Freaketh not!

Recently I have been reading blogs like the one I posted a couple of days ago from Rob Bell seeming to question whether there is a hell or not. I think questioning is more than fine, it is mandatory. I don't want to see this new generation following the "zeitgest" or "spirit of the times" but questioning old beliefs is a way to test what you believe is true and whether you really do believe it. This is of course as long as you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Much of what Christianity has become is fairly thin, polarized, and/or even politicized. The outsiders see through this lack of real substance quite easily.

Dr. Phil Zuckerman, a Sociology Professor at Pitzer College and a devote atheist wrote a column titled, "Why Evangelicals Hate Jesus." He challenges the fact that many Christians deny what Jesus taught or modeled. He states, "Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Jesus was very clear that the pursuit of wealth was inimical to the Kingdom of God, that the rich are to be condemned, and that to be a follower of Him means to give one's money to the poor. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of corporate greed and capitalistic excess, and they are the most opposed to institutional help for the nation's poor -- especially poor children. They hate anything that smacks of "socialism," even though that is essentially what their Savior preached. They despise food stamp programs, subsidies for schools, hospitals, job training -- anything that might dare to help out those in need. Even though helping out those in need was exactly what Jesus urged humans to do. In short, Evangelicals are that segment of America which is the most pro-militaristic, pro-gun, and pro-corporate, while simultaneously claiming to be most ardent lovers of the Prince of Peace."

Now I am not saying he is right, but I do think he has hit on some points worth discussing. We can fall into our own form of zeitgest if we blindly follow one political party or another. Let us not also throw the baby out with the bath water. We can find ourselves backing ideas that have nothing to do with Christ's belief and everything to do with a sociological, economic or political belief. We need to use the test of love as we evaluate our decisions concerning our belief systems. Or do you disagree?