Radicals, Religion, and Revelation was written as a personal exploration of various religious expression within the context of the US culture of the early '00s. It was written from 2004 to 2006. This chapter is included because it touches on the background expounded upon in Conspirators, Confederates, and Cronies.
Cliff Potts -- May 14 2014
Most Right Religious Right
Christians have played a dynamic role in the political landscape since the 1980 ascension of Ronald Reagan to the Oval Office. A small faction of conservative Christians within the Republican Party mobilized the greater apolitical Christian community to superimpose their evangelical fundamentalist perspective on the Republican Party. Over the last twenty years, being a Christian has come to include an alliance with the Republican agenda in addition to a personal faith in Jesus Christ. As of the 1996 presidential election, fundamentalists portrayed Republicans as representing the will of God, and Democrats as representing subversive views of God, nature, and creation.
George W. Bush, the current Republican president, launched his assaults on Afghanistan and Iraq with a call to crusade. Bush apologists claim that the use of the word “crusade” was an unfortunate misspoken word. Others feel that it was a truth spoken without regard to political correctness or Arab sensitivities. If so, this the dawn of a new, more savage Christian era. With politics and religion so deeply entwined in American thought, it seems that Christianity has been redefined. Every Christian sect and community has its own definition.
My opinion was formed during my teenage years. For me, Christianity is a personal, spiritual belief in, and relationship with, the resurrected Son of Man and God Incarnate commonly referred to as Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, through his execution by the Romans at the request of a small sect of Jewish religious leaders, fulfilled certain Old Testament prophesies of a final, spiritual cleansing of humanity’s imperfections, commonly referred to as sin.
A believer in Jesus Christ is to take his instructions from the New Testament that was written between 33 CE and 70 CE and compiled around 400 CE by the Emperor Constantine. Much of the New Testament was written by one rabbi known as Paul. Constantine added other writings as political and religious concessions.
Paul was not an original follower of Jesus Christ. He was a contemporary of Jesus and linked to the same small Jewish sect that is believed to have collaborated in Jesus' crucifixion. He persecuted early Christians fanatically. It is worth noting that in Jesus’ time, the population of Jerusalem numbered in the range of 10,000 Jews. At Pentecost, some 6,000 citizens of Jerusalem became Christians. Therefore, Paul and his small group of fanatics were in a minority within the Jewish community.
Paul’s ministry was not without its detractors. Paul and Jesus’ disciple Peter, Paul’s counterpart within the Jewish community, did not agree on certain theological points concerning the conversion of non-Jews to Christianity. The point of contention lay in the book of Genesis. Paul's stance was based on the tradition of Gentiles observing only those laws given to Noah after the Flood. Peter, on the other hand, took the approach that converts to Christianity should be Jewish converts as well. It is important to note that Paul's teaching was not that the Torah, the basis of Jewish law, was nullified as is taught in contemporary Christianity, but that it did not apply to the non-Jewish converts to the Christian faith. While the book of Acts minimizes this disagreement, it explains Paul's more widespread journeys into the Hellenistic and Roman world. Of course, this was made easier because Paul, unlike many Jews, had been able to purchase Roman citizenship.
While Paul was on his various treks, he wrote numerous letters to Jewish congregations that he visited or wished to visit. These letters, or epistles, were written in Greek, not in Roman Latin, not in Palestinian Aramaic, or most notably, not in Jewish Hebrew. The intended reader was not a traditional Jew. Paul's teachings were based upon the traditions of righteous Gentiles who were observing the instructions given to Noah after the flood. Paul disseminated these traditions throughout the non-Jewish world. However, Paul's original teachings became altered in their understanding over 2,000 years of fractionalized squabbling and political power plays.
While the New Testament was cobbled together by political compromises and appeasements, the Old Testament, or Torah has a long tradition of consistency. During the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish scholars devised a method to protect the integrity of their scriptures; they mathematically checked the validity of each hand written copy. Each Hebrew letter had a numeric value. By adding the value of the letters horizontally and vertically, the rabbis checked the validity of the copied Torah scrolls. From that time forward, the Old Testament remained incredibly consistent. However, this time of captivity took place some 400 to 600 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The original manuscripts of the Old Testament and the New Testament have disappeared. Today, scholars use what they consider reliable copies. Despite that, many Christians adhere to the belief that the text of the Scriptures is without error.
