Christianists

Readers may recall that Ned occasionally edits and re-posts entries from long ago, to see how he did. Here's one from June 29 on the nature of religion in this country, especially relevant since many 'born again' evangelicals and know-nothings were elected to Congress.

June 29, 2010
Ned does not consider himself a person who adheres to any particular cult or belief system, but he is not so arrogant as to deny the existence of a higher power. That said, Ned believes one of the greatest enlightenments humans have ever attained was the promulgation of the teachings of Jesus.
And one of the greatest tragedies of humanity has been the abject failure of most of those calling themselves Christians to make the slightest attempt to live up to those teachings.
* Think of those who, professing to be Christians, deny equal rights and dignity to all of their fellows.
* Think of those calling themselves Christians who support murderous wars instigated by "Christian" politicians and carried out by mercenaries in the pay of this country mainly against persons of color.
* Think of those who, amassing filthy lucre like the Dragon of the Nibelung, justify their own colossal greed and selfishness by appealing to Christianity, saying, as did one of the Wall Street sneering plutocrats, that they were "doing God's work."
* Think of those who support the wanton destruction of the country and the planet in pursuit of material excess, smugly justifying it either as James Watt, Reagan's notorious Secretary of the Interior, who said it didn't matter what happened to the environment since Jesus was coming soon and he would fix it, or as those who say that since the Old Testament gave "man" "Dominion" over the Earth, that we can do damn well what we please to it, and that "God won't allow it to be destroyed."
* Think of those who happily and aggressively embrace ignorance when it comes to science, but expect "scientists" to provide them with the latest video game and other technological trifle so they can idle away their increasingly pathetic and meaningless existence.
* And think of those who treat their bodies, the "temple of the spirit", with contempt, becoming morbidly obese, alcoholics, and chronic cigarette smokers, and expect "society" to provide them with as many drugs as necessary to "cure" their addition to sloth, filth, and gluttony.
No, friends, Ned can think of no higher road map than the teachings of jesus. He wishes there were more followers of these teachings than there are 'Christianist' opportunists, prostituting those sacred teachings for their own gain and political power.