« Rhyme or Treason PodcastThe newest Treason »

The Christian Paradox

07/28/05 | by David Raffin [mail] | Categories: News/Info, Links, Quotes

Harper's:

Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that “God helps those who help themselves.” That is, three out of four Americans believe that this uber-American idea, a notion at the core of our current individualist politics and culture, which was in fact uttered by Ben Franklin, actually appears in Holy Scripture. The thing is, not only is Franklin’s wisdom not biblical; it’s counter-biblical. Few ideas could be further from the gospel message, with its radical summons to love of neighbor. On this essential matter, most Americans—most American Christians—are simply wrong, as if 75 percent of American scientists believed that Newton proved gravity causes apples to fly up.

And therein is the paradox. America is simultaneously the most professedly Christian of the developed nations and the least Christian in its behavior.

Permalink

3 comments

Comment from: leslie pool [Visitor]
leslie poolYou're absolutely right "God help those who help themselves" has nothing what ‎‎so ever to do with Christianity's Biblical pornography. Nevertheless, me thinks ‎‎you're confusing mendacious tales of God and universe with the actions of Jesus ‎‎Christ. So let’s not denigrate Jesus any further. --- Not one word in the Bible did ‎‎Christ write! ‎ For, there is a far more malicious paradox at play than the aforementioned ‎quote. ‎What pray tell does "the gospel message, with its radical summons to love ‎of ‎neighbor" have to do with the God from Genesis? The only purpose God had ‎planned for Adam and Eve was to copulate and populate, (“Be ‎fruitful and ‎multiply”) like naked ‎animals that have no shame (“they were naked and not ‎ashamed”). However, gaining knowledge never was allowed. In fact, ‎God ‎threatened them with death should they eat His apple knowledge filled with ‎good ‎and evil, fearing (can gods be afraid?) that they would gain their Lord’s ‎‎omniscience. According to Genesis, God created all the evil knowledge and ‎planted it on earth within reach of His children, long before Adam and Eve ‎‎‎(synonymous to brother and sister) were even conceived. Isn’t that just like a ‎‎man? ‎ Of course, Adam and Eve did eat God’s apple knowledge and gained their Lord’s ‎‎omniscience (Genesis; 3:22). --- In other words, the God of Genesis is no ‎‎smarter than we are. Why question the motives of a God with plans to populate ‎the planet incestuously? By all means, let’s ‎worship a God that demands our ‎NUDITY and IGNORANCE! For He ‎understands libidinous promiscuity amongst ‎kin cannot occur without naked ‎stupidity. Was this the love that you were ‎referring to inside your pornographic ‎gospel? Of course, Eve is presumed to be ‎the first to commit these horrific acts ‎against humanity. Genesis only mentions three ‎sons that Adam and Eve ever had ‎before daughters arrive on the scene. Eve's daughters marry their fathers who are the son's of A&E. Isn’t it heartwarming to know that public ‎schools can finally teach ‎our children about the love between a mother and son, or ‎a father and daughter that ‎God considered GOOD? ‎ But dare we expose them to the evil knowledge that Adam and Eve had gained? ‎‎For it is paradoxically wicked --- perhaps even oxymoronic! Indeed, their evil ‎‎knowledge (the shame of nudity) amounted to MODESTY! My, my … Eve and ‎‎Adam gained a little modesty and covered themselves with fig leaves, for shame! ‎‎Is there any wonder God trumped-up the charges for modesty to crimes of ‎‎disobedience. No doubt, He was chagrined for being exposed as an impotent ‎‎lecherous pervert, promoting incest.‎ The God of Genesis made sure humanity (A&E’s incestuously derived ‎‎descendents) would suffer malevolence, revenge, pestilence, war, sickness, ‎‎disease, and death for Adam and Eve’s evil, evil, evil sins. --- Oh, and let’s not forget the devil that ‎‎the Lord unleashed upon society, just to tempt, titillate, and terrorize... An awful ‎‎high price to pay for gaining MODESTY, wouldn’t you say? ‎ Perhaps, because the God of Genesis is not a God at all, but a Neolithic man ‎‎who had a wet dream. Due to His absent presence, the God of Genesis; 1) lacks ‎ubiquity and 2) ‎omniscience. Without foresight, He can’t predict a thing in ‎advance. For if God had known He was going to destroy and murder everyone, ‎why would He bother to create at all? Where was God when the serpent ‎was cajoling ‎Eve inside the garden grounds? Why was He oblivious when Adam and Eve were ‎eating knowledge? God doesn't even notice Abel enter heaven ‎after his brother Cain had killed him, despite the fact that Abel's the FIRST ‎and ONLY human being ever to arrive in heaven. ‎... But who needs ubiquity or omniscience if one has omnipotence? ... Well, ‎unfortunately, the God of Genesis has a dearth of powerful might as well. As odd ‎and strange as it may seem, (assuming that the God of Genesis could create in ‎the first place) the Lord couldn't turn back the clock (that He didn’t invent) and ‎change the events according to His pernicious plans; keep humanity ‎incestuously ‎breeding, like naked animals that have no shame. ‎ It’s truly amazing were not extinct by now what with religions creating poor role ‎‎models for humanity to follow. For they alone are the reason we have taken so ‎‎long to evolve. With gods like these, who needs devils? As for the crimes that ‎‎religious creeds and their fateful flocks have committed against humanity, Christ, ‎‎and God … well, She’ll take of them in the hereafter. Awoman! ‎
09/05/05 @ 23:10
Comment from: David Raffin [Member] Email
You seem a bit confused. The above is a link to Harper's Magazine and a quote from the linked story, offered without comment.

Thus, the poster can take no credit for being "absolutely right" or the blame of "confusing mendacious tales of God and universe with the actions of Jesus Christ."
Nor did the poster posit any personal faith; thus "Was this the love that you were referring to inside your pornographic gospel?" is rendered an absurd question. The poster could make no such reference as there was no editorial comment here to accompany a link and descriptive quote to content offsite.

You may wish to make comment to the original site / author instead.
09/06/05 @ 01:04
Comment from: leslie pool [Visitor]
leslie poolOhhhh ... well then ... never mind...
09/11/05 @ 23:54
AfterTaste
"Not since radical physicist Benny Hill first postulated that time slowed down while being chased by bikini-clad women; however, from the vantage point of the viewer, time sped up, have the masses been witness to such a momentous spectacle."
- David Raffin's website
Twitter | Facebook
Amazon Wishlist

Webhosting? DreamHost.

    XML Feeds

    Search

    Who's Online?

    • Guest Users: 0
    powered by b2evolution free blog software