Backward Christian Soldiers

Many years ago, I had a religious rebirth, much the same as our current president. I was born again. Again, like our president, I was looking for a new way to live my life, one with more promise for the future. As a Christian, I spent considerable time studying the Bible, attending courses on Bible interruption, and participating in Christian activities. Anyone that knew me back then would suggest that I was “on fire with the spirit.” They would also confess that there wasn’t a conservative bone in my body and that I was definitely a “Liberal for Jesus”. Incapable of judging other, dedicated to peace and harmony, a throw off of my hippie roots.

However, my journey to the promise land slowly dissolved as I walked the path. From church to church, I witnessed immoral acts, rampant disregard of the Christian creed, and even violations of the law. Minister’s sexually seducing members, deacons absconding offerings, members tutoring other members in the practice of speaking in tongues, to name only a few. No prayers or forgiveness could stop the endless stream of unchristian activities. This was followed by a multitude of news reports that uncovered sexual and financial disobedience by major trusted televangelists. Was there no end to the depravity in the name of Christianity? Eventually I decided to take the route of Voltaire, who did not support the dogmatic theology of institutional religions, his religiosity was anticlerical. As a humanist, he advocated religious and social tolerance, and that bring me to purpose of this article.

The twenty-five regional executives of the 1.5 million-member American Baptist Churches in the USA jointly announced that the denomination's ongoing controversy over homosexuality "threatens to break us apart." A pastoral statement to "preserve unity," released this month after a meeting of denomination leaders, said they had personally agreed to "voluntarily refrain from" naming sexually active gays and lesbians to national and regional positions. The church leaders also said they would not participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies. Sure shining example.

Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs said in a pastoral letter to his diocese that Catholics who vote for politicians who support same-sex marriage and abortion might not receive communion unless they repent, the Associated Press reports. The letter was sent May 1 to 125,000 Catholics. Supporters of stem-cell research and euthanasia were also mentioned, as the church considers them "intrinsically evil." You know I’m longing to become a member after reading that.

These unbelievable statements return us to a medieval view of politics where the church controlled the state, and are an example of how many Christians would like to remove the wall of separation of church and state. The recent political antics have many visualizing Christianity as a Republican religion, which is far from reality. The zealot fundamentalist televangelists are deforming Christianity into a theocracy. However, neither television, nor philosophy, nor awareness of religious hypocrisy has undermined religious faith nearly as much as the failure of traditional theodicy. Therein lies the call to duty for Christians worldwide.

It’s not a call to fundamentalism as television has portrayed it, but instead, a call to traditional Christian teaching. There is a world of difference between what we might call a traditionalist interpretation and what is commonly called a fundamentalist interpretation. Fundamentalists are not traditionalists. They actually reject the tradition of the community in favor of a personal interpretation, which condemns the tradition as either obscurantist or assimilations. However, 90% of the world's Christians are traditionalists, and therefore they carry the responsibility of living and portraying true Christianity.

Today more than ever, traditional Christians must stand and denounce the fundamentalist attack that seeks to destroy the true doctrine of love that guides their beliefs. Disassociating themselves by turning off The Christian Broadcasting Network, tithing in their own place of worship, and encouraging their pastors to remove politics from their pulpit.

Why is this so important to me, someone that has dissatisfaction with institutional religion? Regardless of my religious beliefs, I’m an American first. As such, I believe in democracy, the freedom of religion, and one nation undivided. The Christian Fundamentalist movement is a dividing, anti-democratic movement that causes hate and intolerance. It’s creating the soft-minded men that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of when he said, “A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.” Don’t allow these spiritual abusers to make you soft-minded.

The Direction Of The T.E.A.M. Website

In the process of designing the TEAM website, my original vision for TEAM. has changed somewhat. As a group our goals still remain the same, but our vehicles to success have become more visable. As I research the Internet for information that relates to TEAM, I continue to find organizations that are accomplishing the same goals TEAM has set. Some of these websites have a plethora of articles and links that can take TEAM members to an established group that is in need of volunteers and members.

With that in mind, it is clear that the word Alliance in our name can truly be the most powerful aspect of what TEAM is all about. Guiding members and visitors to established organizations where they are in immediate need of help. Therefore, you will begin to see more links to other websites at the TEAM website.

I envision members using the links to select an organization that they feel comfortable with, and then reporting back to TEAM via our Yahoo Group, what they have found and why others may want to join that organization. In a sense, TEAM promotes organizations that are accomplishing our goals.

So why even join TEAM? To keep current with the Liberal Movement in America. As we grow, and TEAM members share their experiences with other organizations, we will become the source for what's happening with Liberal Movement in America.

