WWJD: Fossil Free Jesus

The Land Demands Its Sabbath

While "the world" focuses on rights - entitlements - so does the church. The gospel has been sterilized. No longer do christians proclaim the need to repent. Rather, one merely needs to say a cute little prayer and bam - the world and its wonders are yours!

But the bible speaketh otherwise. "The land must not be sold permanently, for the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants...you must provide for the redemption of the land." - Leviticus 25 [niv]

Part of the redemption is to allow the land to have a sabbath. It is to be respected, cared for, and given "rights". This must be a priority for the religious. If we don't give the land what it deserves, God will intervene and "lay waste the land" [i.e. kill off the people], so that the "land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths." [Lev 26].

Let's hear that preached/lived by church goers - who drive to church in total disrespect to the land and all its inhabitants.

Stupid Myth #2: The Bible Is Holy

Just a tease for now...watch for the truth...

Stupid Myth #1: Christianity Is Not A Religion

So what is it then? Is it a philosophy...a science...a social science?

Who came up with this idea anyway? Well, if we look at the bible, supposedly the foundation of most Christians ideas about Christianity, we an interesting view.  In James 2 [NIV] we read:

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress [better translated: oppression] and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Hmmm. That is quite different from saying that religion, per se, is bad. By the way, the second part of the myth is ...”it is a relationship with God”. Let’s stick with these verses: so God wants all to watch what they say and to care for those being oppressed. And we are to be pure: not to live in luxury and self-indulgence [Ch. 5]. And the context of James  is clear: the necessity of caring for the poor and a condemnation of the rich.

So we see very clearly and practically what kind of religion/Christian God demands. But the church “waters down” the demands to what you can get from God. It projects a romantic “relationship” as the goal – not a life of love for one an-other [and all of God’s creations] [2:8]. It is more palatable to alter demands to benefits. Turning God into a mere sugar daddy or lover, all sense of responsibility is void.

James lays it on the line. Perhaps this is why the church fathers tried to keep James out of the canon. Perhaps this is why pastors rarely preach on it. And if they do, they pick and choose to avoid the demands – another example of PAC theology.

This Jesus Anarchist Dude Should Be Jailed!

Isn't that what church goers have done throughout the millennium? "Put on your Sunday best"....But that is not the Christ of the bible. Nor is John The Baptist like that - but a man wearing camel hair and eating locusts!

Just make sure all your friends are church goers, clean-cut and obey all the rules/laws. Church goers don't like the real Jesus. From a 1917 poster about the rebel:

For more on Art Young

Evangelicals Pick And Choose Verses [PAC Theology]

In response to a debate on Q about Trinity Western College being qualified to teach law at their school:

First, to really under-stand the rep from the evangelical association – Don Hutchinson – you either have to be a student of evangelicalism or a reformed one. There is a grave dishonesty among evangelicals that many do not realize. For example, he cited, for “biblical reasons” he thought things were right or wrong. In this case, homosexuality was the target. 

Hmm. So what does this mean? The bible says something, so it must be believed and obeyed? Okay. If this is the case, how does he or evangelicals decide which part of the bible? And of course we know that there is only one interpretation of a verse or verses or the nature of the bible [eg. Literal or one story of the Jewish people]! Hmm. So things are pretty black and white – very clear and easy to know what is right and wrong. Hmm. So he picks out – or could – a few verses – and there are only a few – that perhaps say that being gay is a sin. Though upon closer examination, the references were about gang rape or pederasty. Hmm.  So what now? Well, let’s just ignore that – it conflicts with our premise and ideology.

More importantly, perhaps, is that they pick and choose what verses they will take literally. I call this PAC Theology: pick and choose theology. The scary and very real thing is that few or no one questions this. I was one of them. I was there. I know.

Rather than question the bible,  the evangelical will die to defend it. This means ignoring obvious contradictions – not only within the text – but with real-it-y. They can’t see reality. Just as any “good” religion, philosophy, political party or any ideology – the “true believer” is blind to any “truth” outside of their version. 

An example of PAC Theology is the biblical support for slavery. Even Paul tells slaves to obey their masters. When you confront evangelicals, they have a way of rationalizing it. Either it’s “progressive revelation” or that Paul didn’t really mean it – he just meant to suffer for the glory of God. Huh???

Fear-ful l of admitting that the bible is wrong, they will dishonestly “explain it”. But this is pure dishonesty. The bible’s call to social justice and radicalism is clear. But that gets ignored. Jesus says the rich cannot enter the kingdom of God – just as a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. Oh, but the next verse says all things are possible with God. So it is possible. And yet the next verses talk about the disciples leaving all to follow Jesus. Yet evangelical will ignore everything but the one verse. And commentaries say the last verses shouldn’t be in that part of bible. Hmm. So it’s okay to be rich. Commentators bastardize this section by saying “well as long as you aren’t obsessed with material goods”. But Jesus told the rich dude to sell all and follow me. No prayer, no admitting of sin!

These are just 2 examples of PAC Theology. 

Simplistic thinking and obedience to authority keep it all going. Evangelicals don’t question, for the most part. They believe their pastors’ interpretation of the bible and whatever they say. “Home churches” or “bible studies” discuss what the pastor said the previous Sunday. This is VERY scary. Let’s not forget that the CHURCH sanctified slavery, supported Hitler, the oppression of women/children, and the destruction of the environment [and still do – though the bible says to care for it and that it is God’s land]. 

Okay, let's look at one of God's wonders: 

How Can "Christians" Destroy?

How can supposed Christians destroy what God has made? If we take the bible literally and believe God made the world...and we are commanded to care for it [Genesis 2], how is it that greed and selfishness becomes the real god of the church today.

Note the jet streams in the pic - devastation that only the rich can "create". But who will listen and change? The church justifies greed and destruction of the poor and the land. Stuffing their ears, Jesus' words get muffled or more like ignored, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" [Mark 8]. What? No materialism? What will people think?

Come on Jesus, the latest iphone just got released...it's prettier than mine! And they all said "Amen"!
[the pollution to make electronics and dispose of them is devastating]