The Unclad Soul

Let’s let it be said that too much of Christian religious talk and action today is a wild distortion of what we have traditionally understood Christianity to be. This fear driven, hostile, endlessly close-minded Christianity of today is a vulgar mishandling of faith. It is a treacherous attack not on liberalism, socialism, atheism. Its target is humanity. And with unscrupulous ferocity it is deadening the spirits of its followers, and, it is literally destroying any possibility of cooperative problem solving in this country. The institutional Church, whatever Christian form it currently takes—Protestant or Catholic, Liberal or Fundamentalist, Strip Mall setting or giant Multiplex Citadel—is in danger of total irrelevance simply because of the grotesque arrogance of today’s far right radical, strident, offensive Christians and their pervasive attacks on people they dislike. They’re not picky. They’re after anyone who does not walk in lock step with their extremism. This row...

A controversial new law co-written by a right wing policy group and a Christian legal organization and passed by the Arizona legislature is called the “Religion Bill.” Supposedly it’s about “religious freedom” for business owners who don’t want to serve or have any business dealings with gays because it offends their religious beliefs. It has other ominous features to it but its thrust is discrimination against those in the LBGTQ community. The legislation has not yet been signed by Governor Jan Brewer, a staunch Conservative and Tea Party advocate, but the fact it ever reached her desk is dismaying and alarming. The growing audacity and bullying tactics of radicals in the Christian conservative movement carries so many contradictions to the true spirit of Christianity and the whole idea of religion. These people have lost their way. There is nothing that identifies them any longer with the Jesus they claim to worship and serve. I personally find their schemes, their gimmi...