April 19, 2005

Fundamentals of the faith.

This came across our department listserv yesterday: an article on the true meaning of the term "fundamentalist Christian." While Catholics don't always fall into this grouping, we could all certainly use to read this short piece when they are picking a new pope for the world as I type this. Some folks have mentioned some of the author's points on this very blog, in comments to posts about religion or tolerance. It seems to hit home, it does. I think, if Jesus were alive and living in American, he'd think that Pat Robertson was a jackass. W.W.J.D.? He'd love everyone and want everyone to have the chance to express their love for other people; he'd want everyone to be able to marry whoever they want to. He'd tell us that wars are stupid if there's no immediate threat. What are we fighting, the Crusades again, only this time to spread democracy? W.W.J.D. about abortion rights? I don't know where he'd stand on the issue, but he certainly wouldn't stand outside of abortion clinics calling people baby-killers and sinners. That's hate speech, and he preached love, right? I saw some people on the side of a busy road in Maryland last summer with gigantic photos of dead fetuses that sorta looked like babies, and they were shouting that we were all evil and going to hell. For my part, I stuck my head out the window, told them they were "fucking sick" and drove my car a little too fast and a little too close to their picket line on the side of the road. I probably cut a bunch of people off on my way home after that, since I was angry and spreading it. Hate only breeds more hate, as it did in me that day. On a lighter note, W.W.J.D. about coffee? He'd drink too much of it and then blog about things he didn't really think about all that much. Wait, that's W.W.JohnnyDo~

6 comments:

lucidity said...

The whole idea of faith always perplexes me. How do you define something that is self-evident? I mean, how is one person more 'faithful' over another?

Are you a true catholic/hindu/etc becuase you follow the religion's teachings EXACTLEY?

I always thought religion was there to guide you in life, apply the teachings to your current situations. Being rigid about a certain issue isn't being faithful, it's just ignorant.

Pragmatik said...

I don't know about the other religions, Peter, but the Catholic Church indeed says that one is not really Catholic if one does not believe everything that the Church tells them to believe -- which is why some Church leaders think poorly of American Catholics, who seem to pick and choose what to believe. This is one of the biggest reasons I am no longer really Catholic; I can't buy a lot of what comes with it. I don't know if the Church would go by more faithful or less faithful. Either you agree and are faithful, of you don't and are not faithful. Everything is very black and white with them sometimes.

I mean no offense to any Catholic readers. There are a lot of good things about the Catholic Church, too, I know.

Pragmatik said...

Rach, J.C. is awesome. I wonder if Jesus would get...high....
:)

lucidity said...

Yeah, I agree John, some of the practices of the church are a bit questionable.

But I guess questioning things is what ultimately gives you faith, once you've reached a conclusion anyways.

Pragmatik said...

Indeed, my friend. Faith that doesn't begin with a question is blind and totally useless.

Pragmatik said...

FB, how is Michele doing these days?
:)