What Have They Lost?
By Staff Writer: Theresa Chaze
So called Christian leaders, traditionalists and
conservative talk show hosts continue to stirred up the old
bigotries and unfounded fears in the ignorant. Their message is
that Christianity is under attack therefore they have to fight back
to save their religion. Increasingly they blame secular
progressives for all the troubles and woes in the world. They claim
that if the world followed Christian morals there wouldn’t be as
much violence or hatred in the world; as if only Christians were
capable of having good values. But in reality is that true? Is
Christianity under attack? Or are other religions and ways of life
just being included in society? What have Christians lost? They
are still free to worship, however they no longer able to force
others to pray the same or live their lives by the same doctrine.
But is that so wrong? Are Christians the loving people they claim
to be? Or they just as fallible as the rest of the population?
While some talk show hosts were stopping short of calling
for a boycott of stores that didn’t stay the magic words, “Merry
Christmas’ they over looked the fact that many people couldn’t
afford to celebrate it. Many areas hit by Katrina still aren’t
receiving the necessary resources needed for them to recover. Many
are without power. Homes remain unlivable, while access to
temporary shelters will soon be withdrawn. Most businesses remained
closed, thereby limiting employment possibilities. But the gulf
states are not the only ones. The increases in gas prices has
raised havoc with most family’s budgets by not only increasing the
cost of heating homes but also transportation, which in turn raises
the costs of all products and services. Two car manufactures have
terminated thousand of jobs and closed of many of their factories.
Other companies have scaled back, those that continue to hire do so
with lower paying jobs with fewer benefits. The cost for health
care, food, shelter–all the necessities of life continue to
increase in price, yet a family should determine where they spend
their dollars on the whether or not the magic words are used. Bill
O’Reilly said all they need to do is hang banners for each of the
holidays; banners cost money, especially for smaller businesses,
which in turn raise the prices of products without adding any extra
value. He was so quick to make unreasonable demands, yet didn’t
volunteer to cover the added expenses. While he and others are
quick point fingers at businesses who are inclusive, they
continually ignore or excuse Christian organizations, which do
harm.
Are Christians morals and value superior to other
religions’. Pat Robertson is a good example. He is an accepted
Christian leader, yet he calls for the assignation of other
country’s leaders. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez regained power
after an attempted coup. Roberts claimed it would be easier and
cheaper to send a covert operatives to kill Chavez than starting a
war. He believes that Chavez is dangerous to the United States
because he controls a great “pool of oil". So much for “Thou shall
not kill.” His latest commits about Israel’s prime minister, Ariel
Sharon’s illness being send by God to punish him for dividing Israel
is just another example of the Christian mind set. Robertson only
apologized for his commits after he was excluded from the fifty
million dollar Christian Heritage Center that he had been
negotiating to build with the Israel government in northern
Galileo. Abraham Huchson, Israel’s Tourism Minister said,
Robertson’s help is no longer welcomed for the proposed center.
Although his comments have been criticized by many, he has been
never sanctioned or censored. He has been freely able to share his
views not only on his Christian Broadcast Network, but his message
has been carried in many other media outlets. What has he lost?
His message is sent out, but instead of receiving approval, he is
condemned for his bigotry. That is the only difference. Instead
of receiving praise, he became the poster boy for intolerance.
