Sunday, December 12, 2010

Communism, Islam, Atheism, Christianity and

When it comes to proselytising, Christianity sets itself apart from these other three in one very important way.



The first three of these belief systems all use subjugation, ridicule and peer-pressure to gain and maintain acceptance.

Those who lived in a Communist State had to forever be looking over their shoulder in a perpetual state of suspicion that their neighbours and even their own children may denounce them to the State authorities as ‘counter-revolutionaries’. Severe beatings and even death was a constant fear.



Similarly Islamic States use cruel punishment techniques for those who dare to question the status-quo. Women are kept on a horrifyingly short leash, being cudgelled by their husbands, brothers or fathers at the slightest whim. All this is not just condoned, but promoted by Islamic scripture.



Atheism fits right in with these two, only differing in the degree of chastisement. The primary tool in use by atheism to gain and sustain social and intellectual prominence is ridicule and scorn. Even the slightest mention of secular dissent is immediately countered with a pillory of public humiliation and castigation.









And this is where Christianity differs markedly. Christianity seeks to convince and cajole rather than use the atheist tactic of criticism and castigation. Christianity does not wish for domination and subjugation like Communism, Islam and Atheism. But instead endeavours to show the love and compassion shown to us by Christ.

We let our actions do the talking. Rather than force people to outwardly conform, we would much rather it to come from their hearts in an honest and willing display of acceptance.



I’m sure many people would object and point to various Christianised governments and institutions in the past who didn’t act this way, but rather adopted the methods of the other three worldviews.

Yes it is true that medieval rulers used Christianity to subjugate and even terrorize their peoples. And yes it is true that even this previous century saw Christianised governments enforce Christianity on the population through things such as Christian prayer in State run institutions, and the prohibition of teaching evolution in schools. But my point is that this is not what the teachings of Christ teach us as I will demonstrate.



Christ led the way, giving us an example of how we are to approach the heathen world around us.

A prime example is found in John 8:2-11. After answering the Pharisees in their challenge over a women caught in the act of adultery, He did not chastise and condemn the woman. He did not arrogantly pronounce the law that she must adhere to. And He did not ridicule and shame her into submission:

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”



No, instead He showed her complete love and compassion, with only a gentle reminder of what she new to be wrong anyway.



A firm hand only serves to harden the heart against your rules, and guarantees hostile rebellion.

Conversely, a gentle and loving hand cajoles and convinces, and ensures honest devotion.

2 comments:

  1. Bollocks!!

    Applied Christian politics 101 in one stark image.

    http://www.dartmouth.edu/~spanmod/mural/panel13.html

    In words and images

    http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/cruelty.html

    http://www.logosjournal.com/hammer_kellner

    Note the unspeakably vile sado-masochistic snuff/splatter film being reviewed in the last Logos reference.

    All of that was INEVITABLE the moment that the church was co-opted by the Roman state, and thus became an integral player in the Western drive for total power and control over every one and every thing.

    All of that is also the INEVITABLE result of the bogus Christian claim to be/have the one true way/faith/revelation. Such a statement is in effect a declaration of war against all other Faith Traditions and their various cultural expressions. It implies that ALL of these Traditions are wrong or expressions of "satan" and that everyone who belongs to these other traditions is living in "darkness" and have to be converted to the one true way (for their own good!!).

    It is also further driven by the bogus so called "great commission" to convert everyone else to the one true way. no one ever heard Jesus say that. It is/was a bit of institutional propaganda put in the Bible by the dudes who fabricated what eventually became the "official" Bible.

    Never mind that nobody ever heard Jesus say that that. Jesus was a renegade Spiritual Teacher who taught within the Tradition of Judaism - he was a JEW. All of his direct disciples were Jews too. Neither Jesus nor his disciples would have called themselves Christians.

    The entire Christian tradition about Jesus was created by others after his brutal execution, none of who ever met Jesus up close and personal. Jesus certainly could not have created the death-and-resurrection dogma which became the central focus of Christian dogma/propaganda.

    Dead human beings (in this case Jesus) are totally incapable of creating religions about them-selves.

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  2. I'm not entirely sure what part of my Post you are objecting to?

    ReplyDelete