skewed ideologies = cultish brainwashing ?

[Jordon]

Christianity is a Messianic Martyr/Death Cult. These have been pretty common in the last few millenia.

"When you see the finger pointing at the moon, GO WHERE IT IS POINTING. Don't worship the FINGER, and what ever you do, don't suck it for comfort."

Most modern Christians are worshipping the finger, and the Fundamentalists are sucking it for comfort.

[Griff]

There is an excellent article in my local paper by Rev. Heiss a local United Methodist minister. He was lamenting not being comfortable wearing a cross on his lapel anymore. To him (and me for that matter), being Christian means being non-judgemental, recognizing and addressing our own weaknesses and faults, and accepting people for who they are. The fundies have changed that. You see a cross and you think politicized oppressor, hater of science, hater of open discussion, and hater of others. Real Christians are afraid to speak up now because they will be whacked by the fundies for being too flexible and by the secularists for worshiping along side closed minded haters. When people attack the Church with justification, on sexual abuse etc.., I don't defend the indefensible. Unfortunately, we are at the point where Christians are not comfortable defending their core beliefs from unjustified attacks because their beliefs are so different from the high profile hate mongers who claim to be Christian leaders.

Anyway, I'm hoping that we'll see a shift of religion from the public to the private sphere. Hopefully, folks will learn to pull back from the political power which makes religion dangerous not uplifting.

[robsterman1]

Scientology is another example of a woo-woo cult where people are brainwashed into believing they can go "clear"...only after paying loads of money on auditing. many of the tenets of Scientology are total hokum.

Anything I should add?

[Griff]

Katie Holmes kid is in big trouble?

Originally Posted by Griff

There is an excellent article in my local paper by Rev. Heiss a local United Methodist minister. He was lamenting not being comfortable wearing a cross on his lapel anymore. To him (and me for that matter), being Christian means being non-judgemental, recognizing and addressing our own weaknesses and faults, and accepting people for who they are. The fundies have changed that. You see a cross and you think politicized oppressor, hater of science, hater of open discussion, and hater of others. Real Christians are afraid to speak up now because they will be whacked by the fundies for being too flexible and by the secularists for worshiping along side closed minded haters. When people attack the Church with justification, on sexual abuse etc.., I don't defend the indefensible. Unfortunately, we are at the point where Christians are not comfortable defending their core beliefs from unjustified attacks because their beliefs are so different from the high profile hate mongers who claim to be Christian leaders.

Anyway, I'm hoping that we'll see a shift of religion from the public to the private sphere. Hopefully, folks will learn to pull back from the political power which makes religion dangerous not uplifting.

Couldn't agree more, Griff. My father, uncle, and grandmother were Christians of the most decent kind. They were genuinely spiritual people who felt a concern for others and beleived in God. These days when I mention my background being raised by these good Christian people, I feel defensive. I always have to add, "but they weren't closed minded, Bible thumping fundies." True Christians need to have the courage to speak up.

If you ask me, the Christian fundamentalist movement is the anti-Christ in more ways than one.