The problem with criticizing what Ann Coulter said this time...

[Bicoastal]

...is that it's what an awful lot of Christians really do believe and wish--that Jews are just potential believers waiting to be converted, and we'd all be better off for it.

And not just Evangelicals, either; plenty of sane, rational-minded, (gasp) Democratic Christians undoubtedly believe this too, even though it takes a nutjob like Coulter to say it, while probably not necessarily even believe it. (Does ANYONE see that Piranha in a cocktail dress as the ardently church-going type?) But there's no getting around the fact that bringing new converts into the faith is one of the tenets of mainstream Christianity, as preached by Jesus himself: (Mark 28:19) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, unto the end of the world. Amen."

But isn't this "everything would be better if they believed what I believe" philosophy a hallmark of religions the world over? ''Even the non-evangelical religion I identify with has the balls to dub itself the "The Chosen People," even though it's difficult to explain exactly what that means. After all, if we're so special, how come God seems to have "chosen" to pick on us for the last few millennia--especially at the hands of people like Coulter, who apparently thought we'd be idiots NOT to convert in the face of really bad things like exile, torture, pogroms, etc. No one's ever tried to convert me personally (or threatened me with violence if I didn't submit), but I have been "prayed for" on a few occasions. :eyes: And these were often otherwise decent, personable, un-Coulterlike people!

So unlike a statement such as (I'm paraphrasing) "We should kill their leaders and convert them all to Christianity," THIS outrageous thing that Coulter said is something plenty of sane, normal, non-Republican people would think "sure, I agree with that," even if they would publicly say "can you BELIVE she said that?!" Perhaps even some people on this site. Or am I wrong?

[glowing]

1. I believe that line was "fixed" by man.. I think the real saying probably

was something like this "go ye forth unto all man and spread the love (and I mean kindness, caring, and peaceful dealings) of God, the father, son and holy ghost.... My insight on the meaning of this of the Father, son, and Holy Ghost is this... God is the creator (the Father), son is the teacher of life (like a buddha- Christ like state- light filled state- journey thru life, and Holy Ghost (the most significant to me) is that God is within us and we all have the free will to create the peace (heaven) on earth that we wish to see.

"My religion is hijacked; all I have left is my spiritual being." Quote from me.

[liberal renegade]

2. Ann Coulter and church

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Hardrada]

3. It would be interesting to find out how many of each religion

do post on this site. I know there are Christians, Jews and Wiccans & I think a Buddhist or two. Or there used to be. And atheists. I am a nominal Lutheran some days and some days an agnostic. I haven't come across any Muslims or Hindus posting here however and I check out the scene here quite a bit.

[Bicoastal]

4. its very hard to know who's a Jew and who isn't in any case.

I'm a Jew by birth and by cultural identification. Those facts are unchangable. Could I really indentify myself as belonging to the Jewish religion, though? Hard to say.

[glowing]

5. A story from today. I was talking to my boss. She's Hindu. I've been

to a couple of their prayers. Amazingly spiritual. I feel so at peace like I would after going to my church. And she's sent her daughter to private Catholic school.. She was telling me a story of one of her little relatives (4) and he goes to a private christian school (for the education). She said when he says his prayers he says the Hindu prayers and then says please God take care of a his mom and dad and his fav. Uncle and Aunt and their children (my boss and her family) and his baby brother and Jesus. Amen.

And we both are in agreement that we believe there is 1 God, just different teachers who have shown us the way to God and to be at peace with ourselves and with one another and in our souls journey in this life and our next... We both talk about the world and how sometimes what God teaches hurts or is confused. And when I was lost my Grandmother to cancer, she had lost a family member to cancer as well. Its hard to understand why the best people in life, seem to have the worst things happen to them. She said how do I get my brother (it was his wife's father) to understand or to accept our teachings when I'm struggling to understand... And I told her that this body is our little shell for a while. Its only part of our journey, and in reality, its the people that are left behind that are hurt and confused because they feel that a little bit of them is lost without that person in their life. I have another line as well, when it seems like the worst gets away with everything and the good people are raked over... I say I'm mansion building in heaven... meaning its all tangible... its all junk and shiney trinkets. You can be the poorest person in the world, yet be the most satisfied. And I told her, we don't always know what journey we chose to take when we came into this one. Sometimes we are learning something or experiencing something differently to bring our souls to a higher power of understanding.

