Essays on my Beefs pt.1

These Blogs are a response to a discussion group that I am in on facebook that discusses Christianity's role in the American Government, and thus in the world at large.

This spicific discussion is entitled: Its Time to Ask the Question: "What Should We Resist?", with the topic statement, "what pisses you off about Christianity in America?"
This and any further "Essays on my Beefs" will relate to this topic and/or group discussion in general. I thought I would post it here for more of the general (non-facebook) public to see. Feedback is more than welcome!
-justin

first thing off the top of my head!!!how people blindly follow!!! the majority of modern Christians can't think for their selves! What urks me even more is the fact that, when my previous pastor and I talked about this very issue, he took the approach that "since they can't think for their selves, and won't take the time to even try to think on their own, it is our job as ministers to protect them." this means telling them what to believe and even throwing out the names of scholars whom are respected in the world of Academia, who regularly appear on religions news/documentaries as experts of opinion on the subject. He would throw a name out (like Spong or Crossan to name couple) and say, "whenever i see that this person or that person is going to be on that religious topical program, i quickly turn it off."

This sends the message to the blind followers not to listen to any ideas of these people and decide for yourself if you agree with their points or not! I responded to his approach by arguing that it is our jobs as the leaders and teachers of the church to EDUCATE the people to think critically so that they don't have to be told what to believe. I believe that this is foundational in having an owned faith and instrumental to being able to follow God's call in their individual lives. This of course was shot down!

Now onto the subject of government & religious responsibility in America. I think that there is a correlation between our indoctrination techniques in churches and the willingness to blindly follow our government without question simply because the person in power has a podium in front of him when he tells the nation what to think! Perhaps that is a fundamental job of the church (and thank God for postmodernity) to teach people to question EVERYTHING!!! To educate others to understand that the people behind the podium (be it in church or in our government) is not infallible (although yes i know that language is not used towards a person, but the actions of the multitude indicate otherwise), and can in fact be wrong! It is the responsibility of the citizen (be it the Citizen of the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdoms on earth) to hold those in charge accountable and to not blindly accept and support what is said. Instead, the person of power and the words that were spoken should be weighed and bathed in prayer and against the "scripture"/ tradition of that (for lack of better words) institution. (Scripture/tradition for Christians= Bible, scholars, and fathers&mothers of the faith! Scripture/tradition for our Government= Constitution, bill of rights, and the spirit set forth by our founding fathers and the leaders or early democracy!)