Tuesday, April 26, 2005

What would Jesus filibuster?

It's a bizarre question. One that is addressed quite well in this editorial by Jack Hitt in the L.A. Times. In the editorial, Hitt essentially blasts the media and the right for turning Christianity into a GOP political action committee. Hitt also makes the point that Jesus used an almost Socratic approach to teaching morals and often there was no exact answer to the questions he posed to his followers. The point of this was to force his followers to think for themselves. This is in direct contrast to the absolutist, black and white sermons of contemporary Christian leaders in the U.S.

I found this editorial to be quite good, mainly because it reminded me that Jesus was a good guy with a lot of good ideas. Even a hardened agnostic such as myself will concede that there is great value in alot of his teachings. I guess my own irritation at Christians in this country tends to skew me into blasting the religion entirely.

"How fitting that in the Age of Information our broadcasters have marketed a Jesus so narrowly defined that he resembles little more than a lobbyist loitering outside Tom DeLay's office hoping for a few minutes of the great man's time." -Jack Hitt