The end of January, 2006 four late teen boys were sentenced
for aggravated assault and battery and second degree lynching of an
African American teen. Yes, in the twenty-first century lynching is
still a reality in South Carolina. In the dictionary, lynching is
defined as seizing somebody believed to have committed a crime and
putting him or her to death immediately and without trial, usually
by hanging. But in South Carolina lynching is defined as a mob
attack against an individual where the victim survives. However 17
year old Isaiah Clyburn was not guilty or even accused of a crime
nor was he out looking for a fight; on July 7, 2005 he was simply
walking home on a country road when pickup trucks containing,
Justin Ashley Phillips, 18; Kenneth Eugene Miller Jr., 18, Jerry
Christopher Toney, 18, Christopher Scott Cates, 17, and Lucas Grice,
17 intercepted him.. The teens shouted racial slurs and challenged
him to fight. But instead Clyburn chose to run. His attackers
followed and beat him as he tried to escape to a friend’s home. The
attack only ended through the intervention by others. Afterwards,
the teens were proud of their behavior and bragged to friends. They
were charged and plead guilty. As reported in CNN, one defense
attorney repeatedly tried to excuse his client by calling the attack
a fight. While another attempted to lesson the sentencing “by
claiming his client was a good churchgoing boy who made a foolish
mistake” Judge Doyet Early was unimpressed and handed down
sentences from 2 ½ to six years. He condemned the teens as cowards
and embarrassment to their community. As in the past, there was no
boys will be boys slap on the wrist excuses accepted nor did the
religious path of the defendants sway the judge. Although they
could have received up to twenty years, the sentences are more
severe than they would have been given in previous times. Instead
they were held responsible for their actions, much to their
surprise.
Once again Christians are pushing to require creationism to
be taught in public schools; Only now it has been renamed to
intelligent design. New name. Old belief. Intelligent design
states that life is not the consequences of events as explained by
Darwin, but life was created by an intelligent designer. Although
in public schools the designer isn’t named, it is still implied that
God is the creator of life. Ignoring the separation of church and
state, they continue to try to force their beliefs on others in the
by renaming their beliefs science even though there isn’t any
legitimate science in their theories. Singing because the Bible
tells me so, is not scientific proof; it is a faith based belief not
a fact. DNA, archeological discoveries, and chemical evidence is
proof. Christians claim it is their first amendment right to have
their beliefs presented in the public schools because other
religions are freely discussed. Yes, they are discussed, but not in
the science classes, but as way to bringing a clearer understanding
between cultures. Discussing religion in the context of a
philosophy or social science is much different than promotion it as
a scientific fact. In many cases when the Christian beliefs are
promoted without restriction, it is made to be superior to all other
religions; instead of promoting tolerance and understanding, the
opposite becomes true. What they teach in their private schools is
another matter, but they can not legally promote their beliefs as
scientific fact in the public schools. In spite of the continuing
legal losses, some Christians continue to try to force their beliefs
into the public school system. The Dover Area School District in
Pennsylvania tried to be the first in the nation to require
Intelligent Design be taught as an alternative to Evolution. On
October 4, 2005 by a vote to 6-3 the school board approved the
decision. In December of that same year, it was challenged. After
a six week trial, the school board lost, not only the court battle
but their seats on the board. Again in Kansas, Intelligent Design
was forced in the scientific curriculum; it prompted controversy and
sarcastic responses, including a letter to the Kansas School board
from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, demanding that
their view of creationism also be included in the curriculum.
Printed nation wide, letter brought more attention to the issue.
Again the school board was changed and Intelligent Design was
removed from the science classes.
The talk show hosts and so called “Christian leaders” claim
that Christianity is under attack. That their rights are being
whittled away by secular progressives who are working to undermine
their religion. They claim they can no longer practice in public
without being discriminated against. This is not true. They can
practice their religion, however they can no longer force it on
others. The Christian religion is not under attack; the only
thing they have lost is a protected status and exclusive control
over the spirituality of the nation. Others religions have been
raised to equal status by giving equal rights and protection under
the law. No longer can the Christians attack those that are
different without being held legally responsible for their actions.
This doesn’t mean they haven’t given up trying to covert others–
no. They persist in trying to force their beliefs on others by
whatever means necessary. The only difference is that they are
being arrested and convicted for the damage they do. If the secular
progressives are the root of all society’s evils, why are they
promoting tolerance and inclusion. Christians claim they are they
prohibited from practicing their religion. Is there a penalty for
wishing others a Merry Christmas? No. According to some, Christian
values include promoting assassination, lynching and ignoring of
scientific facts that doesn’t support your specific belief. Do we
as a society really want to promote violence and ignorance? Or do
we want our people to have equal protection under the law? So after
all the legal battles and debates, what have Christians lost?
Nothing.