Paul's writings are not the only texts that make up the New Testament. Other authors include: John, who was a follower of Jesus from his youth; James, who was known as "James the Just" and was the half brother of Jesus; Luke, who was a later Hellenistic convert, a physician, and an early investigative journalist; Matthew, who was an early follower of Jesus and purported tax collector; and the aforementioned Peter, who was a very early follower of Jesus and a fisherman. With the exception of the seemingly truncated letter of James, the majority of the documentation deals with the issues of belief in Christ. James is the sole document which instructs, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20, KJV). James’ writings are a key to understanding the whole of the New Testament.
Since the bulk of traditional Christianity is based upon the correspondence of Paul, his writing defines Christianity. In a letter to an apprentice named Timothy, a second generation Christian, he writes, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned" (1 Timothy 1:5, KJV). In an open letter to the Corinthians, he writes, "Love doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil," among other notable instructions (1 Corinthians 13: 5b, ASV).
John supports this idea of love both in the story of Jesus Christ within the Gospels and in his own epistles. The Gospels attribute a number of quotes about loving kindness to Jesus himself. In Mark, Jesus repeats the Old Testament exhortation to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31, ASV). Matthew reports that Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you" (Matthew 5:44, KJV). Finally, John quotes Jesus saying, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, KJV). John pointed out in both of his epistles that love was obeying the instructions of God. From these collective instructions, one must conclude that loving others was central to Christian belief and practice and that Jesus both defined what love is and how it was expressed.
Understanding these basic facts about early Christianity gives new perspective to the type of Christianity practiced by evangelicals in our time. Pat Robertson, an influential conservative televangelist and one time Republican candidate for president, and (the late) Jerry Falwell, the president and founder of a Christian college, proclaimed that the attacks of September 11, 2001, were God's judgment on a wayward nation. The Gospel of John seems directly to contradict this point of view. In it, John states, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17, KJV).
The Old Testament has a passage that reads: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV). Because Christians call themselves by God's name, then perhaps it is the evangelicals who need to humble themselves in order to heal this nation. They could repent for ten years of anti-government rhetoric. Rather than embroiling themselves in the nation’s petty political life, they should have busied themselves in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned. This work would not have to be confined to the grassroots level. Wealthy and powerful Christians could create well-paying jobs or reform the justice system. The Old Testament sums up all of God's instruction for man’s behavior in Micah 6:8, "He hath showed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (KJV). Alas, this does not seem to be a part of the religious rights current agenda.
Cliff Potts -- May 14 2014
Most Right Religious Right
Modern Crusade
My "Old Time" Religion
A believer in Jesus Christ is to take his instructions from the New Testament that was written between 33 CE and 70 CE and compiled around 400 CE by the Emperor Constantine. Much of the New Testament was written by one rabbi known as Paul. Constantine added other writings as political and religious concessions.
Apostle Paul was a Jewish Apostate
Then, history was made; Paul had a conversion experience. He began studying the Old Testament scriptures. He began teaching Christian beliefs to Hellenistic communities scattered around the Roman-controlled Mediterranean region. Due to Paul's history of persecuting Christians, he was not initially accepted among the Jewish Christians in occupied Israel. Paul was as fanatical in his work for Christ as he had been in his opposition to the Jewish Christians.
Paul’s ministry was not without its detractors. Paul and Jesus’ disciple Peter, Paul’s counterpart within the Jewish community, did not agree on certain theological points concerning the conversion of non-Jews to Christianity. The point of contention lay in the book of Genesis. Paul's stance was based on the tradition of Gentiles observing only those laws given to Noah after the Flood. Peter, on the other hand, took the approach that converts to Christianity should be Jewish converts as well. It is important to note that Paul's teaching was not that the Torah, the basis of Jewish law, was nullified as is taught in contemporary Christianity, but that it did not apply to the non-Jewish converts to the Christian faith. While the book of Acts minimizes this disagreement, it explains Paul's more widespread journeys into the Hellenistic and Roman world. Of course, this was made easier because Paul, unlike many Jews, had been able to purchase Roman citizenship.
