tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post5413148201929420219..comments2023-11-02T08:42:23.947+00:00Comments on The Subversive Archaeologist: Whether You Call Yourself Christian, or You're a Militant Christian, Christian Supremacist, or Christian Extremist, You Should Take a Long Hard Look at This.thesubversivearchaeologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02730417511321512990noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post-312646163851253282012-08-25T14:23:15.454+01:002012-08-25T14:23:15.454+01:00The term "theology" is an oxymoron isn&#...The term "theology" is an oxymoron isn't it? :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post-53998829524814233352012-08-25T09:13:01.411+01:002012-08-25T09:13:01.411+01:00Dear Joseph,
I'd ask you to forgive me if my ...Dear Joseph, <br />I'd ask you to forgive me if my words have injured you, but you might think me a little too ironic. And I'm sorry if my condemnation of Christian doctrine upsets you. You're quite correct in interpreting my words as being a form of bigotry--the only groups I'm prejudiced against are those who are themselves prejudiced by virtue of their adherence to theocratic cosmologies. And lest you think I've singled out Christianity, keep in mind that Christianity is not the only example of a theocratic and hegemonic religion. I'm not bothered by Christian ethics--I can readily accept much of Jesus's philosophy, whether or not the teachings of the New Testament are true. There's much in Christian philosophy that a non-Christian can embrace [kudos to IanS for reminding us of that]. However, I can't condone or embrace the insularity of what you have correctly labelled Christian theology, which is, after all, that against which I've railed--not, necessarily, its individual adherents, like yourself. Like it or not, exclusion is the very essence of the Judaeo-Christian tradition and the Nicene Creed. Without even mentioning the doctrinal treatment of women, or of non-Christians over the course of the last two millennia, exclusion is the cornerstone of Christian theology. The Nicene Creed, in and of itself, demonstrates the exclusivity of the faith, which, in the fourth century C.E., excluded its own members if they didn't toe the Nicene line: "But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church." <br />I don't think I could have said it better myself.thesubversivearchaeologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02730417511321512990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post-13581843654459578272012-08-24T22:48:48.670+01:002012-08-24T22:48:48.670+01:00You decry religious bigotry and anti-intellectuali...You decry religious bigotry and anti-intellectualism. You then state that you have no problem tarring all Christians with the same brush. You support your point by pulling out *one* verse of the Old Testament as a "gotcha" to toss out two millennia of Christian theology. No irony here.Joseph Galloyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07525190111951304734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post-46842478700404869392012-08-24T21:55:12.629+01:002012-08-24T21:55:12.629+01:00I also wonder what sort of Christians you have ove...I also wonder what sort of Christians you have over there. There is nothing in the New Testament especially in what is reported of Jesus's words and actions that supports bigotry and anti-intellectualism. Jesus famously spoke to the poor and the tax collectors and Women and odd groups like the Samaritins, he also defied most of the OT "rules" and effectively abolished them.<br /><br />True he said the only way to heaven is through belief in Him/God but he didn't say you had to use violence to get there.<br /><br />There was a discussion in the Name of the Rose about whether Jesus laughed. I think the narrator is told that it was felt unlikely that Jesus laughed because, as he was omnipotent, he would know how much evil would be done in his name. IainShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02325890799477789627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3040099150725637733.post-54953667777419607842012-08-23T00:06:02.820+01:002012-08-23T00:06:02.820+01:00I read this and can only shake my head in wonder, ...I read this and can only shake my head in wonder, what a strange world you guys live in over there. As a fellow Westerner such a glimpse into the USA is like viewing a strange and alien culture. I pity those students who wish to actually gain something from their university years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com