The most important task for a TEAM member is to promote the TEAM website, which in return will promote those that share our goals. What a great method of growing TEAM and ultimately helping other organizations accomplish common goals. I'm excited about 2005, a new year with many agendas that we as a group can participate actively in. If you haven't already signed up, please do, and tell everyone you know about TEAM.

Hypocrites Enjoying The Freedom Of Religion

In my last article “Listen My Children And You Shall Hear,” I purposely imposed a situation where I included all Christians as the enemy in the battle for a society based on freedom for all. I received a few responses that anyone would expect to receive when they choose to remove the gray areas. While one might believe I hate Christians, it’s absolutely not true, and the fact that I speak highly of the right to freedom of religion indicates my true feeling. What I do dislike is any group that does not hold true to their creed. Being a member of any group, organization, or religion has some responsibility that goes along with being a part it.

One response stated:
This is the reason why this party has been rejected for the highest office. Not all Democrats hold to this view and how illogical to lump all Christians into this category.

I had hoped that I would get that customary “lumping all Christians into this category” remark. If someone in a group that I belong to is spewing out misleading and hateful dissertations that destroy the very ideology of my group’s beliefs, I’m going to stand up and make them accountable. So far, I’ve not seen many good Christians impeding the efforts of Falwell, Dobson, Robertson, and others who destroy the very concepts of Christianity. When I see that happening then I’ll stop my lumping.

Another response:

I must be missing something in life. I am a "born again” Christian and I have never had anyone complain about my zeal. Perhaps I don’t have any. I don’t know if the threat you feel is real or not, but I think what you are speaking of is not a great movement toward fundamentalism, but more so a great silent majority being awakened.

Good people don’t complain about zeal, they tolerate it, and I’m not disapproving of zeal. Properly administered it is a worthy practice. However, used excessively and without decency, as it is with fundamentalists, it becomes an undesirable behavior that defeats its purpose. When Christians are aligned with the zealotry of bigots and money collectors, they include themselves in that behavior. When this silent majority wakes up their most important task is to separate themselves from those that destroy the true Christian message.

In Proverbs 11:9, “A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” Clearly a warning not to believe all you hear, to seek out the truth, and by doing so, become just. For reasons I can’t really explain, this is not happening in some of our churches today. People live by the headlines, not the sermon. Simply I ask, how long are you going to allow the hypocrites to lie to you before you educate yourself? In the law, lack of knowledge is not a defense. The bible seems to agree.

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I believe that when conservative Christians seek out the truth, they will see the error in aligning with those that misguide them. They will recognize the folly of the deceivers and therefore deny them the power and wealth that they so openly desire. Through knowledge, they will see that most religious coalitions are about money and politics, and not religion. They will take their finances and their faith back to their local church and study and live the doctrines that their faith was established on.

There is much need for a religious rebirth in our nation. The kind of religion that many churches now offer. A church that teaches love and condemns hate, helps the needy, gives substance to the soul. The kind of church that reaches out to strengthen America, that brings us together, regardless of our differences or our sins. We must stop those, in lambs clothing, from destroying these churches that are the core of our morality and justness. Christians must once again set the example.

Listen My Children And You Will Hear.

All Non-Christians, Liberals, Secularists, and even Christians that do not identify themselves as Fundamentalists, numbering in the millions, are the targets of an abhorrent and immoral conservative Christian movement. Many conservative Christians like to disassociate themselves from this movement by pointing their judgmental fingers at known religious zealots such as Falwell, Robertson, and Dobson, who are in reality their mouthpieces. Anyone that has experienced the zeal of a “born again” Christian immediately understands how committed they are in spreading the word. Unfortunately, the words they spread are often misguided theology and untruths spewed out by overzealous fundamentalist.

The United States is gradually dividing into two sub-cultures: secularism and conservative Christianity. These divisions hold great dangers, because religions tend to be based on an oral or written belief system that is accepted on faith by its believers. Because of the origins of religion and the way in which they are structured, followers of different religions hold conflicting, irresolvable beliefs concerning deity, humanity, and the rest of the universe. These beliefs cannot readily be harmonized. Conflicts, hate murders, and genocides are the logical result.

I’m concerned that the secular side is ill prepared for the battle that has begun, and even worst, that many of them can’t even conceptualize that there is a battle being waged. If I might reminisce Paul Revere for a moment, one if by government, two if by religion, and three if by a conspiracy of both. I’m wagering my money on three. In common-law fashion, the church and state, infatuated by each other’s power and wealth, court one another in a manner that is inherently destructive to the natural order of our free society. We now have government-sponsored religion. One can only demand that this faith-based initiative be challenged in the court soon. I cringe every time I think of taxpayers' dollars going to support the Christians' prostelizing agendas.

