Why Are Christians so Angry



Even though Christians are in the driver's seat in so many ways, they continue to think, instead, they are under siege. This peculiar thinking makes them worse off than they would be if they simply accepted reality as it is. Reality is we are not a Christian nation. Christianity worldwide is a minority but Christians in the U.S. can still believe whatever religious tenants they choose. It seems to me Christians do not have anything to be angry about.

I know, however, this is not about some objective measurement of circumstances. It is about expectations. Parts of the faith are so confident they know "the truth" they expect to prevail first in converting everyone to their faith and second making their rules of faith the rules of government. 

We need only look at recent events surrounding abortion and rights of homosexual people. Somehow, the peculiar notion got into the heads of millions of Christians their religious views should become the law of the land. Not only did they think this, they were told by those who make money advocating religion in government it would happen. Fund raising went into full gear. 

But, gay marriage became legal and abortion is still available. What to do? Get mad, that's what. Get mad and send even more money to the hopeless causes of putting Christian tenants into law. Thus, one of the reasons some Christians are so mad is that unrealistic expectations were dangled in front of them and they could never quite take a bite.

Some of the anger also comes from the lack of respect the faith has among fellow citizens. An author who teaches classes generically called "The Bible as Literature" has students read the Bible as they would Shakespeare of other literature. She was surprised students did not want to be seen carrying a Bible around campus so they would keep it covered. Bible readers were assumed to be gun advocates and anti government Republicans. It bothers some Christians the public's perception of the faith has become so negative. This is a problem created by the faith itself.

In about three months we will see the angry Christians come out and vote. We will find out if their numbers increased or decreased in recent years.

Comments

  1. little helperJuly 31, 2020 at 6:23 PM

    I detect a little conflating going on here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenJuly 31, 2020 at 8:21 PM

      helper--Some explanation of what you might mean would be helpful.

      Delete
    2. Jon LindgrenJuly 31, 2020 at 9:00 PM

      helper--Of course I knew you would not explain what you meant. I don't have time to read your mind or play "guess what I'm thinking."

      Delete
    3. little helperAugust 1, 2020 at 12:45 AM

      JON'; I DID REPLY to your 8;21. I think you jumped the gun . Perhaps you missed it in your haste to have the last word. I said something to the effect of; " You are a smart man figure it out yourself. Hint; " Why are "some" Christians angry" would suffice. "

      You remind me of little father jimmie of a few years ago. Remember him and his conflation? Anything not RCC was all in one, the same thing. He provided several names , crimes, and places of which he accused my church. I took each name and event one by one, and revealed to him not one was from my synod. If I remember right, he went silent after that. I do miss him so.

      Delete
  2. Jon LindgrenAugust 1, 2020 at 5:51 AM

    helper--I have no idea what you are talking about. Done.

    ReplyDelete
  3. little helperAugust 1, 2020 at 6:07 AM

    Getting feeble?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ardy BAugust 1, 2020 at 8:21 AM

    Jon, “Even though Christians are in the driver's seat in so many ways, they continue to think, instead, they are under siege.”

    My lame understanding of biblical literature led me to believe that after the Decalogue was delivered to the Jews by Moses those ten prohibitions and prescriptions were spun over centuries into thousands of laws by the rabbinical crowd. Then along comes rabbi Yeshua’s ministry to release the Jewish people from the burden of “The Law” by declaring a radical simplification. All they needed was Love. Love of God and love of their neighbors as themselves. Christianity was born. This simple seed of humility was churned over centuries, much as the Decalogue of the past, into more interpretations of the faith than the branches of the Animal Kingdom provided by Zoology.

    Ultimately as we witness today many Christians in America are angry and resentful. To me the question for Christianity is how did the love declared and expressed by rabbi Yeshua’s ministry devolve into the seething anger and resentment of some of the flock. My guess is some of the clerical crowd. The problem with their campaign against perceived unfairness is the tendency to lose sight of how such a crusade engages in the unfair treatment of others. There are all kinds of folks on this planet and Mother Earth does not revolve around the Son of the Christian God. Perhaps keep the faith local, love and let love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenAugust 1, 2020 at 9:22 AM

      Ardy B "Perhaps keep the faith local, love and let love."

      I haven't looked into it a lot, but I do not know of a single political position from the religious right that is based on something we might call "love." Abortion rights, gay rights, withholding public health and welfare programs are all based on hate and revenge. I suppose they would say they are based on sin--whatever, same thing.

      Delete
    2. Ardy BAugust 1, 2020 at 11:56 AM

      Jon August 1, 2020 @ 9:22 AM. “ I do not know of a single political position from the religious right that is based on something we might call "love."

      That is certainly true. Maybe I’m mistaken but it seems Christianity has deviated far from my understanding of it’s origin in a ministry of love and humility. Over centuries this deviation is driven in my opinion by some self-serving clergy and a select few of politically ambitious influencers in and out of the pews. Anger I thought was to be tempered by love and resentment by forgiveness. Somewhere in there was tolerance.

      Declaring a war on “sin” as an expression of Christian love is perverse. Claiming an interventionist deity would insert souls containing a strange bit of free-will code into a fertilized egg at conception knowing full well a third of them will spontaneously abort is perverse. Thinking that true meaningful love is reserved by a deity to heterosexuals is perverse. The obscene distribution of most of the wealth to one percent of the population in what is claimed to be a Christian nation is perverse. In the fullness of time Christianity will rightfully succumb to foolishly acting on perverse interpretations of its moral foundation. “What’s love got to do with it.“

      Delete

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