The Beaten Path

The Beaten Path
Current mood: confused
Category: Religion and Philosophy

What is wrong with the world? Or maybe more specifically, what is wrong with most middle age-baby boomer conservative Christians?

It's a question that is, I believe, a hotly debated topic. At least among the programs I watch on television and podcasts I listen to on my iPod. For example, people like Bill Maher like to poke fun at the Christian Right (or Christianity in general) to a get a laugh out of his audience and push his agenda to boost his ratings on HBO. Some of the things he says are funny, other points I could not disagree more with him. Bringing on guests like the stuffy Christopher Hitchens, generally irritates me to no end. If you don't know who Mr. Hitchens is, do some research after you read this entry, and you'll see why the guy sort of bothers me. Like most people, I see his points and agree with him on some of his theories. However, people with not a single humble bone in their body also bother me to a degree of irritated not measurable by human means.

All tangents aside, I want to talk about an issue that hits a little closer to home than people that don't care about my opinion, nor do I care about theirs. Listening to people like I mentioned above is for entertainment purposes only. Over the weekend an 18 year old girl who just graduated high school within the last month was kidnapped and murdered. It is receiving a lot of media attention because she is a) white and b) lived in a middle to upper middle class affluent neighborhood here in the Kansas City Metro. They found her body in another part of town yesterday. It was all over the news and even CNN. The story about the actual kidnapping and murder are not what I want to make a point out of either.

What I want to do is go back to my initial question. The second I walked into my office this morning and over to my desk, people were already talking about the current events in this town. Great water cooler fodder for 8AM. Normally, I pay no mind to these peoples' conversation. I usually go on about my business and get to work. Today was a little different in regard to my morning ritual. Let me give you some background first. I work with a former police officer, a former FBI agent, and a middle age woman. She isn't really a former anything, not that I know of anyway. Two of the three, the cop and the woman, are "devout" Christians and even go as far to post scripture passages on their walls. The cop even believes we should have prayer in schools. I don't take any issue with this, except for when they open their mouths and contradict what they preach.

All three of them, decided that when the culprit is found guilty that he deserves the death penalty. Whatever your position on the issue, I do take particular exception to openly Christian people deciding the fate of another human being. When they claim to have faith in a higher power, yet still have the self-given authority to pass judgement on someone, I see this as a glaring incongruity in their "beliefs." There is something that all Christians follow, and that is called the Ten Commandments. One in particular is addressed as "Thou Shall Not Kill." Last I checked, the Ten Commandments did not come with any provisions about when it was ok to kill. I could quote you many a scripture passage dealing with not killing another man, eye for an eye or not. Jesus spoke and taught of forgiveness, and most people seem to forget that fact. If you follow the story of Jesus, he even let a killer go free so that he may be put to death to save the souls of the men and women who followed him. This killer and kidnapper, by the theory of Christianity, must only atone for his sins and accept Jesus as his savior and he will be forgiven. That's all it takes. The people in my office seem to forget this fact. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not remember Jesus, who is the way in to heaven according to Christians, condoned or mentioned the idea of a penalty by death for any criminal action. I remember quite the opposite.

In any event, I see the point of view of these three and in their conversation. Saying he deserves to die? I don't think that is up for us to decide, or any judge or jury. I believe dying for your crimes is almost an easy way out. You may disagree with me, and that is fine. If you do disagree, this is just where you and I differ. That doesn't make me right and you wrong or vice versa. What it does make us is people who follow our convictions and stay consistent with our beliefs. People that don't recognize the inconsistency in their arguments and beliefs bother me. People that deal in absolutes or with ultimatums also bother me. I could ask all three of these individuals how they feel about abortion, and I would almost guarantee that their Republican votes would be cast towards Pro-Life. I have never understood condoning the killing of one group of people yet the crusade to save another. You may argue that a baby is innocent and unable to make a decision on whether their actions equal if they live or die, and that a killer made a conscious decision to kill, therefore the punishment fits the crime and killing murderers is somehow justified. To me, dead is dead, no matter how you try position it. The end result is still the same, despite the circumstances.

I am not saying that if you believe in anti-abortion, the death penalty, and being Christian makes you wrong. I'm saying that having a blind belief in something without studying why you believe is wrong. Having faith because you have faith is different than having faith because you are told to. Knowing you are right is different than letting go and letting faith take over. If this is what you believe, then stick to it. Don't tell me you are a person of faith and that God will judge all properly, while you kill on Earth. For any reason.

Added after orginal post: Would you like to see how hate breeds more hate? Events have progressed throughout the day in regard to the Kelesy Smith kidnapping and murder. If this person did in fact commit these heinous crimes, then he will be judged. However, rather than letting the justice system and nature take it's course, people take it upon themselves to spew their hate. I'm not defending this persons aledged actions either. I would only click on this if you don't mind looking at the profile of an accused killer. Pay special attention to the replies he is getting on his one blog entry to see what I am talking about. Days like today are why it's hard to not think the world is a sick place.

Currently listening : Sabbath Bloody Sabbath By Black Sabbath Release date: 25 October, 1990