What has happened to America's Jesus?

[Rykster]

What has happened to America's Jesus?

By Rob Borsellino

Mon Feb 13, 7:12 AM ET

I remember when Jesus Christ was about religion.

That goes back to when he was caring and compassionate all the time, not just during the political campaign season.

He used to bring people together and give them hope. He wouldn't have his people get in your face and tell you to fight gay rights or you'll burn in hell. That's not what he was about. That's not the Jesus who made folks such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson rich and famous. He was a different guy from the 21st-century American Jesus Christ.

When I recently visited Sicily, Italy, the old Jesus was all over the place. His statue was on the counter at the restaurant and the coffee house. His image was on the wall at the clothing store and in the hotel lobby. And there was a huge painting of him on the side of an apartment building.

Sometimes he was with his mom and dad, and sometimes he was sitting with his pals - the apostles. Mostly he was hanging from the cross. Whatever he was up to, it was all about religion.

It was interesting because I didn't go to Sicily looking for a religious experience. I went looking for what's left of my family. My grandfather and his brother came to the United States in 1904 and left behind their parents and two sisters. The sisters had kids, grandkids, great grandkids.

I never met any of those people, and I knew nothing about Sicily except the obvious - pizza and the Mafia. My wife thought it was time to connect. She made some calls and let the family know we were coming.

We landed in Palermo, got our bags and were met by my cousin Peppino Rizzuti, who was holding a handwritten sign with my name on it.

He was there with three other cousins. They hooked us up with more family and spent the next seven days driving us all over the island and stuffing us with mozzarella, prosciutto, olives and about 50 kinds of pasta.

My cousin Maria made the sign of the cross before she ate. My cousin Antonio's car had a figurine of a saint on the dashboard. My cousin Gian Marco had a beautiful cross hanging from his neck.

But nobody was going on about God, Jesus and religion. It didn't come up. I saw all that and was reminded that you can be a decent person - a good son, husband and father - and still oppose the war in Iraq. You can be a caring, thoughtful member of your community and still question whether Justice Samuel Alito should have been confirmed. Jesus won't get mad at you.

Several times during the week, I thought about telling my family what's happened to Jesus in the United States - how he's been kidnapped by politicians and preachers who decide what he does and doesn't think. They speak for him, and it doesn't always make sense.

They say Jesus is "pro life," but he doesn't seem to have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks stem cell research - something that would save lives - is no different from murdering babies. They say he's the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims. And he's not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to.

The Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the country talking about how " AIDS cures fags." Pat Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be a lot cheaper than starting another war.

All week I went over that stuff in my head and decided not to mention any of it to the family.

It would make America look ridiculous.

Source: Yahoo News

Edit: Broken link

Edited February 13, 2006 by Rykster

[Pontius Pilate]

Most of the Americans could care less about Jesus, paying lip service only, a lot of Americans have awoken to the knowledge that like all other religions before, Christianity is a myth with little or no true behind it. The faithful grow fewer in number every year and eventually the religion will shuffle of the mortal coil, just as did the religions of Babylon, Assyria, Greece, Rome, the Celts, the Gemanic Tribes and the Central and South American cultures! What will replace it? if we are lucky, it won't be Islam (which is starting to show cracks) and will be some benign religion like Buddhism or Deism. - PP

[Abecrombie]

you might be surprised to hear me state my opinion but,......your family in sicily might have already had these thoughts just like you and like you were to dignafied or out of respect didnt mention it to you. it could happen.

ill get back to this and try to post some factual info through reffences in the bible if youd like im human and i take on too much obligations so ill try my best

this is though and has been a procedingly downhill spiral for centuries now its not to my belief anyway that it will get any better

you never know just what life is going to dish out ,...makes you think

good post for the forum topic

[Rykster]

Thanks Abecrombi, but the article isn't about me.

[ShaunZero]

There is a verse in the bible about these kinds of people. Not sure where but it says something about how they may speak like they love God but he's no in their hearts.

[Imaginary Friend]

What has happened to America's Jesus?

I think the problem began when there appeared certain American's that imagined He was theirs.

Edited February 16, 2006 by Imaginary Friend

[Byuu94]

I blame all the protestants. When it was just the Catholic Church, at least people knew what HE did and didn't want. According to the Church anyways.

