In response to the opinion article titled “Leave Christians Alone Already!” by Logan Howe, published in The Prospector, Vol. 15, Issue 2, Winter of 2011.
“You won’t believe what he wrote.”
I didn’t think too much of it when my friend passed me a copy of The Prospector as we were riding in his van towards my place. I was used to some unusual things showing up in that paper; after all, I had worked on it for two years, spending one semester as the editor of web content. I casually flipped through the first few pages. Unremarkable. Bad drivers. Breast cancer. The usual newspaper fare. Then I came to the page my friend had warned me about; it was a wall of text built around some scrawl of a 15th-century Templar in full raiment, a zweihänder in the grasp of his gauntlet, and altogether looking rather fearsome. The title sprang into my ears with the sound of a child’s whining: “Leave Christians alone already!” It was shrill, screeching on the page. While I could feel bile rising, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
I have never been a fan of Christianity; it has caused far too much contention in my world. All these people around me feeling the need to exert their Christian “love” upon me in the forms of corner street-preaching, door-knocking, and televangelism. I had lost friends and lovers who felt themselves caught up in the sweeping wave of unreasonable Christian faith, taking them far beyond where I could even begin to reach them. Of course, this could just be because I’m a little island in that sea. An atheist, one of a handful I know personally. Where I don’t see reason in a person, I see hypocrisy. When I see neither: delusion.
Delusion was all I saw when I read through that wretched article. It was full of veiled promises of persecution, and an utterly wrongful belief that he, himself as a Christian was the one persecuted! You see, good reader, you may or may not know that Christianity is rife in our culture, boasting an impressive 76% (as of 2008) share of our nation’s collective insanity. Almost every single elected official and representative in our country, our entire country, claims Christianity as their fiction of choice. Compare this to roughly 16% of this great land who claim no religion (boiled down to finer numbers, that gives us about four percent who actually identify as atheist or agnostic). And Mr. Howe also seems to take exception to Muslims, whom he feels are overprotected. They don’t even get a whole percentage point to themselves in the US, weighing in at a measly 0.6%. With these numbers in mind, we see how irrational his fear of persecution really is. A hefty and undeniable majority in fear of such a small number of us? It is as if an elephant were feeling a flea hop up its backside, fearing rape.
And the college. This demonic, Christian-hating, nowhere-to-run, nowhere-to-hide college. Yuba College is an innocent victim in this matter (though guilty in so many others…), dragged in and ravaged by the persistent pen of this uninformed and impressionable man. Any student can say what they want about religion; it’s called free speech. Any professor can say what they want about religion; it’s called academic freedom. In the end, they can’t stop you from being a Christian, even at school; the free practice of religion is as protected at that college as it has been at any point in time since its construction, and perhaps even more so now. The Free Speech Zone has been host to several of my (heh-heh) friends spouting their religion like so much sewage. Never once did they find themselves at the mercy of some bloodthirsty mob or the end of a gun at the campus. Mr. Howe would be hard-pressed to even find a way to land himself in such a predicament. Unless he brought his crusader’s sword to school.
Gay marriage. He lost right away on this one. He thinks marriage is a religious institution. It’s not; it’s a public institution, and all citizens must have free and equal access to it under the law. Were marriage solely under the guidance of churches, they could be as discriminate as they pleased with regard to who wound up in holy matrimony under their roofs. But it’s not, and the church-folk don’t have the authority to steer our legal system to their preferences.
I didn’t read the full article that day in my friend’s van. I couldn’t; I slipped it into my computer bag, hoping to summon the fortitude to finish it later. We joked about it a bit, because that’s what It was to me at that moment: a bad joke. I didn’t laugh, and neither should you. Why? Because, as I realized when I finished that article, for every one of us who saw that article as a warning, there are a dozen more like Mr. Howe who would see it as battle standard, reassuring each other that the faith has honed their blades and tempered their armor, and that they are ready for the clarion call.
Now, dear reader: you must think this terribly rude of me, but we must part here so that I may have a private conversation with Mr. Howe. So please, turn away. Put down your paper or close your browser. Don’t worry; we’ll talk again soon.
Curly McSmug:
Yeah, that’s what we call you. The back row from Burgeson’s World Religions class. You remember, right? I certainly do, and I remember the way you held your middle finger aloft after our little “conversation.” You are truly the pinnacle of Christian benevolence. I certainly hope that you didn’t think your article would go unanswered. Your false persecution complex is as pathetic as it is entertaining, as is the biggest and most obvious contradiction in your article. You cry and whine so much for others to leave you poor little powerless Christians alone, while claiming to revel in any challenge to the virtue and veracity of your faith and your god. If I may quote: “Bring ‘em on! A crusader is always ready to do battle for the Lord!”
Consider
them brought.
Cheers,
DD
Hi Gabriel,
I am a Christian, by the way. Born Again, Spirit Filled. Music Minister by training and experience in the ministry. Have worked for several churches over the years. Graduated from a Bible College in Oklahoma. The thin I love most about my Christian experience is the love the my relationship with Christ has put in my heart towards people. The only commandment Jesus gave in the new testament was to love one another. The greatest commandment of the Law was to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, but the only commandment of grace is to Love your neighbor.