Forcing their morality and religious convictions on a society based on the “freedom of religion,” they use all tactics to destroy harmony in this great nation. Falwell, in his blasphemous tirade said, “The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen'.” Any true liberal that believes in the American Dream, with liberty and freedom for all, know that those are fighting words.

When Chief Justice Moore’s opinion describes the lives of gay and lesbian people as “abhorrent,” “immoral,” “detestable,” an “inherent evil,” and “an intolerable evil.” He condemns homosexuality as “so heinous that it defies one’s ability to describe it.” Relying on ancient sources of criminal law, rather than current knowledge about lesbian and gay parents and their children, he emphasizes that, in his mind, any person in a lesbian or gay relationship is unfit to have custody. That unyielding position is contrary to the Canons of law and shows Chief Justice Moore’s disregard for the requirements of his judicial office. Have the liberals demanded he step down?

We have reached the precipuce in the matter of the separation of church and state. The enemy is gearing up for the largest assault against the rights of our countrymen. We must take action immediately. Only by building the political power of liberal Democrats will we be able to stop the conservatives from achieving their dangerous vision for the country and the world! We must also embolden liberal Democrats to fight against the conservative tide in Washington, DC and state legislatures throughout the country. Don’t get the mistaken idea that the opposition is decent, honest and conservative, that simply isn't the case. Like a faith in rationality, they move forward in blind pursuit of wealth and power.

Soc. Sec. Admin. Refuses To Reconize Straight Marriage.

Here's a great example of how assinine our government has become. Don't do what you're paid to do, solve the problem, just issue directives that make life miserable for hard working, tax paying citizens. Whoever the idiot is at the S.S.A.they didn't feel compelled to give their name. Letter off to the S.S.A.
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(New Paltz, New York) The Social Security Administration is refusing to recognize any marriage - straight or gay - performed in New Paltz, New York.

The tiny hamlet north of Manhattan burst onto the national scene in February when its mayor followed San Francisco in allowing gays to marry. New Paltz officials are now under a court imposed ban on conducting gay marriages, but the federal government is taking no chances.

A temporary directive from the Social Security Administration not to accept any marriage certificates issued in New Paltz as identification has now been made permanent.

The move came as a shock to one straight couple in the town. Susie Kilpatrick Wilkening recently married Jeremy Wilkening, but when she went to the Social Security office in Kingston, New York to get her surname changed to Wilkening she was told the federal government would not accept her marriage.

"I presented my marriage certificate, and I was told that it was not an acceptable form of ID because it was from New Paltz," she told the Daily Freeman newspaper.

A spokesperson for the administration said that the policy began with the State of New York.

"The state has said that it does not consider (any marriage certificates issued in New Paltz) legal documents, so we are waiting until all of the legal issues on the state level are resolved," Jane Zanca told the Freeman.

But, officials at the New York Department of State, which maintains all state records, also said they had nothing to do with the Social Security policy.

Last February when San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Social Security instructed its offices nationwide not to accept any marriage certificates from San Francisco as proof of identification

Bringing Charges Against President George W. Bush

The article below is a great example of a few people making something happen. Irregardless of the outcome, the action itself draw attention and peak the publics interest. I thought this was great.


“Our hope,” says Rev. Courtney Ball, “is that President George W. Bush and Vice-President Richard Cheney will recognize the sinfulness of their actions, sincerely repent, and move on to change their ways.

Organizers of the website TheyMustRepent.com, Courtney Ball and Josh Steward, are taking action as Christians and United Methodists who are desperate to hold two of their own accountable for their actions in starting an unjust war in Iraq.

A letter of complaint at TheyMustRepent.com outlines the justification for bringing charges against President George W. Bush and Vice-President Richard Cheney. The organizers call on all United Methodists Church members to read and sign the letter of complaint.

According to Josh Steward, “We are taking this action as Christians who are desperate to hold two of our own accountable. We, as United Methodists, understand that it is our duty to support and encourage our members and our leaders, and we have been doing so faithfully through prayers and petitions. But enough is enough. The guidance of our bishops and our church-members has been ignored by the respondents for too long. Too many people have died or suffered from the sins of these two men. Now it is time for them to answer for their actions with repentance, to turn back and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, or to be judged for not doing so.”

About United Methodists Call for Accountability
TheyMustRepent.com is not a formal organization, but rather an independent United Methodist Church members and clergy acting together towards a common goal.