[kaveman713]

bull crap its not their fault it the politicians and others like that

the catholics use to want people to buy go to heaven card and buy their relatives them too. and you think it the proestants fault hum!

[Bella-Angelique]

Lots of blame and no solutions.

There is nothing any more benign in other religions than there is in Chritianity.

You can find time periods where nations of every faith or non-faith commited atrocities and horrors under the direction of their leaders.

The United States is the first modern democracy.

The ancestors had courage to try something new and were willing to try to work out problems. It would have been even easier for them than for us to just throw up their hands and install a system that was like what others had in their time.

The United States is a nation of mystics of all kinds, of many faiths.

Unfortunately they totally suck at working things out together to the benefit of their nation and virtually all of them have taken sides and piled into the political arena with all the zeal of the performers of a pay per view wrestling special.

I think that tolerance, understanding, and respect for the basic rights of belief among the faiths, and that includes deism and agnosticism, should be a priority. They should have regular meetings and reach agreements on various issues. Those things they cannot agree upon should not have precious time wasted upon by picking them to death over who is right or wrong. There are too many important matters that need their attention that they can agree upon that are being neglected. As long as they contunue this incestant quarreling among themselves they render themselves useless.

If religions were races most Americans would be able to see quite clearly the segregation and hate the faiths direct towards each other, and the desire many of them have to wipe each other out. This is not the way to form a more perfect union but the way to destroy all sense of unity as citizen members of the same nation family.

[Xenojjin]

The way others see Jesus should have no effect on your Jesus . There should be no problem with this.

[stargazer123]

What has happened to America's Jesus?

By Rob Borsellino

Mon Feb 13, 7:12 AM ET

I remember when Jesus Christ was about religion.

That goes back to when he was caring and compassionate all the time, not just during the political campaign season.

He used to bring people together and give them hope. He wouldn't have his people get in your face and tell you to fight gay rights or you'll burn in hell. That's not what he was about. That's not the Jesus who made folks such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson rich and famous. He was a different guy from the 21st-century American Jesus Christ.

When I recently visited Sicily, Italy, the old Jesus was all over the place. His statue was on the counter at the restaurant and the coffee house. His image was on the wall at the clothing store and in the hotel lobby. And there was a huge painting of him on the side of an apartment building.

Sometimes he was with his mom and dad, and sometimes he was sitting with his pals - the apostles. Mostly he was hanging from the cross. Whatever he was up to, it was all about religion.

It was interesting because I didn't go to Sicily looking for a religious experience. I went looking for what's left of my family. My grandfather and his brother came to the United States in 1904 and left behind their parents and two sisters. The sisters had kids, grandkids, great grandkids.

I never met any of those people, and I knew nothing about Sicily except the obvious - pizza and the Mafia. My wife thought it was time to connect. She made some calls and let the family know we were coming.

We landed in Palermo, got our bags and were met by my cousin Peppino Rizzuti, who was holding a handwritten sign with my name on it.

He was there with three other cousins. They hooked us up with more family and spent the next seven days driving us all over the island and stuffing us with mozzarella, prosciutto, olives and about 50 kinds of pasta.

My cousin Maria made the sign of the cross before she ate. My cousin Antonio's car had a figurine of a saint on the dashboard. My cousin Gian Marco had a beautiful cross hanging from his neck.

But nobody was going on about God, Jesus and religion. It didn't come up. I saw all that and was reminded that you can be a decent person - a good son, husband and father - and still oppose the war in Iraq. You can be a caring, thoughtful member of your community and still question whether Justice Samuel Alito should have been confirmed. Jesus won't get mad at you.

Several times during the week, I thought about telling my family what's happened to Jesus in the United States - how he's been kidnapped by politicians and preachers who decide what he does and doesn't think. They speak for him, and it doesn't always make sense.

They say Jesus is "pro life," but he doesn't seem to have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks stem cell research - something that would save lives - is no different from murdering babies. They say he's the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims. And he's not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to.

The Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the country talking about how " AIDS cures fags." Pat Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be a lot cheaper than starting another war.

All week I went over that stuff in my head and decided not to mention any of it to the family.

It would make America look ridiculous.