[REP]

6. Hindu is Polytheist

Her first language may be Hindi, but if she's a monotheist, she's not Hindu (or at least not currently).

[glowing]

7. No, she is from Guiana..her first language is English....and each

family adopts a greater God to invoke for themselves.. I know its poly..And yes, she is... I've been to the ceremonies and the temple...

[Hardrada]

8. I didn't know there was an Indian colony in Guiana.

I learn something new every day on this board. By the way, I studied Buddhism one summer while at the Lutheran college I attended. I didn't become Buddhist but I accidentally converted someone to that faith by giving her the Buddhist anthology I had been reading! Maybe I've got some positive karma after all.

[glowing]

12. Yes, it was a Brittish colony, and in past centuries a slave colony for

I think sugar. The Queen reliquished rights to the South American country, and the black population took over. There was severe persecution by the President in that country, and many immigrated to the United States. They are truly and American dream turned great. Worked hard and they take care of their family. Great, amazing, and inspirational people.

I didn't know this before I met them either.

[RainDog]

9. 2 things

1. just so happens that annie rexic has another book to promote right now. She's throwing some raw meat to the right wingers with that remark.

2. pardon my french but so fucking what if many christians hold this same belief? many of them also think women should submit to their husbands, as in be second-class citizens (which coulter has also recently trotted out) -- should we be oh so careful not to offend their delicate sensibilities because they might be offended if we say women should be able to hold property in their name?

if coulter had been, oh, say, the president of Iran and had said that all Jews must convert to Islam, would you have the same concern for his feelings? no, you'd say, b/c he doesn't live here.

I refuse to live my life accomodating idiots. I have no problem with christianity or other religious beliefs as long as they don't try to make themselves the law of this land.

mostly I ignore coulter anymore. she has jumped the shark with this remark, however. I expect she will be limited to PAX news.

[Hardrada]

13. Aha! I get this now! There were all those atheist books that came

out in the summer and she is trying to ride a reverse wave back in to shore with her book. Of course! The conservative foundations will bulk buy it as usual. In the meantime she might be hit by a few bagels as well as the usual cream pies!

[Canuckistanian]

10. She's just sayin' what they're all thinkin'

Didn't Glen Beck get a national show to do just that?

[defendandprotect]

11. On the other hand, Vatican was forcing conversion of Jews . . .

Where does the religious insanity end -- ???

Maybe with Anne Coulter -- ???

Who said that religion is good for mental health?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

14. Ummm... don't all Christians believe this? It's kind of basic.

Christianity is a proselytizing religion with the theory that everyone in the world would be better off if they were Christan. That concept is supposed to be an expression of love. That's just the deal.

I'm sure some who consider themselves Christians don't believe that, just as some who consider themselves Christians don't believe in the physical resurrection. But if one were defining Christianity I think both missionary zeal and faith in the physical resurrection ought to be part of the definition.

Truth be told, if I actually seriously believed 100% for real that my friends were going to burn for eternity, and I might be able to help them avoid that fate, I would feel like a real asshole if I kept my mouth shut about it out of respect for their false religion.

[RainDog]

16. and

then others will think you are a real asshole for viewing their religion as "imperfect" or fales while yours is "perfected."

so I suppose the choice is which asshole an evangelical (those who believe in "the great commission") will be: one they think of about themselves, or one those they approach and "condemn" think about them.

the reason evangelicals, etc think they are "presecuted" is because they are arrogant and obnoxious about anyone else's beliefs to many of those with whom they interact. It's like being at a party with a drunk who keeps coming up to you saying, "oh, 'mon, jus one little kiss."


O wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel's as ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us. And foolish notion; What airs in dress and gait wad lea'e us, And ev'n devotion! -- Robert Burns "To A Louse"

[Name removed]

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