If you are a Christian who believes these evangelists on television with apocalyptic visions of the future, forget everything you have heard about Jesus and Christianity, because it is probably all wrong!

The constant infatuation of fundamentalist Christians with the end of the world is probably why Christ devoted most of his time on earth, speaking about how to live the life God wants for us. He was vague about the particulars regarding death and the afterlife, because dwelling on these things is not conducive to a healthy and productive life. The primary message of most Evangelicals is fear and repentance before a vengeful God, and the reason for all injustice and suffering is our sin.

Once they have sufficiently terrorized their followers with the fire and brimstone act, the congregation is left in a highly suggestible state. This phenomenon is similar to a hostage falling in love with a captor. These Christians are terrorized by a vengeful God, so they become mindless automatons that do the bidding of the religious fanatics that run these churches. Many of these trusting souls are desperately ill and are attracted by the promise of healing. They are victimized even more as they forgo medical treatment to follow these so-called men of God.

Jesus set an example of how to live a pious and peaceful life, first and foremost. This is the most consistent and repeated theme in all of the actual words that Jesus was reported to have said. Jesus lived as a man in order to experience the temptations of the world, just as we do. Jesus lived a model life and set an example of how to deal with our world which is timeless. He gave the world the way of true happiness, for us living here and now. Our time on the earth, which is all we really can be sure of, should get the lion's share of our efforts, not an unsure and for some, frightening afterlife. Peace and love, for mankind and the planet, should be the focus of the Christian Church. It is important to understand the principles of these teachings and not to promote fear and violence, for the sake of selling books and movies.

These "Final Days" and Armageddon films and books are bleak and depressing. I call them the "feel bad" works of the Millennium. They are ponderous interpretations on what a few enigmatic verses mean and are as tired as the whole action adventure genera they are spawned from. When times are at their worst, the masses always turn to lighter fare for entertainment. If you are feeling hopeless, as do so many today, the last thing you need is someone bringing you down. With depression and other mental illness on the rise, the solution presented by the majority of doctors and insurance companies seems to be medication, instead of counseling. Therapy is so expensive, many are forced to go without. With so many people in need of counseling, the Church could really help to fill this gap, if they focused on ministering to these people. The Church should not be preoccupied with saving souls and those yet to be born, at the expense of the needy who are alive today. Have faith that God is in control and remember Christ fed the five thousand, before he preached to them. Let's pay attention to the here and now and think positive!

There is no doubt what The Sermon on the Mount is about, which is generally accepted as one of the best documented words ever spoken by Jesus. Why then do the "moneychangers" in the church choose to dwell on the most macabre elements of the Bible? The same reason Hollywood studios prefer to make violent action films, it's easy and it sells.

After all this time they still don't get it. Only if they successfully resist the temptations of the world, will they see the truth. My favorite teaching of Jesus says, "It would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven". I think the extreme exaggeration expressed here was intended to put to rest any debate on the meaning of this!

The fundamentalists use literal translation of the Bible to bolster their arguments, but only when it suits their political position. Many try to minimize the significance of piety in these words of Christ, by saying the nickname for the narrow passage into Jerusalem was called the "Eye of the Needle". However, it is hard to imagine that Jesus is referring to this, because he was not from Jerusalem and was talking to visitors to the city, who would not be familiar with the local nicknames. From the example that Christ presented when he lived among us, it is clear that Jesus was adamant about the evil of riches and the importance of piety. Many so-called Christians deny this truth because it goes against the capitalist mentality, that has always been the prevailing school of thought in the industrialized world. That is how the story about the passage in Jerusalem came to be. It is an attempt to convolute the true meaning of the verse, that it is practically impossible for a rich man to live in the spirit of Christ.

Greed and materialism, or the "love of of money" is the root of all evil. This is so clearly stated that it is impossible to misinterpret. Looking back on history, we see that this could be evidence of God's wisdom. He really did know that being pious would be the most overlooked and under emphasized part of the faith, because of the selfish nature of man. He made it so clear and memorable, it might stand out above the din of End Times books and movies.

More>

Copyright ©2003 by A.D.1973. All rights reserved.