Perhaps because I have an ecclectic collection of thoughts and beliefs, or maybe because I'm still in the transition between knowing what I believe and deciphering out what I've been taught or grown up with that I don't agree with, I find myself often feeling misrepresented by those claiming to have the same affiliations.
The March 15, 2006 issue of TIME magazine published "My Problem with Christianism:
A believer spells out the difference between faith and a political agenda" by Andrew Sullivan.
More than any other time in my life, I felt like someone was very intelligently speaking something I've failed to put into words for a long time.
I'm so grateful that he eloquently demonstrated how the political right has become the "Christian" party, every Christian instantly labeled a conservative Republican.
I don't like hearing strangers talk about Christians being the problem with politics these days, seeing how they despise us all because of the crazy radicals with political clout.
I might guess that there are a lot of us who don't follow the extremist right, who don't believe that God runs any party or that he will use any party to carry out any plans for America or even the world. It's unfathomable for me to think someone could actually believe that, but people do, and these are the people who often (and unfortunately) represent my religion. It repulses me.
This is why I was delighted when Kelly gave me the article by Sullivan. He's on to something.
(You can view part of the first paragraph at Time's website , but you have to pay for the rest of the article. I'd recommend borrowing it from a friend, or visiting an office that might have it lying around on a table somewhere.)
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