The reason Christians are maligned is the lack of love they show to the world. All you see of Christians today is the televangelist trying to get into you pocketbook or in protest against granting civil rights to fellow Americans who simply want the STATE(not the church) to recognize their relationships and provide the same benefits and protections granted to other legally recognized relationships.
Christian history is very, very bloody. Millions have been killed worldwide in the name of God. I don’t think that’s what He intended when His Son died to reconcile mankind back to Himself.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
First off, it is nice to hear from a fellow Christian and thank you for your comment.I agree with what your’e saying, but I suspect you think I have a problem. Is it because the image of the crusader is associated with bloodshed? The sword is for self defense,protection of the innocent and punishment of the guilty(symbolically). I try to love everyone including gays (though some people get on my nerves). I just don’t think it’s best to be a “love everyone and everything Christian” who ends up being whithout effect. A Christian should stand for good and condemn evil, but that does not mean hating anyone. The aggresive “aura” of my work is mereley to say I am not ashamed of being a Christian and I will fight if attacked; and today as a believer you should know that we are under attack.
“The church-folk don’t have the authority to steer our legal system to their preferences.” David, David, David… actually we do– It’s called democracy.
Actually, even in Democracy, the church does not have the authority to steer our legal system, despite your misconceptions Marie. If they did, Women would still be property of the man, unable to vote, unable to marry a person of another race or culture… That is why our Democracy has checks and balances built in (did you sleep through PoliSci1?) and a judicial system that weighs the things the majority passes against the freedoms and inalienable rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Equal Protection Under the Law… Pesky think that Bill of Rights.
Well at least Howe’s story got some talk happening- CONVERSATIONS ARE ALWAYS GOOD- even when all sides are totally off base- the more they communicate about stuff the more WE ALL LEARN SOMETHING-right? And it is about time someone had said it- I Agree with his take- I think Christians are being very muzzeled these days-(in a land of free speech- I get annoyed when people can not say what they need to) Yet I so see your annoyance with the ones preaching in that screamy way (especially on campus when I was there) VERY ANNOYING (yet as one of those door knockers I want you to understand that we are there more to dispence info for you to make informed choices- I could care less about trying to convert you- If your not interested we go away- but we come back because people change) I also see a big smack down an the Athiests as well for not having beliefs in anything at all, I see people being very PC so as to not offend Islam, but I here all the time about some poor Sikh having his ass kicked being stereo typically mistaken for a muslim in the stereo typical red neck ignorance way. JUST saying- I will say the I Love God, and I think his son Jesus is a great example for how to be (a very Ghandi take on it) but I am not a fan of most who say they are Christians- they are all more Fan then actual follower- But I agree with the reply to you- YOU DID IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A SATANIST IN A FEE CLASSES, I also must agree that the Knight thing (same visual BS as those rt.wing abortionist that one semester)but it tells you right off this is a fan of poor behavior using Christianity not a true follower of Christ’s Thoughts, His teachings or much of anything in the Greek Scriptures. But I am so glad you posted- My only trouble is I see you all must of bullied this guy while in class, just by how you mentioned it- GLAD I sat away from you all. SO let me say- If some moron you bullied in your making fun of way comes onto campus and starts shooting cause they have had enough of your crap- just know – we all saw you continue your bulling of people in writing just because you did not like the guys thoughts or beliefs and made fun of him- which I frankly thought was a bit un-necessary but since you identified yourself as Curly McSmug- well I guess I would not be thrilled with the shooting but not so surprised at your loss? OH btw Marriage has always been avalible to Gays through the MCC church my whole life-So I think that point is dumb- Marriage is the stupidest crap-THEY HAVE HAD ACESS TO IT- Equal rights is the issue not marriage because it has always been avalible(just not recognised)I know this because I am a child of Married Gay parents. They have been together since I was 9 and married since I was 15 just 5 years longer than Harry and I have been- Just saying. Trish
Hello DD, long time no see.I hope you enjoyed writing your response, although I additionally hope you don’t think you told me anything I haven’t repeatedly heard before. I remember you well. Although as I recall you professed yourself as a Satanist not an atheist? Not that I am surprised, the chaff will blow to and fro lacking the “solid rock” of Christ. Oh and actually I was hoping YOU would answer my article. Sorry for the delayed response, this is my first visit to the new site. lastly seeing as how you claim to have enjoyed my “pathetic” “false persecution complex” I will say I enjoyed your response you did exactly what I wanted, though not as well as I had hoped (that’s OK DD you’ll do better next time). You threw insults, gave no reasoned arguments, showed your blatant disgust for me and my Holy Faith and at the same time confirmed that which you denied: that Christians in this world are hated and under attack. Thanks and consider it received. This crusader Knight has enjoyed responding to your assault. May God bless you.