Thursday, May 29, 2008

this just stokes the fire

It's stories like this that remind me why I decided to renounce my religion many years ago.

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

I can understand your reaction...as a Christian, I appologize...we have let you down.

Kristin Tieche said...

This kind of idiocy has been happening for centuries. I can go on and on about this article and the BS from the Vatican, but I'll show some restraint.

Anonymous said...

My wife, a Catholic as well, is in the same exegetical boat, so to speak. What is so funny is that after so many centuries of doctrinal misappropriation by ambitious priests, nobody really knows what Christ's intentions were. For all we know, he was as revolutionary with his gender politics as he was with his spiritual revelations. So the part in teh article about only representing the social norms of his time is, in effect, a rhetorical capitulation to the Vatican -- which has "doctored" the doctrine for centuries anyway. Nobody knows their arse from a hole in the ground anymore. Which is why I like to think I'm a freethinking Christian, in the spirit of what I can only imagine the original teachings were all about. It's a tough road, as it turns out. Much tougher than subscribing to Catholic or Lutheran (my original baptismal denomination) or Episcopalian or Baptist or Evangelical or any of the more than 17000 Chrisitan doctrines. But it's much simpler. And requires no intolerance...of any kind. (And as it turns out, continously makes a fool out of me.)

No denomination, sect, or cult of the Christian religion is innocent. The pristine histories we imagine are, one by one, becoming a fiction as historical research advances. Which brings me to the question, is any of this really important? Or is it simply about coming to our own understanding of what, in our hearts, makes sense. (Excepting the psycho- and sociopaths, of course.)

I've seen a lot in my lifetime -- stuff I would prefer to forget. Perpetrated by Christians against Christians. Some of those acts still gives me nightmares. On a certain level, I felt vindicated for renouncing my denomination, for leaving the Church behind. But it also drove me to really delve into the spirit or the original teachings, sans editorializing from the apostles and other self-appointed emmissaries later on.

I could go on and on, but you know how I tend to ramble. In the end, the Catholic Church is only making itself irrelevent, which solves your problem for you in a way. Wait for the tipping point. Its demise will happen faster than we might think.

Although, I am dreading what will take its place....

Kristin Tieche said...

Thanks for LT not showing any restraint whatsoever!

The bottom line is that the Vatican is totally wrong and is alienating itself from its congregation and believers who will then go Episcopal or Presbyterian or whatever. That's fine.

And in terms of what Jesus really said, all we need to do is learn Aramaic and re-translate the Gospels and find out what his message really was all about. FINALLY, in my humble opinion, Mary Magdalene was a high priestess and not a prostitute like the Vatican wants us to believe and [a-hem] Mary the Mother of God was not a f***ing Virgin, for Christ's f***ing sake!