Gods Playing Poker

Recently the Christian Anti-Defamation League released their list of the Top Ten Instances of Christian-bashing in America, 2008.Now, mind you, the CADC is the bastion of “reason” that produces such lists as Seven Reasons Why Barack Obama Isn’t a Christian. But this most recent list — well, it takes the cake, even by their dubious definition of reason.

I thought about breaking down each item and taking it apart, but instead I thought I would offer my own list, entitled “Top Ten Instances of Christians Shooting Christianity in the Foot, 2008 Edition” (with a little wiggle room on dates here and there). I’ll publish my list when they publish theirs each year on or about this time. But now, on to the list!

Top Ten Instances of Christians Shooting Christianity in the Foot, 2008 Edition

(Before we begin: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, where’s Sarah Palin on this list?!” I hear you cry. You know what, I’m sick of Sarah Palin. If you don’t know what’s wrong with her, you haven’t been paying attention.)

10. The Crusade Effect: Christian organizations using symbols, logos and nomenclature that is similar to hateful imagery or symbols. Hopefully, they just do it out of ignorance, rather than intent, but the results are spectacularly painful.

Sadly, there are plenty of recent examples. For example, the American Family Association sells a cross strewn with Christmas tree lights; however, it is so packed with lights that, when lit, it looks just like the burning crosses left on lawns by the KKK.

Similarly, Ron Luce’s organization, Battle Cry flagrantly uses little red flags and warlike language. There is a large chance the impressionable teens who wave those flags and chant that language have never heard of Chairman Mao, Pol Pot, or the images and words used at Nazi rallies. But Ron Luce and the Christian adults who follow him certainly should know better.

9. Fred Phelps: Not only have the evangelicals not disowned Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, but most leaders of all denominations continue to not publicly denounce this ass-clown. I’m sure many Church leaders don’t hold the opinions that Phelps does, but by doing so little, they speak volumes to everyone. When he and his wackos show up to picket a funeral, they should be met by the entire community to drive them out. Silence is assent, and if you aren’t loudly, publicly, visibly condemning the hateful craziness of WBC because “sure, they’re radicals, but at least they’re Christians”, then you are enabling them. This is the only instance I can find of a major Church leader denouncing Phelps. A lone voice in the wilderness. It’s not enough to stand by and nothing. It just isn’t.

Number 8 is Prop. Hate: Lying and distorting the truth for political gain in the Proposition 8 campaign in California. The campaign to promote Prop. 8 was particularly contentious, and many persons and organizations of faith acted in ways harmful to Christians everywhere. Particularly reprehensible were their advertisements’ bald-faced lies that were seen and heard in a broad spectrum of media outlets. Regardless of your beliefs about homosexuality, there is no doubt that bearing false witness IS a sin. Leave the fabrications to the politicians and hedge fund managers.

7. Promoting the falsehood that President Obama is a Muslim or is a secret Muslim (whatever that is) and wielding that lie like a weapon. Do I really need to tell you why saying this is bad? First, it’s flat out not true (one again, bearing false witness); moreover, how insensitive can Christians be – they have a fellow brother in Christ in the Whitehouse, whose faith is between HE and he, and who is anyone to doubt it.

Second, let’s not forget those lacking in clarity of thought enough to not only believe that President Obama is a Muslim — but to then use that misinformation as some sort of smear, as though the concept of being a Muslim in some way can disqualify someone from holding office or diminishes their stature in any way. The hypocrisy of believing in freedom of religion only so far is it is your religion is despicable. Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States. He is a Christian. He is the President. Get over it and stop thinking that being a Muslim is a crime.

6. Selling a church. No joke. Russian villagers stole a church building and sold it, brick by brick. Where do you even begin with that one?

5. Pope embraces four bishops from the known anti-Semitic Society of St. Pius X. Pope Benedict XVI last year extended the olive branch to four bishops from a known organizational font of religious anti-Semitism, including Richard Williamson, a formerly excommunicated holocaust denier. This year, they rejoined the fold, and on the same day Williamson was rehabilitated back into the Catholic Church, he was still spouting conspiracy crack about the entirely debunked Protocols of Zion. I just don’t get this move by his eminence. To quote Noam Chomsky, who was criticized for supporting the right to speech for another holocaust denier some time ago, “To even enter into the argument that the Holocaust didn’t happen is to lose a part of one’s humanity.” Well said, Noam.

4. Personal moral failings of leadership to practice what they preach. How many spiritual leaders have “lapses in moral character” that they then use to profit from notoriety? From politicians to mega-church pastors, it happens year after year. They publicly repudiate homosexuality but privately embrace it. They gain fame for piety, pointing the finger at everyone but themselves, but are corrupt or adulterous in private. I could spend all day recounting names, but I’ll just mention the latest of these, Ted Haggard. He was anti-gay but secretly gay, then straight but still secretly gay, now straight with issues. But it’s not his fault, of course. Everyone else is still evil, of course. And there’s profit to be made from exploiting the issue, so he’s out shilling with a documentary about his rehabilitation… even as the papers are full of allegations of another affair… of course.

3. Monk fights at Christ’s tomb. For the second time last year, Christian monks broke into turf war at the tomb of Christ. Fist fights in front of the tomb over territorial rights? Really?

Fighting at the tomb of Jesus? Really? Really?

2. Inability to be rational adults over the entire issue of homosexuality, especially so it can be wielded as a political weapon. I already mentioned Prop. 8. But how about the divisions in the Anglican and Episcopal Churches over gay marriage and the appointment of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson. Any division within the Church is sinful, but compounding it with incredibly expensive property disputes? Everyone loses; Christ not least of all.

But at least they’re having the debate. Other denominations just outright refuse to talk about the homosexuality-as-sin argument. After all, if we started discussing it rationally, we might find a peaceful resolution even if it was only to say ‘we disagree, but we’re all still Christians.’ But wait, if it was all resolved, how would they be able to jerk it out like puppet strings, to get the voters to the booths and the money on the plate. Like abortion, homosexuality as an issue has become too valuable to give up.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Christians could refrain from calling each other heretics?

1. Worshiping at the bronze bull statue on Wall Street. How did anyone think that this would be okay? It’s the FIRST commandment for crying out loud! Surely they read that one before they fell asleep.