John Fugelsang on Christianity

From “Is it funny or offensive?”

I tend to agree with John Fugelsang when it comes to fundamentalist Christians in America. I’m not a Christian, but I have a son who is. He is to a large extent a Christian fundamentalist, and he and I often clash about his religious beliefs, but one thing we do share is a lack of hatred towards those who (for want of a better term) have a different lifestyle. He, and his church are appalled at the level of hatred that seems to emanate from “Christian nationalists” who he says are neither Christian nor nationalists. It really does seem to me that a significant number of Americans who claim they are Christian, are in fact anything but Christian.

LikeLiked by 2 people

Scotties Playtime says:

November 14, 2023 at 5:05 pm

Hello Barry. Thank you for sharing this! Often people think because I am an atheist, I am hateful towards religions or Christians. But while I am willing to be against any person or group that uses their beliefs to attack and harm others, I have often thanked the Christian farmer that saved my life.

Long story short, I was being abused. As a 6 / 7 seven-year-old this SDA family would leave their home door open with a tape player playing church stuff their own children were listening to. I was friends with the kids but terrified of adults, especially males as you can understand. So they would set it up, and then I would ease into the room and lay down next to their kids and listen. If any adult came into the room I was gone, after the first time of me screaming trying to get the screen door open they just left it open.

Fast-forward to when I was about 17 years old. I was a friend of his son. That same farmer found me in one of his fields after I had been beaten. I tried to walk away, but he offered me an out. He would talk to my family, he would have me sent to a Christian boarding school. I would finally be free, but the cost was living, as they believed. He never said I had to believe, but he made it clear I would have to live like I did. He bought me clothing, and with in a week I was gone from my abusive home to a church boarding school. I honestly believe he saved my life. He paid for everything in the year and half I lived at the school. He would even give me spending money for things other kids at the school had that I couldn’t afford. During that time his family lived the life of their faith, of their version of their bible.

I learned a lot about personal faith during that time. See, there are for me two versions of faith. One is a personal code that a person uses to guide their life, to give them a way they should live. The other is a cudgel to be used against others to try to force them to live as the religious person wishes.

One is like Roger and Ali, and the man who saved my life, they use their faith, their personal code of how to live to guide themselves, but never demand others live by that. The other is those who think their faith, their personal code gives them the right to force others how to behave. One of those types saved my life, the other is trying to ruin it for me and new young kids that are like me.

Thank you, Barry. Please feel free and safe to share your beliefs / faith here. I respect those who have a personal code of life but don’t use it to harm others. Thank you. Best wishes. Scottie

LikeLike

Reply