keeping the christian embassy in our thoughts

2 Comments

1. Ted
   Posted August 14, 2007 at 8:45 am | Permalink

   See also:

   http://www.locogringo.com/forums/printable.asp?m=649875

2. Ol' E Cross
   Posted August 15, 2007 at 11:03 pm | Permalink

   Okay, I’m a nearing drunk. But, I finally have a window to post. I feel a bit obligated, as a former Christian insider.

   First, semantics. By the above definition of fundamentalists, Jimmy Carter and Billy Graham are fundamentalists. But, both are derided by what christiandom, internally, calls fundamentalists, Carter, for a parade of reasons, Billy, because he brought Catholics on stage and told converts Catholic churches were fine to go to after the alter call. Jimmy’s, of course, a Democrat. Billy is famously bipartisan. Niether wants a theocracy. Heck, by most media definitions many would call my drunk liberal voting ass fundamentalist.

   Second, it’s true that, historically, Christians want the entire world to know of Jesus. Of considerable debate among Christians is whether this means:

   a) The whole world must be converted to Jesus by any means necessary, or
   b) The whole world should be aware of the message of Jesus so as to have the freedom to make an informed decision on what to believe among the infinite options.

   I’m sympathetic to b). I’d like folks to have access to every half-baked and/or well-reasoned ideology to muck through as they see fit. (As such, substituting Islam for Christianity in the video honestly doesn’t bother me a spit. Actually, folks in Washington would do well to study the Qur”an and familiarize themselves with/convert to Islam.)

   I’ve known people that have went to and worked for Campus Crusade. Even liked a couple. I disagree with them because I think they teeter toward a).

   Although CC tends to be more businessy than I’m comfortable with, they are a fairly big tent. I’ve known CC Episcopals and Southern Baptists. As, such, they are, like Billy and Jimmy, berated by true fundies.

   CC doesn’t lobby gov., has no denominational or political affiliations/donations, but does aggressively preach the Jesus. The important question, for me, is what Jesus are they preaching (i.e.., Mark’s Sunday School Jesus or Bush’s flag drenched elephant-man Jesus).

   Because CC is a fairly big tent, my guess is you’ll find both, to degrees.

   But, one telling event in the video clip for me was a military man using the sissified language of “We are the aroma of Christ.” Not the sword, fist, or strong cock. The sweet wafting aroma. I doubt this fellow will be saddling naked prisoners for poloriods to express his Christ-like aroma.

   Yes, Christians typically, and, at times, notoriously, declare a higher loyalty to their God than to state. Frankly, I hope all of us declare a higher loyalty to some morality than we do to the blessed republic.

   I think I mentioned it in the last post on this topic, but CC also has nefarious cells infiltrating professional sports and homeless shelters. Personally, I’ve never cared for CC, because they’ve always seemed to me to be the WalMart or Starbucks of Christian enterprise. (I’m not trying to fully defend them, just explain them.) From what I’ve known of them, they preach the complicated Jesus. Some love Bush. Some hate. They debate.

   You may not like them, but they just want to have a Bible study on every block in world. And, they White House is on a block.

   With the military-industrial lobby etc., there are far realer influences on Washington to lose sleep over than folks having bible studies. I promise you, they’re spending far more time praying about how to be faithful husbands and pleasing aromas while serving on Capitol Hill then are plotting how to take the Hill.

   And yes, insert lecture on religious freedom.