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Location: Missouri, United States

(1960- ) American writer, humorist, and biblical scholar.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Meanwhile back at the ranch....

The Tempest posted a response to the various Christian wing-nuts that e-mail him regularly:

American Theocracy…Closer Than You Think
Posted by The Tempest on 8th August 2006

Theocracy \The*oc”ra*cy\, n. [Gr. ?; ? God + ? to be strong, torule, fr. ? strength: cf. F. th[’e]ocratie. See {Theism}, andcf. {Democracy}.]1. Government of a state by the immediate direction oradministration of God; hence, the exercise of politicalauthority by priests as representing the Deity.[1913 Webster]

It’s no big secret that I read through my email “religiously”. Yup. There are literally hundreds daily. They tend to range from praise, to “pretty good” to “pour gasoline on yourself, light a match and do the world a favor”. You can imagine, I’m sure. I don’t let them get to me (the bad ones, I mean), but it really shows you there are some folks out there who would benefit greatly from some nice relaxing shock therapy.

Today’s post zeros in on the mail I get from some very angry Christians. From around the world, they send me proverbs and passages from the Bible. (<— I capitalize it as a show of respect.) Mostly, their emails consist mainly of calling me horrible names and telling me I’m going to Hell. (<—I capitalized that just to even the playing field.)

For the record, I know I’m never going to attempt to ‘convert’ you into accepting me just as I am for who I am. Trust me when I say that I know a brick wall when I’m talking to one. On the other side of the coin (I’ll be the ‘bottom’ here), you really need to get it through your heads that I can not - WILL NOT - be converted into a religion. Not gonna happen. Nope. Nuh uh.

And stop with the “You’re Anti-Religion!” I’m NOT your religious enemy! I never once have said your religion sucks and you’re all a bunch of brainwashed yahoos. I have only said - and will continue saying till my dying day- I don’t want religion in my life. I believe in being a good person and my faith is in people. I understand that goes against your belief system and it really chaps your ass. But my faith doesn’t give me cause to pre-judge or hate those I don’t know. My faith doesn’t allow me to wage war against those who don’t pray at the same alter.

Are you listening Osama and Bush?Okay, so that part is said. And it’s on the record.

Then I read on and I notice a pattern (other than the severe lack of “Love Thy Neighbor”) that most certainly does make me cringe. There have been many stating their anticipation of our government becoming far more “God Fearing” and “Evangelical”. I can’t even imagine a more frightening scenario. Oh wait…there are a few examples I can use as a comparison.
Iran
Bhutan
Saudi Arabia
What’s that you say? That could never happen here in America? Ri-i-ight. So just when did you wake up from that coma?
Turn on your TV.
Read a newspaper.
Listen to the candidates and those already in state government or Washington.

The preaching and judging going on from those supposedly elected to represent all of us are slowly but surely leaning their views and actions toward evangelical pontification and away from the will of all their constituents. In many ways, many people in this country are being told,
“If you don’t believe in my God, then you are my enemy and your life and issues mean nothing and you no longer matter. If you’re not willing to pray with me, you and all of your ‘Godless’ like-minded people should shut up and leave the fate of this country to us. God is on our side, not yours.”

I know this hateful message is spreading like a virus, because all of the hate mail I get from people of “faith” seem to express that very message to one degree or another. If you really don’t like my message or ‘belief system’, then don’t read it. I honestly don’t write anything that is meant to offend any of my so-called “targets”. You can’t offend someone with the truth.
I will always write against those who would tell others that they are less human because they don’t pray or ‘believe’. When you use your religion (which I thought was based on peace and love) as a weapon to beat down others, I’m going to pounce.

So, the next time you send a message telling someone (me) to kill themselves just because they (I) don’t kneel before you (e-mailers & Bush) and pray, it’s yet proof that it’s easier to go against even your own religion than to practice what you preach.

Unless your religion is actually HYPOCRISY.

Hypocrisy \Hy*poc”ri*sy\ (h[i^]*p[o^]k”r[i^]*s[y^]), n.; pl.{Hypocrisies} (-s[i^]z). [OE. hypocrisie, ypocrisie, OF.hypocrisie, ypocrisie, F. hypocrisie, L. hypocrisis, fr. Gr.“ypo`krisis the playing a part on the stage, simulation,outward show, fr. “ypokr`nesqai to answer on the stage, toplay a part; “ypo` under + kri`nein to decide; in the middlevoice, to dispute, contend. See {Hypo-}, and {Critic}.]The act or practice of a hypocrite; a feigning to be what oneis not, or to feel what one does not feel; a dissimulation,or a concealment of one’s real character, disposition, ormotives; especially, the assuming of false appearance ofvirtue or religion; a simulation of goodness.[1913 Webster]

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