Posted on 05/08/2006 5:49:48 PM PDT by sionnsar
The Washington Post asked the question and posted quite a few answers in today's paper.
Check them all out here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050500952_pf.html
Here are a few examples:
No. A cultural "war on Christianity" is a social construct dreamed up by right-wing "Christians" who need to operate and motivate out of fear in the absence of sound biblical interpretation and authentic community ethos.
The real threat to Christianity today -- the authentic and ancient belief in Jesuss message of reconciliation, hospitality, and peace -- is a self-concerned evangelism that is captive to an atomistic idea of the Gospel and a market-driven model of individual choice -- the very individualism that conservative social critics deplore in other contexts.
--Andrew Genszler, Washington, D.C.
Is there a war being waged against Christianity in our country, in our culture and in our world? There is no clear cut answer to that question.
There is unquestionable violence and oppression against Christianity in much of the world. The church is being persecuted in an unprecedented fashion across the globe. In many of those cases it is less of a war on Christianity and more of a struggle for power by the controlling governments or religious bodies. In the United States Christianity is not met with violence, but rather the kind of indifference and contempt that can only come from a culture that has come to reject the very notions of community, service, and submission, which are tenet of Christianity. The church in America is in decline primarily because of individualism and consumerism. The church, when living according to the teachings of Christ, lives in contrast to our culture. So in some ways the church is at war with our culture. The culture views the church as irrelevant and the church views the culture as hedonistic and selfish.
--Greg Arthur, Associate Pastor, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Do I feel there is a war on Christianity? Absolutely NOT. There is a Marketing War among those whos business is Church and profits come from a "Chicken Little mentality" about scaring people into submission.
If there is a War on Christianity its a war among factions trying to manipulate the public for funds to support special interest groups and divide the nation along religious lines.
All need to read the Sermon on the Mount and use that as a guide to profiteering off of someones faith.
--Jim MacKrell, Conroe, Tex.
The "War on Christianity" is just another example of aggressors painting themselves as victims. Moderate "live and let live"
Christians dont have a problem with Americas growing religious diversity. Fundamentalists feel threatened by that diversity and attempt to suppress it by pressuring and coercing others to live by their rules. Thats where the battlefront in this "War" is.
--Jeff Winter, Seattle, Wash.
Yes, I do. In todays society unfortunately "freedom of religion" has really been implemented and interpreted as "freedom FROM Christianity."
The world ignores the murder or oppression of Christians in countries like Saudi Arabia or Indonesia yet thinks the violence over cartoons of Islam to be acceptable and justifiable. The Bible instructs us to pray for our enemies and those that oppress us. Islam requires submission to their religion or death. Yet the world sees Jesus as the one who was wrong?
--Trisha Marsh Johnson, Athens, Ga.
There is no war against Christianity. But, there is a backlash against those who fanatically and often venomously try to push their beliefs upon others, be it in the street in front of an abortion center, in front of a school board or in the legislative halls.
Any belief that must be sold with fear or force or requires the support of civil law is a weak religious doctrine.
--C. L. Waltemath, Portland, Ore.
Materialist culture battles Christianity. Its an undeclared war, subtle, at times active, most times passive. Its selfishness versus selflessness; greed, charity; doubt, faith.
Few people think of themselves as casualties in this fight. Yet Christianity, when practiced more than forty minutes on a Sunday, reveals the fracturing energy contained within anger, bigotry, impatience, and legions of other faults.
But secular narcissists see only other people as broken. None truly enjoy peering at their own splitting image. The answer for many? Destroy the cross-shaped mirror that pains you.
Christians, to win this struggle, need practice that most demanding virtue -- forgiveness.
--Lawrence P. McGuire, Waldorf, Md.
The question is so ridiculous that I wonder how it started. It flies in the face of reality. Over 90 percent of Americans consider themselves Christians. There are evangelists and promoters of some form of Christianity on almost every street corner, especially in low income and poverty stricken areas. Christianity is promoted in the movies, mainstream press, magazines, and some state and local governments. Christianity has a foothold in America that will be passed on for generations.
The masses must have something to believe in since so many people who struggle from day to day with various health and personal issues are already in a living "hell." Therefore, most people must have something to believe in to exist from day-to-day. As Marx stated, "Religion is the opium for the masses."
Religion is a necessity in order to have an orderly and compliant society. That is one of the reasons why it is promoted and tolerated by the rich and powerful who control most of the worlds resources. Large numbers of the rich and powerful are enjoying their "heaven" here on earth. Whereas the working class and poor "believe" they will need to die to reach "heaven."
--Robert Whiting, Palm Coast, Fla.
ping
The charges are easily answered but not many want to hear the answers.
I am the great and powerful Oz, er, Wapo.
