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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.xcult-l
Date:         Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:20:00 PDT
From:         AKARP@GONZAGA.BITNET
Subject:      Revisit the mission of Xcult but first...

I must respond to Ruth:

when I say SUBVERSIVE Christianity, I mean in very precise terms (i.e., C
Christians manipulating the Bible through convenient misinterpretation of
it to dehumanize and divide people, all across the spectrum).  Such
Christians are really not Christians at all; if absolutism is their game,
cavalierly quipping that all non-believers will take the next tram down
to hell (whatever the HELL that is), then such rhetoric is purely antithetical t
   to everything this board stands for, as well as human rights in general.
There are exemplary Christians out there (others on XCULT have so proven)
who know the true message of Jesus and have abided byhis words primarily
(the gospels are inconsistent and contradictory, not to mention inevitably
biased).  W

When Christ says to treat your neighbor as you would be, this doesn't
mean condemning them to the fifth circle; before you JUDGE others, judge
yourself--she who casts the first stone...

Answer me this, Ruth:  If you were born, unfortunately as a non-Christian,
and grew up in a part of the world completed divested of Christian influence,
would you today consider yourself doomed and without salvation?

Put more pertinently, are little children born in China, africa, and
South America (or American Indians) who will never have the opportunity
to find Christ die.  Is anything but Christianity suitable enough to
avoid the infernal conflagration?

Preaching hate and intolerance for religious affiliation, as you are, can
never be consistent with Christ's message; this is patently obvious.
As for the religious right, I gave me examples and referred to them by
name; perhaps I should have included Ruth Hanschka specifically.

As for your non-netting Jewish friends, I can't fathom what could possess
them to befriend a person who is so dogmatic and condescending to their
faith...

I call your statements ignorant because I can see how the Religious Right
and subgroups have employed diabolical tactics of misinformation, lying,
scapegoating and stereotyping to the hilt in order to push their intolerant
agendas.  Colorado is an example.  Oregon is a frightening occurrence and
I hear Washington state is next. These religious marauders, like many
televangelists, are playing on the fears of the public for personal gain
and a warped sense of domination (something to do with the post-millenialistic
dispensational view of the second coming).

I realize that this discussion has become BEYOND HEATED.  I agree with you
that another topic should be pursued (I think that the 6 pages of citations
from Corinthians has distracted us from the message of this board; after all,
there are good people on here that gain nothing from biblical allusion--
let's keep this multicultural.)

To think that this all began with someone saying "Happy Holidays," but in
a way that was offensive to an ABSOLUTIST.  This is ludicrous.

Finally, Ruth:  What happened to your loving, benevolent, charitable
Absolute God? ... or perhaps I should be addressing this to the 90% of
Christians to the left...

To all: Taoists, Buddhists, Confucianists, Zens, Jews, Christians, Muslims,
Atheists, Agnostics, Zoroastrianists, Jainists, Spiritualists, Supernatural-
ists,Materialists, Existentialists, Pragmatists, and all decent, loving,
(no) God(s) fearing/respecting people who have open minds and realize that
there are many ways to PERFECTION, NIRVANA, HEAVEN, and reunion with
ultimate LOVE, then  HAPPY days!!!

Fight the Power; Win the Peace
ERACISM
Adam Karp
**akarp@gonzaga.edu**