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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Thanks for the article Chas. It was a good read. I
think it is a bit misinformed about traditional forms of Christianity, but I
think it nails it on some contemporary issues. It is contemporary
concerns such as these that folks like Brian McLaren seek to address. American,
politically minded Fundamentalists can be some of the most un-Christian folks
on the planet, and it is interesting indeed when they approach scripture as
some sort of Law-Code in the sky and the ecclesia as still shivering in front
of Sinai. But in this respect I disagree with Slater’s concern
about ‘story.’ There is a ‘story’ to be told
about Jesus, love, and mercy, just as there is a story to be told about the
abolishment of slavery and condemnation. The problem is not that
fundamentalists only believe ‘a story’ but rather they don’t
get the story right; and further, this is due to their inability to see
scripture as precisely that: a story, and one that is reflective of an
essentially storied world, a world that will continue that story regardless of
whether or not narratives are written about it—what C.S. Lewis called the
Myth. I hope Dick enjoys his litigation. Sounds like you might have
hit a nerve. Good work. Considering I’m a fundamentalist
Christian, I suppose I’m more immune to the legal charges? Hope so.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Michael Metzler <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:rvrcowboy@clearwire.net"
title="mailto:rvrcowboy@clearwire.net rvrcowboy@clearwire.net">rvrcowboy</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>To:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <a
href="mailto:owner-vision2020@moscow.com"
title="mailto:owner-vision2020@moscow.com owner-vision2020@moscow.com">owner-vision2020@moscow.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Thursday, June 01,
2006 7:40 PM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Hate Speech on
your forum<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear Sir,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I have been a subscriber to your Vision2020 forum for
several weeks. During that time I have witnessed, and participated in
several discussions that became heated and hotly debated. That is all
right, after all we are all entitled to our opinions.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Now, one of your subscribers is posting materials of an
inflamatory nature against a specific segment of the subscribers on the
list. This hate speech is aimed at Christians, Fundamental Christians
specifically, but all Christians in general. This individual has admitted
to being atheistic many times, which is his right. However, he is now
posting materials aimed directly at Christians with the intent of creating a
hostile atmosphere on the forum.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This is my formal complaint to you about this matter.
I am also filing a complaint with the Idaho State Attorney General's Office
concerning this matter. I have personally emailed several people I know
to be Christians subscribers to your site and requested that they not respond
to this vindictive post.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The specific post is from a subscriber known as
"Chasuk" and was posted on 6/1/2006 at 3:49pm. It is copied in
its entirity herein:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-slater/the-great-fundamentalist-_b_21944.html"
title="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-slater/the-great-fundamentalist-_b_21944.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-slater/the-great-fundamentalist-_b_21944.html</a><br>
<br>
by Philip Slater<br>
<br>
THE GREAT FUNDAMENTALIST HOAX<br>
<br>
Thoughtful Americans have long wondered how it is that fundamentalist<br>
Christians--followers of someone who preached pacifism and<br>
tolerance--became the poster boy for hate speech, touting "moral<br>
values" indistinguishable from those of the Taliban. They wonder why,<br>
for example, fundamentalist Christians so seldom quote from the New<br>
Testament--which is supposedly what Christianity is all about--but<br>
prefer citing the Torah and Old Testament prophets.<br>
<br>
One reason is that the Old Testament is full of murder,<br>
vindictiveness, and genocide--all supposedly ordered by God. So when<br>
fundamentalists want a Biblical excuse for hate speech and hate<br>
crimes--which they seem to need with considerable frequency--they turn<br>
to Old Testament sources.<br>
<br>
Christian homophobes, for example, carry signs saying 'God hates<br>
fags', which they justify by claiming that Leviticus 18:22 (condemning<br>
male homosexuality as "abomination") is the 'word of God'. Yet more<br>