In today's culture do you see evidence that the sky is blue?
Ping to read later
I've gotta love the self-righteousness of the secular fundamentalists. They always trot out the canard that "fundamentalists want to impose their views on everyone." Well, I don't remember the last time they looked in the mirror.
Some of these comments a bit like a white segregationist telling the Washington Post that the lynch mobs weren't waging a war on black people during the 1920s.
Nahhh, there's no war against Christianity . . . .
"California's 'Gay History' Bill Advances
Susan Jones
Senior Editor
(CNSNews.com) - A California Senate committee has approved a bill requiring "gay history" to be included in public school textbooks. The bill now moves to the full Senate, where a vote may come next week.
Not requiring textbooks to include homosexuals' and transgenders' contributions to California history amounts to "enforced invisibility," said Sen. Sheila Kuehl, the Democrat lesbian who introduced the bill.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the bill has attracted national attention because California accounts for about 12 percent of the nation's textbook market.
SB 1437 reads in part, "No textbook or other instructional materials shall be adopted by the state board or by any governing board for use in the public schools that contains any matter reflecting adversely upon persons because of their race or ethnicity, gender, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion."
The bill also requires all social studies textbooks to "study the role and contributions of...people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender...with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society."
The conservative Campaign for Children and Families testified against the "transsexual-bisexual-homosexual curriculum bill," calling it "sexual indoctrination."
'Mental molestation'
CCF President Randy Thomasson is urging Americans to "loudly protest at every opportunity," and he is urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to announce that such bills will be vetoed when they reach his desk.
"Use today's bad news to spur you to righteousness," Thomasson said in a press release.
According to Thomasson, the bill authorizes the California Department of Education to sue any school district that does not promote or positively portray transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality in textbooks, instructional materials, and school-sponsored activities.
"SB 1437 turns every school into a sexual indoctrination center," he said. "This bill isn't about 'safety' or 'discrimination,' it's about leading children into sexual confusion."
Thomasson has accused Democrats of "mentally molesting" impressionable children.
"Parents send their children to school for academics, not for transsexual, bisexual, or homosexual indoctrination. SB 1437 means schools will promote same-sex 'marriages' and even sex-change operations to kids.
"The voters won't stand for this," Thomasson said."
For two years I served as president of my neighborhood's HOA. Trust me when I say this: everybody wants to impose their views on everyone else. The only question that matters is whose standards are being enforced. Deuteronomy 4:6 tells us that even heathen nations would look at (obedient) Israel and say "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." If we obeyed God, why should they say less of us?
In today's culture do you see anything Satan would object to?
Yes!
Think about Christmas time and how the nativity scenes were not permitted but other religious symbols were.
It is? :)
A lot of people need to look in the mirror regardless of what they are. That's why I never carry one. HEHE;)
I see a war on Christianity and often a war within Christianity too. It's hard to explain and I don't have time to really go into detail, but it's just my two cents.
I will say this though, no matter what, we can still HAVE our Christianity. I don't need something to tell me to pray or read scriptures or to TRY (hehe) to obey the commendments or to follow Jesus. I can do these all and much more on my own regardless of the circumstances.
Wow! That's really impressive. You have the ability to overlook the obvious to such a degree that you could be a journalist or a college professor. I foretell great things for you! heh heh heh
Besides now that you mention it, around here it's been kind of grey.
Me a college professor? WOW! Thanks. Now that I know the sky is blue, the next thing you're going to tell me is that clouds are white and that the cows aren't honking their horns when they say moo.
You foretell great things for me? How could I grate cheese with four tails? Sheez.
Yeah, it gets gray here too. I think the sun is hiding somewhere.
Christianity's greatest danger is the internal rot of secular humanism and socialism which is negating it reason for existence. Mainstream Christianity is almost dead and hangs on only superficially to a weak message appealing to no one.
Oh no. I don't want to interfere with the ability to overlook the obvious! That would ruin you! You'd become, like, a conservative or a Republican.
What we're going for here is the ability to look at, for example, the court's decision to remove the memorial cross in San Diego and still maintain with a straight face that there is no "war" On Christianity in the US. You need to hear about the kid whose picture of Jesus was obscured in a kindergarten art show, or the kid who was rebuked for passing out Christian literature, OR the other kid who wrote about how Jesus was his hero - and the teacher freaked out -- ALL this while schools on the left coast were having "Let's pretend to be Islamic" exercises -- and still maintain blithe ignorance of any negativity toward Christianity among those who attempt to direct cultural mores and values.
If you start noticing stuff like, well, like that the clouds are white - you may lose that all-important blindness. I'd hate to see you ruin a promising career.
Every time I get a paycheck, I see the evidence of liberals imposing their liberal, taxgrabbing morality imposed on my earnings.
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