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Christian right wing fundamentalism his teachings seem very diffrent from Jesus but fitts well in with the the traditionalist judgmental and narrowminded wievs of the christian right was Paul a rightwing christian fundamenalist charlatan.
Paul was a Zealot. He was NOT an enlightened thinker, a mystic or anything like that. he loved being the center of attention, and would be happy today to have a religion named after him. hPaul was mentally ill, and I recommend that if anyone has not done so already they explore this aspect of his life, starting with Frederick Buechner's Peculier Treasures. There has long been a strong corrolation between extreme religious experience and mental illness ( think of the homeless schizophrenic "street Prophets" which plaque so many cities)
We are even starting to realize that not only is crime higher within areas of extreme Christian practice (Bible belt for example) but that mental illness is higher within those subgroups, although less likely to be diagnosed due to the stigma of mental disease)
For me, I cannot understand why generations have wanted to follow this shallow, self seeking zealot who offers no answers to life's challenges and inspires people like myself to close up the books of his (supposed) writings and not give them a second look.
Paul was a Zealot. He was NOT an enlightened thinker, a mystic or anything like that. he loved being the center of attention, and would be happy today to have a religion named after him. hPaul was mentally ill, and I recommend that if anyone has not done so already they explore this aspect of his life, starting with Frederick Buechner's Peculier Treasures. There has long been a strong corrolation between extreme religious experience and mental illness ( think of the homeless schizophrenic "street Prophets" which plaque so many cities)
We are even starting to realize that not only is crime higher within areas of extreme Christian practice (Bible belt for example) but that mental illness is higher within those subgroups, although less likely to be diagnosed due to the stigma of mental disease)
For me, I cannot understand why generations have wanted to follow this shallow, self seeking zealot who offers no answers to life's challenges and inspires people like myself to close up the books of his (supposed) writings and not give them a second look.
Fundamentalist Christians believe the bible is inerrant, and you don't question what is from G-d and inerrant.
The Christianity of Paul is very different then what Jesus and his original followers who were Jews not Christians and did not see themselves as separate from Judaism.
As to mental illness and extremes in Christianity, I would say that is the case in any extreme view of religion.
Thus you have moderate to liberal Christians, Jews and Muslims who co-exist in a society that has diversity and then you have those who in their narrow view would be happy to see a society that mirrors their narrow belief system.
We are even starting to realize that not only is crime higher within areas of extreme Christian practice (Bible belt for example) but that mental illness is higher within those subgroups, although less likely to be diagnosed due to the stigma of mental disease)
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I think it's less-diagnosed because fundies think they can pray away mental illness, or have one of their quack exorcists drive out the "demons" or "evil spirits", rather than being logical and intelligent and going to a doctor who can treat them properly.
Paul was definitely prejudiced by his times and thinking (or philosophy).
It is enlightening to read his contemporaries or those who lived after him up until the 6th Century and their take on the message of the Christ. Quite different. In fact, it has been argued that one major reason the Roman empire finally endorsed Christianity as a state religion was because of the high administrative skills and the outreach programs to the poor by the Christian communities.
I believe we have Charlamagne to thank for exalting the writings of Paul over other Christian thought and practices. It was Charlamagne who wanted to build an empire, not a Christian empire, and used Christianity in such as way as to "gain the whole Earth."
Christian right wing fundamentalism his teachings seem very diffrent from Jesus but fitts well in with the the traditionalist judgmental and narrowminded wievs of the christian right was Paul a rightwing christian fundamenalist charlatan.
Well......let's put it this way. In this day and time he would have been a televangelist. Ya just can't get much lower than that.
I had not heard that about Paul before, but fascinating if true. The Zealots were what we would call using modern terminology guerrillas. They were constantly agitating for war against the Roman Empire (which, unfortunately, they got, with disastrous results).
The Zealots also tweaked Roman sensibilities by engaging in a specific act of official sacrilege: they designated their leader as Messiah.
Being or claiming to be the messiah was not, in Jewish eyes, a sacrilege. No more than a pretender to the throne of Limeland and God's anointed is a sacrilege. They may be a nuisance, a fraud or a rebel, but they ain't doing sacrilege. The messiah was simply God's favoured appointee in Judea and so on.
It is only much later when the actual Christian God - begotten Son of God idea had evolved out of messianism that is began to be seen and denounced as a blasphemy.
That's why I say that the gospels including this "Son of the Living God? Blasphemy!!" idea is false and is the strongest evidence that the gospel original synoptic ur - text is later even than Paul.
It was never written around 30 -33 CE (1) and not even around 50 CE (about the time of the Council of Jerusalem) but between then and the Jewish war (60- 80 CE) and in its present form, with the references to the destruction of the Temple inserted, later than that.
And, with the revision in the three synoptics with their individual additions, we are surely looking at the end of the 1st c. CE or later.
(1) finally learing to use 'Common Era'
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Short, and to the point!
