The evangelicals who like to giftwrap Islamophobia

Guardian ^ | 11/10/03 | Rev Dr Giles Fraser

[dighton]

Giles Fraser

Ugh.

[jimfree]

The Rev Dr Giles Fraser is vicar of Putney and lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford

The Rev is a putz.

[BenLurkin]

"What is astonishing is that Christian fundamentalists have managed to persuade millions that their warped version of Christianity is the real thing and that mainstream churches have sold out to the secular spirit of the age. The truth is quite the reverse.

US evangelicals employ a selective biblical literalism to support a theology that systematically confuses the kingdom of God with the US's burgeoning empire. It is no coincidence that the mission fields most favoured by US evangelicals are also the targets of neo-conservative military ambition. To use Jesus as the rallying cry for a new imperialism is the most shameful reversal of all, for he was murdered by the forces of empire. The cross spoke of Roman power in just the way Black Hawk helicopters speak today of US power. "

The author betrays an ignorance of scripture, including the basic history of God's work through Christ. He needs to re-read the story of the fish and loaves!

Question: Is this author saying this because he belives it (In which case he is simply nuts), or is he a cynical liar?

Sending food with the Gospel is exactly God's way.

[EternalVigilance]

And a particularly toxic version of Christianity it is.

This writer's entire spew is toxic. Don't even let any of it get on your clothes.

[muawiyah]

This guy is really sick. Do they pay him for this stuff?

Well, it's all too typical of UK professional clerics that American Evangelicals are going to Hell in a handbasket.

Kind of wonder what they think of the Holy Rollers?

Then, we really do have snakehandler churches. Must tear that vicar up left and right to even imagine that.

Send him a gift basket!

[dandelion]

GILES FRASER:
"We must get over our fondness for charity and develop a thirst for justice."

THE APOSTLE PAUL:
Corinthians 13:13
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Hmmmmmmm - which man has more credibility? Whom should I prefer to follow? Which man is has written parts of the Bible?

Decisions, decisions...

[jimfree]

We must get over our fondness for charity and develop a thirst for justice.

The only justice that makes any real sense is that which provides for equal protection under the law and complete property rights; I wonder if the Rev is ready to support that.

[jimfree]

The Rev Dr Giles Fraser is vicar of Putney and lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford

The Rev is a putz.

[billbears]

So let's get this straight. It's bad to send the children something for Christmas with a book on Christ and the reason for the entire season. But it's good to not tell anyone about Christ and help with AIDS. Okay....

[ladyinred]

What a vile,despicable piece of Anti God propaganda.

[GeronL]

and how many brits buy this paper??

[WKB]

bump

[dandelion]

Oh, and the Rev. Fraser is also willing to lie about the Samaritans - they were NOT "worshipping a false god" in the eyes of the Jews... rather, they were hated because of ancient animosities arising from the Babylonian captivity.

If the Rev. Giles Fraser is lying so blatantly about the Samaritans, what else is he lying about?

http://www.bible-history.com/Samaritans/SAMARITANSTheir_Religion.htm

Their Religion
The Samaritans were a racially mixed society with Jewish and pagan ancestry. Although they worshiped Yahweh as did the Jews, their religion was not
mainstream Judaism. They accepted only the first five books of the Bible as canonical, and their temple was on Mount Gerazim instead of Mount Zion in Jerusalem (John 4:20).

The Samaritans of Jesus' day were strict monotheists. In some respects they were more strict than Jews about commandments of the Mosaic law, especially the
sabbath regulations, but they did not share the Jewish restriction against pronouncing the divine name Yahweh in their oaths.

Some similarities between Jewish and Samaritan theology were:

1) They both considered themselves true worshippers of Yahweh.

2) Both placed supreme importance on the Pentateuch as a detailed way of life (the Samaritans rejected the rest of the Jewish canon.

3) The both looked for the Messiah (the Samaritans expected Him to rule from Mount Gerazim, and the Jews from Jerusalem).

4) The Samaritans insisted that Mount Gerazim was the only true central sanctuary for all Israel.

5) The Samaritans exalted Moses to a place above normal.

6) The Samaritans believed basically the same as the Jews concerning final judgment, rewards, punishments, circumcision, Sabbath, dietary laws, and the ceremonial and judicial laws.

Later Samaritan theology

In later Samaritan theology Gnosticism play a big part, possibly because of the heresies of Simon of Samaria (Acts 8:9-24). There are also strong relationships between the Samaritans and the Essenes in the area dealing with the future, as evidenced by some of the DSS.

[mansion]

Who wrote this, the Grinch? It sounds like he's trying to steal Christmas from a bunch of little kids. I wonder how many of the kids actually read the religious literature in their shoeboxes, anyway.

[nuconvert]

"This writer's entire spew is toxic. Don't even let any of it get on your clothes"

LOL. Good one.

[Ahban]

I have got one of those labels for the boxes on my desk. The Reverends bile is just the motivation I need to get off my dead tush and send in the box of goodies in the name of the Messiah!

[Mr. Mojo]

.......And a particularly toxic version of Christianity it is. This is the same outfit that targeted eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall and was widely condemned for following US troops into Iraq to claim Muslims for Christ.

What's "toxic" about "targeting" commies and Muslims? What's "toxic" about spreading western faith?

[Mr. Mojo]

Rev Franklin Graham, who has called Islam "a very wicked and evil religion"

Well, Mr. Graham was slightly inaccurate: Islam is a wicked and evil cult.