skewed ideologies = cultish brainwashing ?

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.