While Paul was on his various treks, he wrote numerous letters to Jewish congregations that he visited or wished to visit. These letters, or epistles, were written in Greek, not in Roman Latin, not in Palestinian Aramaic, or most notably, not in Jewish Hebrew. The intended reader was not a traditional Jew. Paul's teachings were based upon the traditions of righteous Gentiles who were observing the instructions given to Noah after the flood. Paul disseminated these traditions throughout the non-Jewish world. However, Paul's original teachings became altered in their understanding over 2,000 years of fractionalized squabbling and political power plays.
The New Testimony
While the New Testament was cobbled together by political compromises and appeasements, the Old Testament, or Torah has a long tradition of consistency. During the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish scholars devised a method to protect the integrity of their scriptures; they mathematically checked the validity of each hand written copy. Each Hebrew letter had a numeric value. By adding the value of the letters horizontally and vertically, the rabbis checked the validity of the copied Torah scrolls. From that time forward, the Old Testament remained incredibly consistent. However, this time of captivity took place some 400 to 600 years after the Exodus from Egypt. The original manuscripts of the Old Testament and the New Testament have disappeared. Today, scholars use what they consider reliable copies. Despite that, many Christians adhere to the belief that the text of the Scriptures is without error.
Paul's writings are not the only texts that make up the New Testament. Other authors include: John, who was a follower of Jesus from his youth; James, who was known as "James the Just" and was the half brother of Jesus; Luke, who was a later Hellenistic convert, a physician, and an early investigative journalist; Matthew, who was an early follower of Jesus and purported tax collector; and the aforementioned Peter, who was a very early follower of Jesus and a fisherman. With the exception of the seemingly truncated letter of James, the majority of the documentation deals with the issues of belief in Christ. James is the sole document which instructs, "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20, KJV). James’ writings are a key to understanding the whole of the New Testament.
Since the bulk of traditional Christianity is based upon the correspondence of Paul, his writing defines Christianity. In a letter to an apprentice named Timothy, a second generation Christian, he writes, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned" (1 Timothy 1:5, KJV). In an open letter to the Corinthians, he writes, "Love doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil," among other notable instructions (1 Corinthians 13: 5b, ASV).
John supports this idea of love both in the story of Jesus Christ within the Gospels and in his own epistles. The Gospels attribute a number of quotes about loving kindness to Jesus himself. In Mark, Jesus repeats the Old Testament exhortation to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31, ASV). Matthew reports that Jesus said, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you" (Matthew 5:44, KJV). Finally, John quotes Jesus saying, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, KJV). John pointed out in both of his epistles that love was obeying the instructions of God. From these collective instructions, one must conclude that loving others was central to Christian belief and practice and that Jesus both defined what love is and how it was expressed.
Understanding these basic facts about early Christianity gives new perspective to the type of Christianity practiced by evangelicals in our time. Pat Robertson, an influential conservative televangelist and one time Republican candidate for president, and (the late) Jerry Falwell, the president and founder of a Christian college, proclaimed that the attacks of September 11, 2001, were God's judgment on a wayward nation. The Gospel of John seems directly to contradict this point of view. In it, John states, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17, KJV).
Forsaken Concept
The Old Testament has a passage that reads: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV). Because Christians call themselves by God's name, then perhaps it is the evangelicals who need to humble themselves in order to heal this nation. They could repent for ten years of anti-government rhetoric. Rather than embroiling themselves in the nation’s petty political life, they should have busied themselves in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned. This work would not have to be confined to the grassroots level. Wealthy and powerful Christians could create well-paying jobs or reform the justice system. The Old Testament sums up all of God's instruction for man’s behavior in Micah 6:8, "He hath showed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (KJV). Alas, this does not seem to be a part of the religious rights current agenda.
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