support politicians and policies which hurt millions of the " Least of These." Jason M Dye: i agree with most of your statement Tracy, but to say that something which is in the OT is therefore *not* Christian is a dangerous statement to make. i think i know where you're coming from, though. Jennifer Avalon Redmond: Deny gay and lesbian people the right to marry. The Christian Left: "You can't be a Liberal and a Christian." Peter J Foster: When dining out, leave religious tracts entitled "A Tip for You" (about salvation) instead of cash. Lorraine Verdieck: Another one: The Rapture is coming anyway-- so why inhibit increasing prosperity by wasting money to save the environment??? Kim Harrah Petty: "Pray the gay away." Joanne Kirschner: They say, "Your church doesn't count because it's not really Christian (read: fundamentalist)." Michaela Whitton: facilitate a recovery course for people to get well from addictions and then not let one of the participants lead a further course due to their sexuality! Jonathon Edwards: “… and now all of you go and sin no more.” The Christian Left: "Utopia isn't possible on Earth, so we're not even going to try, on anything." Tracy Clifton: Jason - you're correct, I over generalized. Some of the OT, such as the Ten Commandments, the prophets, etc are definitely an important part of Christianity. I get more frustrated with verses that directly contradict Jesus' teachings of love and peace, i.e. "An eye for an eye" being used to justify Christian behavior, when Jesus clearly said "turn the other cheek." Make sense? Len Flett: Political leaders who publicly proclaim their Christianity, but their Foreign Policy and actions overseas set true Christianity back at least a century. Don Richardson: Send money to TV "preachers". Jason M Dye: yes, Tracy. fb comment sections don't leave much room for nuance. which is why i started blogging again. lol. Tracy Clifton: lol yeah, I hear ya. It's all blurbs now, isn't it. Sigh. Don Richardson: You know, we're touching on a lot of the reasons I lost my faith. My brothers and sisters in this group are helping me to find it again. :-) Pamela Kemp: Where do I begin? Start wars, kill abortion doctors, kick people out of churches, burn books, disown children, judge people by their clothing, make-up, friends, etc. Linda Chandler LaFever: convince children with unsaved parents that it is THEIR job to convert the parents or they will be responsible for their parents going to hell. Alexander Hart-Smith: 1. 'there is no use on recycling considering the rapture is coming soon' 2.The anti snacking bill here in NZ had thousands of Christians protesting against it for one bible verse and ignoring the 3000 odd to help the poor. Side note from The Christian Left: “The Rapture” is made-up hogwash and isn’t in the Bible. Jesus is coming back once. No encores. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-r-coats/whats-real-about-the-rapt_b_716688.html Loren Parmley: Tell people that children that die and aren't baptized go to hell. They didn't read this verse: "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalm 127:3 Don Richardson: Expanding on Linda's comment, *assuming* that anyone else is "unsaved", whatever that means. That is not for us to judge. Dave Smartt: Oppress women, LGBT people & place the pursuit of money above all else. Dave Hopkins: Jesus is a Republican. If we vote for Republicans, we go to Heaven! Praise Jesus and pass me my ballot! And remember to NOT vote for those Commie, Pinko Democrats! Help us to remember all this, in Jesus Name! <with eyes="" rolling=""></with> Sheila Parker Stone: Progressive Christians will be left behind....and the big.....OBAMA IS THE ANTICHRIST Side note from The Christian Left: “The Rapture” is made-up hogwash and isn’t in the Bible. Jesus is coming back once. No encores. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-r-coats/whats-real-about-the-rapt_b_716688.html The Christian Left: Think that they're blessed by God if they have a lot of money, and poor people are poor because they are not blessed by God (and therefore something must be wrong with them). Bob Iltis: Build huge crosses and light them up all night long. Alexandre Michel Templet: Vote Republican ;) The Christian Left: 1 --- Mistake Unregulated, free-market capitalism (which leads to the robber-baron kind of capitalist feudalism we're seeing now) for a "responsible, Protestant work ethic". 2 --- Then think that the "Protestant work ethic" is God's work ethic, even though he measures responsibility by our love and giving to others ("Carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ", Gal 6.2). 3 --- Then, because the GOP supports (big) business, mistake that for a support of the "Protestant work ethic = God's work ethic", and therefore GOP = God's Own Party. Also, because America has long worshiped the "Protestant work ethic", then that means America = God's country. ("America" here meaning, "capitalist feudal state America".) 4 --- So if you oppose any of the above, you are both un-American AND un-Christian, which in this case become the same thing. Therefore, America = God. So defending one means defending the other: see earlier comments about "guns". Janie Toy Powell: Over-emphasizing sex Kristyn Reid: Judge people. Think they/we know the mind of God. Assume they sufficiently understand the intent of every verse of the Bible when no one does...just for starters. Nina Erickson: Judge others as they would NOT have themselves be judged. Cynthia Almy Savage: Excusing every atrocity committed by Israel because the Jews are God's chosen people... Nicole Conard Walters: Gossip, but call it group prayer. Anthony Andrew George: Censorship and justifying hate crimes Sarah Faust: Go on international mission trips to spread the word, but treat the immigrants in their own communities like lesser human beings and tell them to go back to Mexico, or India, or China or wherever. Megan Rue: Have television shows where they ask their audience for money. Jennifer Harris: I actually had a lady on my friends list deleting any friend she saw putting x-mas instead of