Jesus Saves...

[TheCat]

[spuwho]

Unfortunate one idea gets mixed up with another.

[ronchamblin]

The image suggests that the belief in the Jesus myths is somehow related to the belief in the reality and desirability of racial purity.  Would one find a "Jesus Saves" sign behind a group or well educated citizens, or a group of university professors, or a group of scientists?  One might find the sign behind a group of politicians .. especially those of the GOP. 

What similar mental characteristics exist in, or are absent in, the minds of those who believe in the Jesus myths, and the beliefs in the reality and desirability of racial purity?  Certainly any mind giving credence to either of these beliefs lacks significant learning in the humanities, the sciences, or the histories. 

I think I mentioned once, when I was invited to a meeting of the local group of the National Socialist Party, in Arlington, around 1974.  A fellow encouraged me for many months to come to the meeting.  I suppose he thought I looked the part.  I finally went.  There were photos of Hitler.  There were about 18 or so individuals in the living room of the house.  They were all white, middle aged. 

I was curious to learn about their fundamental objectives ... what they were trying to do.  What was their purpose?  I calmly asked questions.  Nobody wanted to offer specific answers.  I sensed that they did not trust me.  They didn't know me.  Silence.  In any case, after 30 minutes or so, the meeting broke up, and as I walked across the yard to my vehicle, one of the fellows came to my side and said ... "We just don't want mongrelization of the race."  I said .. "Oh ... Okay .. makes sense."  I never went back. 

In any case, there was another characteristic present at the meeting.  Most of these individuals gave indications that they were christians ... meaning I presume that they worshiped the god that gained popularity during a time of great ignorance about the world ... a time we call the Middle Ages. 

Most of these individuals struck me as being relatively uneducated, and unsophisticated.  And here they were ... believing simultaneously in the stuff of christianity and the stuff of extreme racism.  Both the belief in the Jesus myths, and in the significance of racial purity ... was allowed to settle in their minds as a consequence of a good measure of ignorance of the sciences, the humanities, and the histories.

[TheCat]

Ron, are you asking if a group of "smarter" individuals would be willing to stand in front of a "Jesus Saves" poster? Maybe. I'm not sure that a group of Christians would feel comfortable standing in front of a brash "Jesus Saves" poster. I guess it just depends on who's organizing the group.

I think you do yourself a disservice and operate in a particular type of irony if you think that only the "uneducated, and unsophisticated" operate on this level.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I'm not sure that a group of Christians would feel comfortable standing in front of a brash "Jesus Saves" poster.

Strange considering that is 'the' message that most christians use during attempted indoctrination of the masses.

Quite frankly I think you'd be hard pressed to find a 'christian' who wouldn't be glad to pose under a large "Jesus Saves" banner.

[TheCat]

Non-redneck, don't miss my point. Ron apparently thinks socialists are racists nazi lovers and worst than that, Christians.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Non-redneck, don't miss my point. Ron apparently thinks socialists are racists nazi lovers and worst than that, Christians.

That's not even close to the point I got from reading Ron's post (and coupling with it many other posts from Ron in the same vein); so if that was your point, I definitely missed it.

My understanding from his post was that it was a 1970's socialist party, which I believe to be night and day in comparison to today's Bernie Sanders-esque Democratic Socialism movement.   And I also believe that the 'uneducated' feeling one might get from christians is their blind-following in a belief and their often hypocritical behavior when acting on those beliefs.  Love all; hate some. 

[Adam White]

Non-redneck, don't miss my point. Ron apparently thinks socialists are racists nazi lovers and worst than that, Christians.

That's not even close to the point I got from reading Ron's post (and coupling with it many other posts from Ron in the same vein); so if that was your point, I definitely missed it.

My understanding from his post was that it was a 1970's socialist party, which I believe to be night and day in comparison to today's Bernie Sanders-esque Democratic Socialism movement.   And I also believe that the 'uneducated' feeling one might get from christians is their blind-following in a belief and their often hypocritical behavior when acting on those beliefs.  Love all; hate some.

"National Socialist" = Nazi. In other words, not socialists!

[gedo3]

In a different reference to the photo, I have to admit many Catholics (a group definitely despised by the KKK) get some sad amusement out of seeing such pictures of the KKK. The Klan leaders apparently never realized that their white costumes were copied from the Catholic Penitentes who still appear every year in the Holy Week parades in Spain. 

[TheCat]

Non-redneck, don't miss my point. Ron apparently thinks socialists are racists nazi lovers and worst than that, Christians.

That's not even close to the point I got from reading Ron's post (and coupling with it many other posts from Ron in the same vein); so if that was your point, I definitely missed it.

My understanding from his post was that it was a 1970's socialist party, which I believe to be night and day in comparison to today's Bernie Sanders-esque Democratic Socialism movement.   And I also believe that the 'uneducated' feeling one might get from christians is their blind-following in a belief and their often hypocritical behavior when acting on those beliefs.  Love all; hate some.