than a third of the entire book of Leviticus is devoted to God's<br>
detailed instructions on the proper manner of making burnt offerings<br>
of animals to Him. (The rest deals with keeping Jewish dietary laws,<br>
avoiding pollution from inadvertent contact with menstruating women,<br>
forbidding haircuts and beard trimming, justifying slavery, and saying<br>
anyone who swears should be stoned to death). Why doesn't God hate<br>
those who fail to make offerings in the exact manner He so carefully<br>
spelled out in chapter after chapter? Since fundamentalists feel<br>
comfortable ignoring 95% of the 'word of God' in Leviticus, why have<br>
they latched onto this isolated phrase? If "God hates fags", then God<br>
must feel positively murderous toward people who don't make burnt<br>
offerings of animal carcasses in the precise manner so carefully<br>
indicated, and in such extreme detail. (God must also hate people who<br>
eat lobster, shrimp and pork, which are also "abominations" according<br>
to Leviticus).<br>
<br>
It's startling, in fact, how rarely fundamentalist Christians mention<br>
the sayings of Jesus. 'Morality' to them means the sexual inhibitions<br>
of ancient Middle Eastern patriarchies. They seem to be nostalgic for<br>
the pruderies of the 1950s, when the Hays office decreed that movies<br>
couldn't show pajama-clad married couples in bed together lest it<br>
incite teenage moviegoers to fornication. This obsession with<br>
sexuality is surprising, since Jesus seemed to have very little<br>
interest in the topic. In the four Gospels there are only four<br>
statements about sexuality, and these deal with adultery and divorce<br>
rather than sex per se. That is, with relationships--with causing<br>
injury to another.<br>
<br>
Compare this with the nineteen statements Jesus makes about the<br>
importance of giving, and the value of divesting oneself of money and<br>
possessions. Yet we seldom hear fundamentalist Christians saying it's<br>
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich<br>
man to enter heaven. Or quoting the ten statements exhorting us to<br>
turn the other cheek--a Christian idea that seems to be anathema to<br>
hate-filled fundamentalists.<br>
<br>
The Bible becomes the 'Word of God' when a bigot wants to use it to<br>
bludgeon his neighbor, and a mere archaic relic when it would be<br>
inconvenient for him to take it seriously. Fundamentalists of all<br>
persuasions--Christian, Muslim, Jewish--often manage to find some sort<br>
of backing for their hatreds in their sacred texts; for these texts<br>
were written in societies that were misogynistic, militaristic, and<br>
rigidly authoritarian--written, furthermore, by men who believed the<br>
earth was flat.<br>
<br>
The reason why so many fundamentalist Christians are so notoriously<br>
"unChristian" is simple: for the majority of Christians (Quakers are<br>
among many notable exceptions) Christianity isn't about the teachings<br>
of Jesus, and never was. The early church fathers knew that Jesus'<br>
rather Buddhist message of nonviolence and voluntary poverty wouldn't<br>
fly in the Graeco-Roman world, let alone in the <st1:place w:st="on">Middle
East</st1:place>. The idea<br>
of a Redeemer on the other hand--someone who would voluntarily<br>
sacrifice Himself for humanity and their sins--was very popular.<br>
Instead of having to give up their worldly goods and espouse<br>
non-violence, all the Romans had to do was believe in the miraculous<br>
stories surrounding Jesus' birth and death, which was easy for them,<br>
since such stories had been told about pagan gods and heroes and were<br>
already familiar.<br>
<br>
Christianity as it exists among fundamentalists isn't about behaving<br>
like Jesus. It's all about faith--about believing the story. The<br>
underlying message seems to be: you can behave any way you want as<br>
long as you believe the story and say you're sorry before you die.<br>
Following the teachings of Jesus is much too demanding, whereas with<br>
the Christianity of fundamentalists all you have to do is shut your<br>
mind off.<br>
<br>
There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually<br>
follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word "Christian" has been<br>
largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by<br>
fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite:<br>
intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I trust you will handle this matter quickly and discretely.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Sincerely</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dick Sherwin</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>208-743-0604</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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