I was interested to see this fairly comprehensive list of doomed groups displayed on the back of this Christian fundamentalist protester in the United States.
Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims are apparently bound for hell. So too are Feminists, Immodest Women, Democrats, Liberals, Evolutionists, and of course Atheists, and a few other categories that I have chosen not to repeat.
This is a fascinating insight into the world view of contemporary American fundamentalist Christianity, transformed by three decades of politicisation into a rather mean spirited movement which seems to me to have little to do with the teachings of the founder of their religion, not to mention the desire of the American Founding Fathers to keep matters of faith out of the political sphere.
This is not the kind of thing I usually blog about, except that I too was brought up with a strong fear of hell's fiery furnaces, but now like Iris Dement am not so sure! The nonconformist world in which I grew up set itself apart from the "world" of money and power, represented in rural England by Parson and Squire, it was narrow-minded and at times hypocritical, but I think there was a kindliness and an absence of hatred which differentiated it from the man with the board on his back.
Oh dear oh dear. Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims are bound for hell. So too are feminists, immodest women, Democrats, liberals, evolutionists, atheists, masturbators, rappers and drunks. Those categories would pick up 90% of the population, at once stage or another. I personally fall into 5 of the doomed groups :(
ReplyDeleteHowever it is not the mean spirited movement that should concern us. They can sit in their homes and churches, plotting damnation for the rest of their lives. Perfectly acceptable! But taking religion to the public streets is unacceptable in a modern democracy. Even worse is using religion to influence public policy.
Hi Hels,
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to figure out which of the 5 groups you belong to! I gave up counting my own!
Seriously though I think that the man with the board represents a fairly large segment of US society judging by the Republican primaries in the last US presidential election. Right wing populist movements in Europe, now stronger than at any time since the second world war, seem to be secular rather than religious based. Why that is I don't know.
cheers
John
I have decided to not be religious. Religion just brainwashes you and different religions fight constantly at the time so NO MORE!!!!! I am not following religion.
ReplyDelete