Wednesday, March 02, 2005
An idea
EFFECTIVE WHENEVER we think about it, the Review will replace the terms "Christian right" and Christian extremist" with the more theologically correct phrase "Christian heretic." That which is known as fundamentalist Christianity is in fact a considerable perversion of Christian teachings, a heresy in which the word of God is altered to suit the prejudices of the purported Christian.
Here is just one example from Matthew of Jesus' teaching that is defied regularly by Christian heretics of the televangelical ilk: "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
We don't have to actually burn them at the stake in the manner of heretics of yore, but their cynical attempt to give bigotry the cover of Christianity should at least be directly challenged.
Here is just one example from Matthew of Jesus' teaching that is defied regularly by Christian heretics of the televangelical ilk: "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."
We don't have to actually burn them at the stake in the manner of heretics of yore, but their cynical attempt to give bigotry the cover of Christianity should at least be directly challenged.
