Tuesday, May 05, 2009

 

'Piety, schmiety,' I always say

Well, I don't always say that. But I do pretty regularly acknowledge that I don't have a pious bone in my body -- if piety is taken to mean "overly religious" or, well, ahem, "tightassed" when it comes to social mores and customs.

All that said, this is a sad, interesting read from a Decon:

SuperChristians: More Pious than Jesus.

--ER

Comments:
Thomas Aquinas when equated The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit with The Seven Virtues said,"The gift of piety corresponds to the virtue of justice."

Over time I think the concept of Justice has been replaced once again by the concept of Law.
 
Actually, the Martyrdom of Polycarp is exactly the opposite of the reading on offer. But, that's picking a rather tiny nit.

The desire to be perceived as a persecuted minority lies behind so much of contemporary conservative Christianity. Liberal Christianity, too. It's really quite sad. I used to sit on the Northern Illinois Conference Board of Church and Society (talk about your weak-kneed, almost stereotypical Christian liberals; I always felt like washing after a meeting with them), and there was one conservative guy who used to push all this stuff about Christians being persecuted around the world. He'd bring in pamphlets and flyers, and insist we issue a statement or something.

Finally, at one meeting I said, "I agree. We should say something. We should issue a statement offering our support and thanksgiving for those whose faith has brought violence to them, and for their steadfastness in the face of persecution." When asked if I was serious, I said that I was, that my prayer was similar to St. Paul's, and about as far as we should go.

They only want to follow the Bible if it means we get to execute gay people. Otherwise, they have no idea what it says.
 
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