The Deadly Christian Agenda
I just read a post at Eugene's Paradoxy in which, inspired by the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, he writes about the beauty in pre-Christian China. He reveals the conflict that acknowledging this beauty can have on some types of Christians who insist that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and NOTHING beautiful, good or spiritual can really happen apart from their God in the mix.
In Forsaken, Eugene writes,
For the diehard fundamentalist there's nothing to question; if the Bible seems to suggest that all of those people deserve to go to hell, then that's simply all there is to itHe goes on to share his thoughts on the matter while still maintaining his belief in Jesus and the Gospel.
There is tremendous beauty to be found in Far Eastern cultures. The fundamentalist has no choice but to dismiss that beauty as meaningless, but I'm convinced that the God who authored beauty is honored whenever human beings strive to emulate their Creator's creativity. Without devaluing my own beliefs I can affirm the good that I see in those who may not share my theology, and through those relationships build on my own understanding of the God I strive to know.I commented that many Quakers have maintained the belief that that of God is already in each person regardless of their faith (or even if they have no faith). I wrote,
When we see the Other as a non-believing pagan savage ruled by the god of this world, we will always treat the Other poorly, as less than. We will war against the Other. We will take advantage of their child labor. We will discount their humanity. We will condemn them to hell. We will deny the truth that God works in their lives and is expressed through them.
Next over at Gay Spirituality & Culture I read Convert or Die a short post by Darrell Grizzle about a new "Christian" video game that's out in time to celebrate the birth of the Savior (no not the capitalist savior & god--Walmart, the other guy,--Jesus). Grizzle quotes the San Francisco Chronicle:Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game [Left Behind: Eternal Forces] in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart, a major video game retailer, should yank it off its shelves.Personally, I am grateful that this game is on the market, because it reveals in stark detail the attitudes of certain types of Christians towards whom they consider "lost".
If some are lost souls who refuse OUR GOD, then big deal if we blow them up. They are just extras in God's giant action film. Nameless, unimportant extras. Like the extras in Iraq and Afghanistan and in Palestine and in Darfur as well as the wrong believing extras who have same-sex attractions or gender differences or simply a different kind of faith in Jesus. We've seen the action films; extras get exterminated.
posted by Peterson Toscano @ 5:43 AM
7 Comments:
Left Behind the Video Game :-) The Daily Breakfast featured it a few months back and as I recall you can actually choose the good or the evil path. So can play as the AntiChrist for the opposite plot line ... I may buy it just for that.
Things I hear about the Left Behind game all say it's no good; morally or from a gameplaying point of view. The type of thinking it illustrates is worrying though. Very us against them. Very my kind of people, not any kind of people.
Extras.
I think I saw a game like that in a Simpson-episode. Yeap, Rod and Tod, the kids of Ned Flanders were playing it. As a pagan, should I wear a vest from now on?? ;)
Ok...well..i'm here trying to catch up...and mad at myself for getting so behind...and mad at you for being so dadgum insightful and full of wisdom!!!
I gotta get back to that!!!!!!
You inspire me!
love,
pam
Pam/Grace, no problems. But do check out my video of the Christmas Fayre. It is my first serious attempt at vlogging (I did a short bit with Joe G in LA back in June, but there was no editing in that one so it doesn't really count)
nillo, I can actually see you coursing through that game as one of Satan's minions with your wonderful deadpan voice. It somehow gives me hope.
Anna HP, so this is just a Simpsons knock off. Vad en lasta av spädbarn skit.
willie hewes, yeah, I want a video game with more of a yin yang feel to it. No so much good vs. evil as about balance in the world and the individuals.
Is it bad that I actually want to play Left Behind? I don't want to have to pay for it, of course, but it looks like great campy fun, like a good Chick Tract ;)
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