"National Socialist" = Nazi. In other words, not socialists!

I admit, I totally missed the "national" and "party" and just read "socialist".

[Adam White]

Non-redneck, don't miss my point. Ron apparently thinks socialists are racists nazi lovers and worst than that, Christians.

That's not even close to the point I got from reading Ron's post (and coupling with it many other posts from Ron in the same vein); so if that was your point, I definitely missed it.

My understanding from his post was that it was a 1970's socialist party, which I believe to be night and day in comparison to today's Bernie Sanders-esque Democratic Socialism movement.   And I also believe that the 'uneducated' feeling one might get from christians is their blind-following in a belief and their often hypocritical behavior when acting on those beliefs.  Love all; hate some.

"National Socialist" = Nazi. In other words, not socialists!

I admit, I totally missed the "national" and "party" and just read "socialist".

I've never met Ron - but based on the person I see in my mind having read his posts over the years, I cannot imagine him hanging out with a bunch of Nazis.

[I-10east]

I think the meaning of the photo is about our ability to fool ourselves that our crusades are blessed by God, no matter what monsters we become or what monstrous acts we commit in reality.

These people felt like they were on the right side of history.

They weren't.

Always mentioning the Crusades, the automatic liberal 'go to' against Christianity....The Crusades was a defensive war, so that goes that liberal BS theory... Wanna come up with something else? Don't use the Central African Republic either; That too was a defense battle. If they didn't engage into war, they would've gotten slaughtered and wiped off the map.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_To-cV94Bo

[Adam White]

I think the meaning of the photo is about our ability to fool ourselves that our crusades are blessed by God, no matter what monsters we become or what monstrous acts we commit in reality.

These people felt like they were on the right side of history.

They weren't.

Always mentioning the Crusades, the automatic liberal 'go to' against Christianity....The Crusades was a defensive war, so that goes that liberal BS theory... Wanna come up with something else? Don't use the Central African Republic either; That too was a defense battle. If they didn't engage into war, they would've gotten slaughtered and wiped off the map.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_To-cV94Bo

I don't think Stephen was referring to The Crusades - just 'crusades' in general (as in our campaigns or missions). The Klan's crusade was to enforce a particular social order that it felt was ordained by god.

People oftentimes use religion (not just christianity) to justify why they do the things they do. I would assume that you, as a black man (and I think christian, is that correct?), wouldn't get the same message from the bible that these guys did. I was brought up in the catholic church and we certainly didn't!

It's essentially the same argument people make about islam. Islamist terrorists are not representative of all or even most muslims - but they use their religion to excuse their acts. The klan certainly are not representative of most christians - but they use christianity as justification for what they believe in.

[I-10east]

I don't think Stephen was referring to The Crusades - just 'crusades' in general (as in our campaigns or missions). The Klan's crusade was to enforce a particular social order that it felt was ordained by god.

People oftentimes use religion (not just christianity) to justify why they do the things they do. I would assume that you, as a black man (and I think christian, is that correct?), wouldn't get the same message from the bible that these guys did. I was brought up in the catholic church and we certainly didn't!

It's essentially the same argument people make about islam. Islamist terrorists are not representative of all or even most muslims - but they use their religion to excuse their acts. The klan certainly are not representative of most christians - but they use christianity as justification for what they believe in.

That's a very particular word to bring up 'crusades'. Even if I was offbase and misunderstood him, he used 'The Crusades' as an obligatory 'they do it too' type of argument, so that info clears it up. I wouldn't consider myself a practicing Christian (although in my background) but I don't think that I can ever fully escape some Christian principles.   

[Adam White]

I don't think Stephen was referring to The Crusades - just 'crusades' in general (as in our campaigns or missions). The Klan's crusade was to enforce a particular social order that it felt was ordained by god.

People oftentimes use religion (not just christianity) to justify why they do the things they do. I would assume that you, as a black man (and I think christian, is that correct?), wouldn't get the same message from the bible that these guys did. I was brought up in the catholic church and we certainly didn't!

It's essentially the same argument people make about islam. Islamist terrorists are not representative of all or even most muslims - but they use their religion to excuse their acts. The klan certainly are not representative of most christians - but they use christianity as justification for what they believe in.

That's a very particular word to bring up 'crusades'. Even if I was offbase and misunderstood him, he used 'The Crusades' as an obligatory 'they do it too' type of argument, so that info clears it up. I wouldn't consider myself a practicing Christian (although in my background) but I don't think that I can ever fully escape some Christian principles.

I'm not a believer - I think I had serious doubts as far back as 7 years old (I remember trying to convince myself to believe in god in sunday school class one summer day - but being unable to). As a catholic kid, my parents forced me to go to mass every sunday and every holy day of obligation until my early 20s (as long as I lived under their roof, I had to follow their rules).

But all that said, I still consider myself catholic. Culturally catholic or a catholic atheist, if that makes sense. It will always be a big part of who I am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdolFXcNAH4