"The message of 'V for Vendetta' is that Christians are plotting to seize the reins of power."
No, the message of 'V for Vendetta' is that fascist, totalitarian governments can only control the people for so long until someone stands up and refuses to be put down. It only features your uber-corrupt version of Christianity as the antagonist because it's something familiar to the target audience. And why is that? Because you've been forcing this Christofacist ideology down our throats for years, and screaming about how we're attacking you when we choke on it.
"...a self-described progressive evangelical..."
Well hole-e-shit. What is that? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? (Sir, a self-described progressive evangelical, sir!) Not a self-described pagan, but a self-described progressive evangelical. Of course, this is to be expected. Anyone who falls outside the "mainstream" can only be "self-described", and therefore, not legitimate.
Because no one who is anything ever calls themselves that.
"I'm the President of the United States." ~ George W. Bush, 12/17/2005 - George W. Bush, self-described President of the United States. How come we never see that from the goddamned liberal media?
I digress.
This so-called "War on Christianity" is a fabrication. It's a smokescreen and a strawman. "We're under attack!" they scream. "Gather to our banner and help us! IF YOU'RE NOT WITH US, YOU'RE AGAINST US!" Sounds like the same tired old rhetoric. Newsflash: Christianity is not under attack. Simply because you perceive it to be does not make it so. Liberal Judges are not trying to erase you. In fact, the judges that have made decisions that you don't like (i.e., activist judges) tend to be overwhelmingly conservative. Hollywood is not out to get you. In fact, most of the battles in this so-called war are battles that you, the Religious Conservatives have started!
Gay marriage is not an assault on Christianity. Christians trying to ban it, that's an assault on homosexuals.
Evolution is not an assault on Christianity. Intelligent Design is an assault on science.
Abortion is not an assault on Christianity. Bombing abortion clinics in an assault on women.
It's not a "War on Christianity", it's a "War for Ideology". Right-wing Christians believe, despite being the priviledge majority, that they are the repressed minority. They want their ideology pushed on everyone else, and recoil in horror when everyone else objects. They started this war, and labeled it a war against them. Sounds like a kid getting his hand caught in the cookie jar and then complaining that there weren't enough cookies in it.
-pb
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pbagosy- Paul Bagosy
- paul.bagosy.com
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That's teh other part of it, lets face it, these people are so far away from what Christ taught their leaders have to be a tad bit guilty about leading their flocks so far astray, this may help to alieve that guilt, it's easier to believe that you are doing the right thing if you are at war (right Bush?).
Either that or the entire lot of them are bug-fuck nuts and need to be shot.
There are quite a few stories out there (if you like, I'll go searching for them) on how there is some public display that is somehow tied to Christianity, and there are people who are out there that will go to the authorities and have the public display taken down because it's deemed to be "offensive" in some respect. It doesn't always work with anything but a Christian related display. I could be wrong here, but that's just the way I've noticed things.
This is what this is all about, as pbagosy said, they're fine when they're the ones doing the pushing and shoving and demanding; but if someone pushes back, suddenly, they're being persecuted. And it seems to "work that way" with the Christians, because they're the ones who have been making the biggest stink about it. Some woman in a Target whines because someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas?" Geez, lady, get the fuck over yourself. How about "go fuck yourself?" How's that for a holiday greeting? Feeling persecuted? Gee, too bad. Welcome to the real world.
There are quite a few people that claim to be Christians and yet the way they act and everything totally represents this whole "I'm part of the majority so you have to listen to what I say" type of attitude. There are some Christians that also tend to have the "I'm right and you're wrong" type of attitude towards anyone who disagrees with them.
However, on the other hand, you'll likely to find this kind of fundementalist, I'm right and you're wrong so convert type of religious person in almost *ANY* religion, if not all of them. For an example, look at that guy in the Middle East, who some wanted to execute, for converting from Islam to Christianity. There, the majority is Islam, not Christianity, so it's just always the Christians. It just happens to be Christians here in America, because that's what the majority is.
People who are included in the minority religions are always willing to attack anyone of the majority religion(s) in an area. But not all those who follow or are in the majority religion(s) are all the same.
I guess by my last few statements, what I'm trying to say is don't jump to labelling and stereotyping a majority of anything because society has stereotyped the group you're in.
I'm not saying that
Yes I am a Christian, but that doesn't mean I'm stereotyping anyone else who isn't a Christian or pushing them down.
And your assertion about the Majority in America is right, to a degree. However, I don't agree with your statement about minorities willing to 'attack' the majorities. That's where the problem in this discussion comes in. The minorities don't see it as an attack, they see it fighting back.
Think of it this way: your'e walking to your car one night, and some guy comes up behind you and grabs your purse. You whirl around, you happen to have your keys in your hand and you stab him in the face. He runs, then a few days later you find out you're getting sued by some guy who says you "attacked him" because you didn't' want to give up your purse. You were defending yourself, but he's the one who ended up with the wound. See where I'm going with this? They scream "oh, we're being attacked" when its really just a matter of someone standing up and saying "Ya know what? We don't want to be victims of your dogmatic attitudes any more, and we're going to stand up for ourselves by demanding equal treatment."
And you're right, the majority of someone in a religion may not be part of the outspoken group, but ya know what? The outspoken ones are going to wear the face of the group, especially if the others don't speak up. Not enough basic, faithful Christians stand up and say "Hey, ya know what? We don't agree with your policies. We don't stand for torture. We don't stand for discrimination. We don't stand for hatred. WE believe in freedom of choice." Its too easy to melt into the background and vote for the candidate because he says he represents the "faithful" and then too scared to admit that it was a mistake. So its not wonder that the image that the "Christian Church" as a whole has is the one that Bush and Co and the right wing Fundies have put forth, because nobody's doing anything to stand up and say 'no'.
you purse snatching story was a really good metaphor!
> It only features your uber-corrupt version of Christianity as the antagonist because it's something familiar to >the target audience. And why is that? Because you've been forcing this Christofacist ideology down our throats >for years, and screaming about how we're attacking you when we choke on it.
This is what they can't get through their heads: this is how they behave, and this is how we react. They have made themselves into villians in the minds and perspectives of everyone around them; ergo, we depict them as bad guys. They can't conceive of it because THEY CAN'T PLACE THEMSELVES INSIDE ANYONE ELSE'S PERSPECTIVE. Americans have always had a terrible time trying to do this, and that's when they've even tried to do it. Fundamentalists are even worse, because they think it's a sin and that there is no other real perspective.
excellent observation :)
Just one thing:
"Bombing abortion clinics in an assault on women."
*Is