I am SO VERY TIRED of people using the Bible (usually out of context or quoted incorrectly) to justify every hateful, unkind, uncaring and cruel thing they do.
This is especially true of that group of people who claim to be Christians or "spiritual", don't actually go to church or read the Bible regularly and yet feel the right to comment on everything from one's gender to the right to life of the unborn (while damning the rights of almost everyone else now living).
For one thing, it gives the rest of us religious folk a bad name. The amount of times I have to explain to people that my church has a gay priest in charge, or that we don't believe that hateful stuff about...fill in the blank...has given me no doubt that there is a large group of so called Christians who need to sit down and actually read that Holy Book for starts-and not just the New Testament.
The Bible does not justify separating children from parents. It does not justify putting undocumented immigrants (adults and children) in for profit prisons where many sleep on the cement floor in space blankets. It does not justify refusing entrance to refugees who will die otherwise or live in camps for twenty or more years, based on irrational fear. Nowhere, nowhere, does it address birth gender as such, and I can find you as many passages that support sexual freedom as do not. In fact, welcoming the stranger is a biblical directive, in both the New and Old Testaments. It doesn't say only welcome the stranger who looks like us, or who has the same religion as we do, or any of those things.
If you are one of those people who has to justify their hate or fear, please find another way to do so besides using religion or any one's good book to do so. Stop blaming it on God, or the written word. Admit that you're (unreasonably) worried about your job, the color of their skin, against their religion or whatever else your problem is.
Because while taking a nursing child from it's mother's breast and putting said child in a home may be many things, Biblical it ain't.
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Our country was founded on principles of SEPARATION of church and state. I count on that. My friends are of all backgrounds, and their holy book, if they have one, is not always the Bible. My Church, Unitarian Unioversalist, is a place of inclusion and NO DOGMA.. we read passages of all holy books,inspirational poetry and music, to bring ourselves closer to our own notion of “God” or “Goddess. We have humanists at church who do not BELEIVE in a “god,” too. I am also quite weary of racist, misogynist, ignorant people hiding behind their holy books. If there happens to be some fatherly or motherly god or goddess “out there” somewhere, would they really condone this behavior????? How absolutely silly. I think we need to take down the Statue of Liberty if this continues. Obviously American is closing her doors and alienating our allies.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched that on the news this morning my stomach went into knots. Hateful beings. I cannot even call them human. Even calling them animals is an insult to the animal kingdom.
ReplyDeleteThank you! So many people are using religion as a weapon these days....if only there were more like you!
ReplyDeleteThe things that are happening in our country now are too frightening to contemplate.
ReplyDeleteBoy am I on your side.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of religion. I am a believer, but not in religion because I think it causes more harm than good. But at the same time if someone gets comfort from their religion that is wonderful. But I don't understand why one belief is better or right / more than another. We are not put here to harm one another but to embrace our differences and do good deeds and help one another. But we have this right leaning in our society now that is so ugly. They hate anyone that is different from them. Look I don't care for them so I stay away from people like that. I don't tell them I won't bake a cake for them, I don't tell them to leave my store, I don't say bad things to them or about them. I just turn away. But now we have a baby bully leader who is filled with ugliness. He is more comfortable with dictators and authoritarian leaders than he is to the leaders of the worlds major democracies. How darn sick is that? He will get us all killed.
Amen, Sister, Amen! What is going on in our country now is darn right scary. When are people going to wake up?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and everyones comments esp. Margaret. This is so wrong. I just cannot understand why someone is not standing up and stopping this. To start, returning those kids to their parents. It is evil at work.
ReplyDeleteGood post. Did you read my post on Thursday?
ReplyDeleteI just went and checked it out!!Good for you!!
DeleteBarbara, you must have stayed up late and watched Stephen Colbert's late night show. You quote him exactly. Must be the kool aid. First off, Jeff Sessions quoted the bible saying people are to obey the government laws. He said nothing about separating families. And secondly, this has been going on at the border for the last 10 years. Where were you and your outrage when Obama was doing this? Many of those photos of children in cages were taken 5 years ago. I didn't hear a peep out of you.
ReplyDeleteI think you, just like Stephen Colbert and his media ilk all suffer from TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) You liberals make absolutely no sense whatsoever. And thankfully, President Trump will wind up correcting yet another failed Obama policy and reuniting families.
It is against the law to enter into this country illegally. If you do, you will be arrested and placed in a jail cell. What decent parent would want to do that to his or her child? Displaced children are being held currently in compassionate, decent facilities, probably a place much better from where they originated from.
Shame on you for spreading more fake news and deceptive propaganda.
No anonymous, you are the one who has drunk the Trump Kool-aid. This has not been going on for 10 years in the same way. Try listening to Colbert or other news for another view. Trump is lying every single day and praising dictators like Kim Juong Un of North Korea...get a grip! He is undermining democracy every day with his stupidity and ignorance.
Delete
DeleteThe current policy resulted from a decision made in April by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to prosecute all migrants who cross the border, including those with young children. Those migrants had avoided detention during the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Because of a 1997 court settlement that bars children from being imprisoned with parents, Justice Department officials now say they have no choice but to isolate the children.
Sessions and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders have defended the policy as a sound, and biblical, decision to enforce the law.
Actually, I visit such shelters as part of my ministry, so I know in fact that they are NOT being kept in compassionate facilities. What's more that compassionate president today announced he wants to build tent cities to house children
DeleteRemoving a breastfeeding child from its mother and giving it to a stranger in uniform to prop a bottle in its mouth knowing it will not be held is neither compassionate or caring. It is neither sound nor biblical to separate families which is not required by law. And frankly knowing whi you are, I find it pretty cowardly that you need to hide behind no name to express an opinion and insult others. It's hard to take someone seriously when they dont claim there opinions. The bible actually says obey the law but follow your conscience first, as well as to be kind and welcome the stranger by the way.
And just to be clear, I never watch late night television. I dont even watch evening television.
DeleteSo brave anonymous-can't use your name, or even blog name, to support the wretched humans in the administration. Sessions is as bad as it gets trying to suck up favor after he pissed Trump off in Mueller probe. You tell me how fleeing violence, drug cartels, and starvation, then asking for asylum at the border os a crime? They're being locked up and seperated too.
DeleteShame on you for even thinking that this Trump policy is anything but horrifying. These are parents who are trying to bring their children to safety. These children are suffering and trsumitized. If you are who I think you are, your children are keeping your grandchildren from you, which I found really sad, but, frankly, now I totally understand. You don't appear to have an ounce of compassion.
DeleteSheila
Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Excellent story on NPR yesterday about "red letter" evangelicals opposing this type of message from what they call "evangelical Inc.". (Co-option of evangelical Christianity by right wingers for their own political agenda). Pleased that Catholic Bishops have come out against this in humane policy.
ReplyDeleteI have been accused of drinking kool aid , also, this past week. What's with the kool aid preoccupation amongst Christians and Republicans? Do they own stock????? I watch the news, I see what is happening in front of my very eyes and I don't need Kool Aid,MJ, wine, or smoke up my butt to have an informed opinion. So tired of the kool aid thing.
ReplyDeleteI think if religions and everyone else just concentrated on following the Ten Commandments each of us would have plenty to do.
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that the passage in the Bible that Jeff Session was quoting/misusing was used to justify slavery as well.
ReplyDeleteAs always, Barbara, thank you for your strength and clarity. We are fighting for the basic principles of our democracy and must speak out against these horrors.
ReplyDelete