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| November 30, 2006 Editor’s Desk by Aaron Selbig, insurgent49 Onward, Christian Soldiers
It’s been a faithful week here at Insurgent Headquarters. I am a reformed Christian … a born-again Atheist, if you will. In my formative years, I definitely considered myself a Christian. I studied the Bible, attended church and youth ministry, subjected myself to intensive catechism (articles of faith) training in the Lutheran Church, and was even a Sunday School teacher for awhile. There were many reasons why I devoted much of my life during those years to Christianity, not the least of which was a deep admiration for the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. And that admiration still holds for me today, even as an Atheist. Jesus was a great man. He was wise and forgiving. He fought tyranny with love. His best friends were thieves, prostitutes and tax collectors. He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers (Mark 11:15-19). And he had some wonderful things to say. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” That was Jesus (Mark 5:3-10). One of my personal faves. Unfortunately, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ have today been perverted and distorted by false prophets. Consider the following quotes on the subject of homosexuality from today’s Christian leaders, and maybe you’ll see what I mean: “AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.” – Jerry Falwell “If the widespread practice of homosexuality will bring about the destruction of your nation, if it will bring about terrorist bombs, if it'll bring about earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor, it isn't necessarily something we ought to open our arms to.” – Pat Robertson "While words like 'diversity' and 'unity' sound harmless … the reality is they are often used by gay activists as cover for teaching children that homosexuality is the moral and biological equivalent to heterosexuality." – James Dobson Wow. Pretty nasty stuff, ain’t it? Maybe you’re wondering what Jesus had to say about homosexuality during his life? After all, if all of these important and influential Christian leaders are so adamantly, violently opposed to homosexuals and their “agenda”, Jesus must have railed against it, too … right? Wrong. He didn’t. In all of the Gospels, the only existing accounts of the life of Jesus Christ, there are exactly ZERO references to homosexuality. Oh sure, there are a couple of references in the Old Testament, but they’re right alongside such equally grave sins as wearing clothes made from more than one type of fiber (Leviticus 19:19). Once again, false prophets have hijacked the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and, as an admirer of Jesus, I find it outrageous. Some of my atheistic and agnostic friends might disagree, but I do not believe that the views of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell (or Jerry Prevo, for that matter) represent those of the majority of Christians. It’s time for Christians everywhere to band together and fight the perception that they are all in league with the misguided and un-Christian likes of Falwell/Robertson/Dobson. There is absolutely no difference between Muslims being portrayed as suicide-bombing terrorists and Christians being represented by these bigoted, hateful moneychangers. There are a handful of Christian organizations out there who are working to dispel the myth that they are all sexist, gay-bashing hatemongerers; groups like CrossLeft and the Center For Progressive Christianity, for instance. But what needs to happen is a broader movement, a louder voice. True Christians need to band together, rise up and defeat the false prophets who have hijacked their religion, and the time to do it is now. Why? Because it’s what Jesus would do. Aaron Selbig is an activist and media junkie who resides in an undisclosed location in downtown Anchorage. He is the winner of a 2006 Alaska Press Club award for Best Editorial Writing, host of KUDO 1080 AM's 'The Aaron Selbig Show' and a co-founder of Insurgent49. Aaron may be contacted at editor@insurgent49.com 'Editor's Desk' appears on insurgent49.com every Thursday. |
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November 23, 2006 November 10, 2006 November 3, 2006 October 27, 2006 October 13, 2006 October 6, 2006 September 29, 2006 September 22, 2006 September 15, 2006 September 8, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 25, 2006 August 18, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 4, 2006 July 28, 2006 July 21, 2006 July 14, 2006 June 30, 2006 June 23, 2006 June 16, 2006 June 9, 2006 June 2, 2006 May 26, 2006 May 12, 2006 May 5, 2006 April 28, 2006 April 21, 2006 April 14, 2006 April 7, 2006 March 31, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 17, 2006 March 3, 2006 February 24, 2006 February 17, 2006 February 10, 2006 February 3, 2006 January 27, 2006 January 20, 2006 January 13, 2006 January 6, 2006 December 30, 2005 December 23, 2005 December 16, 2005 December 10, 2005 December 2, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 18, 2005 November 11, 2005 November 4, 2005 October 28, 2005 October 21, 2005 October 14, 2005 October 7, 2005 September 30, 2005 September 23, 2005 September 16, 2005 September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 28, 2005 April 21, 2005 April 14, 2005 April 7, 2005 April 1, 2005 |
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