Just Got A Christian-Based E-Mail Blast From A Conservative Colleague

[Mr. Ected]

And for the life of me, I'm trying to reconcile what these folks stand for.

No, the message was not caustic and it was not divisive. It was meant to inspire and to guide.

The message itself was "America is one nation under God".

So I ask, why would God favor one nation over others? Would not our 'enemies' invoke their own Gods for the same protection?

But even moreso, considering the right wing maniacs out there, who tell us that government should not intervene in our special lives, that the work of the individual is what makes America great, and that any social programs are to be disdained...

...how can we be both one nation under God, AND a nation of segregated individuals? How does one justify the inconsistency?

[47of74]

1. Is it from a work email address

If so I'd be sending it on to human resources. It's past time these clowns learn the rules apply to them as well.

[T Wolf]

24. Absolutely. If you can get them in trouble at work and/or cost them their job, that would count

as a good day.

[Ian David]

2. Tell him to look at a fucking map. It's One Nation UNDER CANADA! n/t

[sharp_stick]

6. I like that, I may steal it the next time I hear the

one nation under gawd idiocy. Thanks

[OneGrassRoot]

18. DUzy! :) Nice one. n/t

[gratuitous]

28. Oh sure, in your northo-centric biased map

I'd say we're one nation under Mexico, if you put the South Pole at the top of the map, and there's no good reason why it shouldn't be that way:

http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/

[Ian David]

32. That's a good point. n/t

[gratuitous]

34. It is?

Poop. There goes my perfect record.

[Kittycat]

3. Here's a simple response...

Don't bring religion in to government, unless you want government regulating religion.
/message

[SCantiGOP]

4. World War II?

The US troops and the Nazis were praying to the same god, certain that he was on their side. Same thing in the US Civil War, etc etc

[Ron Green]

5. I think many people who call themselves "Christian" have a pretty small God.

A God who favors one group over another, or who commands one group to make war against another, or who "moves in mysterious ways," or who generally is at some distance from certain parts of the Creation.
It seems to me that if there's a God (and I believe there is), then God is eternal and infinite, and includes ALL of what people are mistakenly assigning to categories such as "enemy" or "sinner" or "undesirable" or "other."

[HopeHoops]

7. Do a reply all and change the subject line and text as follows:

Subject: "What's the only kind of meat a priest can eat on Friday?"

Text: "Nun"

That should get you taken off of the distribution list pretty quickly.

[Mr. Ected]

8. Too Late: I Already Forwarded it To 25 People In My Address Book

And, per the e-mail request, asked that each one of them to pray everyday. "25 TO THE 5TH POWER IS 9,765,625 PEOPLE. IMAGINE IF EACH PERSON REACHES TEN OTHERS."

:eyes:

...if only the Pukes could get that many people to vote for them on election day....

[T Wolf]

33. And miniature wierners...

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Because they focus totally on individual piety and communal apathy

They tend to be the people that think being Christian is all about one's own piety - what one professes to believe, as well as not having abortions and not being gay and voting Republican.

What they miss - as you notice - is that Christianity is really an outward looking faith; individual piety is important, but it's the starting point: what matters is treatment of neighbors.

That's why they can proclaim loudly that we are a nation under God (which they generally use in a triumphalist way, of saying 'and we're the ONLY one under God, because we're the only one that God HIMSELF founded'), and at the same time piss on the poor, not give a damn about justice, and be so willing to invade other nations.

Also, they are capable of saying such ignorant shit because they tend not to be educated very well.




The only thing that can make us not a nation 'under God' is our continuing killing of babies and allowing gay people to have rights.

For some reason it never dawns on them that God might hate America for growing more food than it needs, and wasting so much of it while letting a quarter of our population starve; or that God might be angry that people can't get healthcare; or that God might be angry that we have such income/funding-disparity in the quality of our schools; or that God might be angry that we imprison more of our people than any other so-called 'civilized' nation... and so on.

No, it tends to be, for them, all about believing in Jesus - gotta believe in Jesus to be saved, to make sure you o go Heaven - following Jesus is just "works righteousness" or communist.


You're right, it's totally fucked up - I want to scream at those assholes that, first, we're NOT a nation "Under God", and secondly, if they want so desperately to be that nation "under God", they better get universal healthcare, increase welfare, end discrimination, get rid of the military, educate everyone equally, and otherwise take care of "the sick, the poor, and the widows". That's the phrase the prophets in the Old Testament are constantly condemning Israel about - because they aren't taking care of the sick, the poor, and the widows. And also that they're worshiping other Gods.

Never do the prophets say anything about God being angry because of gays or abortions.

[gbate]

10. How can god bless America if America stopped blessing god?

This is what we need to ponder. :sarcasm:

[zbdent]

11. hmm ... a lot of their talking points about homosexuality come from the Old Testament

and what did God do for the Jews during WWII? I'm sure plenty of them were praying to God ...

But then, it's not "One Nation, under Jesus", right? So why wouldn't God hear the Jews' prayers?