Christmas because she said they had to keep Christ in Christmas...she deleted 5 people before I saw it and deleted myself Jennifer Harris: I know some people who's children only get 3 gifts for Christmas, not because they can't afford to buy them more but because that is how many gifts Jesus got - then they try to justify cheating their own rules by combining gifts (i.e. getting a Wii and 6 games would go together and be one gift) Jennifer Harris: And of course there is the ever present go to a restaurant and bark orders at your waitress who is working on Christmas to feed her kids and you leave her a buck cause your steak was medium and not medium rare or better yet you say you left all your cash for Jesus in the collection plate John Merullo: Preach a gospel of prosperity. Logan Judd: Vote for Republicans. Celeste Peck: Gossip. Point out all the "bad" things other people do, in scandalized whispers, to make themselves feel sooo righteous in comparison. Snoop. Pretend to be best friends with someone just to get the dirt, to go gossip about. Meddle. Impose themselves, uninvited, right into the middle of another's personal affairs and justify it in the name of "Christian business". They offer generic advice while generating group hysteria on the side, with a plan to mob the victim of their "concern" with some type of group attack. Outrage. Seems they’re always outraged at something. David Koch: Being obsessed with censoring your swear words online, whilst having no problem with Torturing enemies of the US Imperial State. Side Note from The Christian Left: You can’t be a Christian and be pro-torture in our opinion. One of the few things we say that on. Derek Wright: I hate it when fellow Christians fawn over establishment figures after listening to a hundred of homilies telling them otherwise .... The Christian Left: Thinking they're somehow better than other people. Linda Opella: Believe that Republicans are the 'Party of God" Andrew Carter: Oh, yeah, I forgot "GET THE FAGS" Side Note from The Christian Left: Hitler burned homosexuals in ovens too, and the disabled, and Gypsies (the Roma people). Nuff said. Barbara Gordon: Post the following "Five Truths Liberals Hate" on your Facebook page while still calling yourself a "Christian": "1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. 2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. 3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. 4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. 5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Side Note from The Christian Left: We’re debunking these 5 things in another note. Wendy Harrington: Refuse to participate in the political process because we'll all be raptured away (fill in date here) anyway. Side Note from The Christian Left: “The Rapture” is made-up hogwash and isn’t in the Bible. Jesus is coming back once. No encores. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-r-coats/whats-real-about-the-rapt_b_716688.html Roxanne VanBokkelen: "Pray, don't reason" - on a church in Ft. Myers Grantly Scott: Oh man, where do I begin...the exercise of judgment vs. accountability (see the likes of Ted Haggard, Eddie Long, etc.); Preaching and teaching or referencing parts of the Bible while neglecting other areas...preaching a gospel of inclusion while being exclusionary in behavior and attitude...need I say more? Pamela Smith: "God helps those that help themselves", actually a Benjamin Franklin quote, I believe. Side Note from The Christian Left: ... and not anywhere to be found in the Bible. Pamela Smith: Oh, and going along that same line, they say the poor should "pull themselves up by their boot straps", but what if they don't have boots?!?!? Pamela Smith: My sister actually told my mom, dad, me and my other sister we were not Christians and we were going to hell because we were voting for John Kerry. So much for 'honor thy mother and father'!! Lori Ratcliff: @Barbara: Also, those "truths" assume that the wealthy "earned" their wealth fairly and ethically and many times they haven't. "Taking" from the wealthy, as it is called, is merely making them shoulder their fair share of responsibility for the services of a civilized society RATHER than leaning on the middle class. Is it fair for the unemployed people who desperately want a job but can't find one because they've been sent overseas? There are so many other things wrong with that reasoning, that I can't address them all here. Joanna Wallace: Assume that scientific knowledge and religion can't coexist in the interpretation of scriptures. Laurie Arends: Using the bible as a weapon, instead of seeing it as the best motivational tool... :) Kathy Mullins: I loved your sarcastic humor, Barbara! Rest assured I knew that it was sarcastic. Well, I can tell you of one "Christian" I saw driving by with bumper stickers with anti gay epithets all over her car and with various "Christian" slogans excusing her bigotry. NASTY NASTY NASTY!! Now that woman does not fit my definition of a Christian. Kathy Mullins: PS My pastor is a lesbian married woman with a beautiful daughter. They are a lovely family and to hate them is NOT family values! Proud to be Episcopalian and an Ally!!! Celia R. Javadi: Like praying for a divorced woman to meet more women? Sam Mayer: Praying to God to win a war. Jeffrey Huppert: They shun their relatives and friends. -- Sexual Orientation is not a sin. Here's why.
-- Jesus said nothing about abortion. If it was a big sin, he would have mentioned it. You become a person when you take your first breath. For more, please read this. -- Marijuana is medicine you can grow at home. Marijuana laws are draconian. 'This Debate Will No Longer be Suppressed': Legalizing Drugs Breaks Into the Mainstream |
About TCL BlogWe’re not about Dogma here. We’re just Christians who think the political and Christian right-wing have their priorities wrong. Featured BloggersCharles Toy is the founding member of The Christian Left. We're sure you will enjoy his passion as well as his wit. Guest bloggers featured often.
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