cross-posted at liberalstreetfight
Ya know what bugs me about Jesus? Nothing. It's what many of his so-called followers do that bugs me. Jesus himself was an ass-kicking rebel as far as I'm concerned. Nevermind how much innocent blood the maniacs that call themselves Christians have spilled over the past two millennia, let's see what they've been up to in the news lately.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that as a young athelete back in the 70's, I was a Holy Cross Crusader. We had a really great football team. Our chant was "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
(I'm not saying all Christians are bad. Just the dangerous ones that didn't understand a word Jesus said.)
Bind, Torture, Kill
An eye for an eye is great until your poking the pointy end of your self-righteous stick at a member of your church's leadership. Church leader and suspected serial killer "BTK" is lucky enough to have found forgiveness and understanding at his place of worship.
"We are not going to cut him off. I could tell that he was relieved," his pastor reportedly said on Wednesday. "He is still a part of the body of Christ, and that is something some people will have a hard time hearing."
It's not that I have a hard time hearing that, pastor. What I have a hard time with is the fact that a member of your congregation could kill ten people and be embraced, but if he sucked one cock that's all anyone would remember about him as they rode him out of town on a rail.
Next!
True Believers Only
Cool! Soon, federally-funded jobs training programs run by religious organizations may be able to discriminate against potential hires based on their religious beliefs. It's not like they're using taxpayer money or anything. Oh... wait...
The day after Bush scolded Congress for "not acting on his faith-based initiatives and criticized a government culture he said was unfriendly to religious groups," the House narrowly passed (224 to 200) a bit of legislation that would allow religious groups to be unfriendly to the rest of us... with the government's financial support. That was close. Bush almost got angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
According to the AP, current law states that religious organizations that participate in federal job training programs cannot discriminate in hiring or firing for taxpayer-funded jobs. The House bill would remove that prohibition, meaning that a church or synagogue could use a person's religious beliefs in determining employment for a federally funded job.
See that rock that just bounced past you? Don't look up the hill.
The Death State
According to a release issued by the Campaign for Children and Families, a poll showing that Californians support assisted suicide legislation "is out of touch with the majority of people who are naturally opposed to hospitals killing patients. Respondents should have been asked `do you approve of doctors killing patients?' and `should depressed patients receive counseling or suicide pills?' People would have answered very differently!"
And...
"Assisted suicide will ensure the death of innocent Californians at the hands of an increasingly unscrupulous insurance industry which regards dead people as cheaper to take care of."
Somebody on the Bush team had better call CCF and let them know that the Unscrupulous Insurance Industry is on their side. They must have been thinking of unscrupulous trial lawyers or something.
Football, the Military, Academics, and of course, Team Jesus Christ
Surveys conducted at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs showed that non-Christian cadets felt harassed. (Non-Christian, non-males are much worse off at the Academy, but we won't go into that right now.) They also felt that their Christian counterparts received preferential treatment.
The Academy rightfully initiated sensitivity training so that The Damned wouldn't have hurt feelings anymore, and they also asked the football coach to take down the locker-room banner that read "I am a Christian first and last... I am a member of Team Jesus Christ."
Coach Fisher DeBerry is still considering whether or not to continue the post-game prayers, saying "I don't think you separate religion from normal everyday life. Religion is a part of life. Football, academics, military training--everything."
I would only like to add that Wyoming kicked Air Force's ass last season. In the immortal words of Edward G. Robinson, "Where's your messiah now?"