[hfojvt]

12. you got an email meant to inspire

and instead you are looking for some way to find it troubling? How does calling America "one nation under God" say anything bad about other nations? Maybe some people would like God to protect us from fires, floods, famines, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, plagues, pestilence as much as from the nefarious designs of other nations.

[MineralMan]

13. That's nonsense.

Emails like that are using conservo-speak to claim that this nation is a Christian nation. It's a right-wing strategy to marginalize Americans who do not profess Christianity.

[hfojvt]

21. that's your problem though, and one that's easily solved

simply accept Jesus Christ as your lord and saviour :P

[MineralMan]

23. Been there. Done that. Gave up Christianity for Lent in 1965.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. God has NEVER protected us from fires, floods, famines, tornados,

hurricanes, earthquakes, plagues, and pestilence, much less from the nefarious designs of other nations.

Unless, of course, you think the thousands who die every year from those calamities just pissed him off.

[hfojvt]

25. you never know

I'd take that fish down, just to be safe :hide:

anyway hope springs eternal that the Good Lord might decide to get off his a$$ and do something for once in his/her life. Against optimism, even the gods contend in vain.

[Mr. Ected]

16. Context. You Lacked Context.

I failed to give it to you.

This is the same colleague who occasionally bombards my inbox with right-wing propaganda, slams against anything and anyone Democratic, and a healthy dose of "I work hard for mine, and I ain't givin' you a penny!".

Taken with the whole, the religious angle is simply a diversion.

[hfojvt]

20. a diversion?

Why not find common ground, unless there is no common ground? As a liberal Christian I see no reason, for myself, to disagree with a simple message that says
1) I love God
2) I love my country

futhermore just because I love God, does not mean I hate Allah, and just because I love my country does not mean I hate Canada or Deutschland or even Uzbeckistan (France maybe, because they were rude to me in Strasbourg and because they steamrolled Mannheim in 1700). So, I do not object until the message continues with something like

3) therefore we need to bomb Iraq into oblivion

or

3) therefore I love President Bush.

[Mr. Ected]

22. How About, "We Are United As A Christian Nation"

But divided by my passion to keep my grubby paws on every red cent I earn to make sure that the minorities don't get a piece of the action"?

This is Georgia. This is how it is.

[MineralMan]

26. Ah, but you see,

for someone like me, who is an atheist, "one nation under God" is enough to prevent me from saying the Pledge of Allegiance as it is currently written. I cannot say a pledge that includes what is, for me, a lie.

So, I say it as I learned it back in 1950.

If the United States of America is a Christian nation, where do I fit in? Where does the Hindu American or the Wiccan American fit in?

You're a Christian. That's very nice for you. I'm an atheist. Are we not equally American citizens? If we are, then we are not a nation "under" any deity. You just happen to be an American who is a Christian. Lots of us aren't.

[hfojvt]

29. the whole Pledge of Allegiance thing seems kinda grade school to me

it sorta boggles my mind that we say it at Kiwanis meetings at Credit Union meetings and at meetings of the county Democratic party.

Of course we are equally American citizens. We both get to vote. We both get to pay taxes. We both have the right to remain silent because anything we say can and will be used against us in a court of law. That we both get to hear politicians (and elected politicians) pander to a majority by paying lip service to God, does not seem like a huge deal. Just because this is a Christian nation does not mean we have an established religion or have prevented the free exercise thereof. Just refrain from mowing your lawn on Sunday and you will be fine.

[MineralMan]

30. Nah, I have creepy fundie neighbors next door, so I always

mow on Sundays at about 8 A. M. I wouldn't want them to miss services.

[LeftyMom]

19. I'd like him to protect me from his braindead followers.

Since he can't even do that, I'm gonna guess that plate tectonics is a little beyond his grasp. ;)

[havocmom]

35. When it comes over work email list, to a person at work, it may create a hostile workplace

Not everyone believes in God and unless you work at a church, god should not be a topic IN a work email. I would be in HR pointing that out.

Period.

[havocmom]

36. Praying in case of fire, flood, famines, tornados, hurricanes is fine

but I am willing to bet you call the fire dept first in case of fire and other emergency first responders for the rest of the list.

[BolivarianHero]

15. lol

Pledge of Allegiance: Written by a commie Baptist minister

Under God: Added by a bunch of right-wing Catholics and fundies in Congress who wanted to stron arm religion into a secular government.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

17. Not divisive? Yeah, as long as you are a monotheist.

Polytheists and Atheists can fuck the fuck off.

Not caustic? Not divisive? My ass. The sentence "America is one nation under God" alone is enough to make it both.

[Javaman]

27. Abe Lincoln said it best...

It's from a sermon delivered at Lincoln's funeral by Rev. Matthew Simpson on May 4, 1865:
To a minister who said he hoped the Lord was on our side, he replied that it gave him no concern whether the Lord was on our side or not "For," he added, "I know the Lord is always on the side of right;" and with deep feeling added, "But God is my witness that it is my constant anxiety and prayer that both myself and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

[mmonk]

31. Reply Which one?