Source: Yahoo News

Edit: Broken link

Me too...my family came here from italy as well. Messina to be exact. They were...catholics.

As to the article on jesus....I have no idea except that i believe somehow his message had been twisted but of course thats just my thoughts.

As for Fred Phelps...oh my now that is a whole discussion in itself. No where in the entire new testament have I heard Jesus talking about homosexuals and how God hates them.

And as for Pat Robertson...I tend to avoid any channel he is on as he feels he preaches his own message of intolerance. :angry2:

Edited February 16, 2006 by stargazer123

[Rykster]

Stargazer,

To be clear here, this article doesn't reflect my thoughts. In fact, I am somewhere in between agnostic and atheist, leaning heavily towards atheist.

I just found it while reading and thought it interesting. In that light, I posted it to the forum.

I embrace knowledge from many sources. I like to be as well informed as possible that I may know more about this cosmos as well as to be able to discuss ideas in an intelligent manner.

[stargazer123]

Stargazer,

To be clear here, this article doesn't reflect my thoughts. In fact, I am somewhere in between agnostic and atheist, leaning heavily towards atheist.

I just found it while reading and thought it interesting. In that light, I posted it to the forum.

I embrace knowledge from many sources. I like to be as well informed as possible that I may know more about this cosmos as well as to be able to discuss ideas in an intelligent manner.

gotcha

I guess I can say my post did reflect my thoughts.

However thank you posting the article.

[RamboIII]

What has happened to America's Jesus?

By Rob Borsellino

Mon Feb 13, 7:12 AM ET

I remember when Jesus Christ was about religion.

That goes back to when he was caring and compassionate all the time, not just during the political campaign season.

He used to bring people together and give them hope. He wouldn't have his people get in your face and tell you to fight gay rights or you'll burn in hell. That's not what he was about. That's not the Jesus who made folks such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson rich and famous. He was a different guy from the 21st-century American Jesus Christ.

When I recently visited Sicily, Italy, the old Jesus was all over the place. His statue was on the counter at the restaurant and the coffee house. His image was on the wall at the clothing store and in the hotel lobby. And there was a huge painting of him on the side of an apartment building.

Sometimes he was with his mom and dad, and sometimes he was sitting with his pals - the apostles. Mostly he was hanging from the cross. Whatever he was up to, it was all about religion.

It was interesting because I didn't go to Sicily looking for a religious experience. I went looking for what's left of my family. My grandfather and his brother came to the United States in 1904 and left behind their parents and two sisters. The sisters had kids, grandkids, great grandkids.

I never met any of those people, and I knew nothing about Sicily except the obvious - pizza and the Mafia. My wife thought it was time to connect. She made some calls and let the family know we were coming.

We landed in Palermo, got our bags and were met by my cousin Peppino Rizzuti, who was holding a handwritten sign with my name on it.

He was there with three other cousins. They hooked us up with more family and spent the next seven days driving us all over the island and stuffing us with mozzarella, prosciutto, olives and about 50 kinds of pasta.

My cousin Maria made the sign of the cross before she ate. My cousin Antonio's car had a figurine of a saint on the dashboard. My cousin Gian Marco had a beautiful cross hanging from his neck.

But nobody was going on about God, Jesus and religion. It didn't come up. I saw all that and was reminded that you can be a decent person - a good son, husband and father - and still oppose the war in Iraq. You can be a caring, thoughtful member of your community and still question whether Justice Samuel Alito should have been confirmed. Jesus won't get mad at you.

Several times during the week, I thought about telling my family what's happened to Jesus in the United States - how he's been kidnapped by politicians and preachers who decide what he does and doesn't think. They speak for him, and it doesn't always make sense.

They say Jesus is "pro life," but he doesn't seem to have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks stem cell research - something that would save lives - is no different from murdering babies. They say he's the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims. And he's not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to.

The Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the country talking about how " AIDS cures fags." Pat Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be a lot cheaper than starting another war.

All week I went over that stuff in my head and decided not to mention any of it to the family.

It would make America look ridiculous.

Source: Yahoo News

Edit: Broken link

who cares

[Rykster]

^^^

Then don't bother posting. Esp. when you feel the need to take up space by quoting the whole article.