It is astonishing to see how far from the teaches of Jesus Christ many of the established Churches have deviated whilst their leaders still claim the ‘lie’ of following him. The list of contradictions is endless and certainly transcend trans and LGBTQNB issues. Just in this article the alone the breakaway Churches are described as being both ‘Conservative’ (intolerant) and ‘wealthy’ (money grabbing) – two attributes rejected by Christ and associated with him as being in league with the devil!
Jesus Opposed to Intolerance
‘Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:13-14
Jesus Opposed to Wealth-Hoarding
‘Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”’
Matthew 19:21
These Churches are also ‘racist’ – preferring a single ethnicity congregation. Many such Churchgoers possess derogatory attitudes towards Disabled people (thinking them possessed by the devil) and against animals (as supposedly having no ‘soul’ or ‘conscious centre’) and view them as a lesser living species to be treated without compassion and subjected to the most ruthless forms of brutality:
Jessus Opposed to Discrimination and Animal Cruelty
‘One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”’
Luke 14:1-35
Jesus Opposed to Racism
‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”’
Matthew 28:19-20
Where Jesus was a pacifist – these Churches support gun-ownership and advocate ‘aggressive’ war! These Churches invariably support the Death Penalty whilst opposing the right of women controlling what happens to their own bodies.
Jesus Opposed to Psychological and Physical Violence and War
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.’
Matthew 5:38-42
The poor are viewed as ‘lazy’ and should not be helped or be subject to Christian charity. Women are subordinate to men and children to adults.
Jesus Opposed to Greed and Arbitrary Authority
‘But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—
Matthew 20:25-27
‘He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’’
Luke 14:12-14
These Churches routinely support rightwing and far-right political ideologues. None of this is allowed in the New Testament and outright denied as valid by Christ. This approach to theology has more in common with Zionist ideology and racism – stemming as it does from elements of the Old Testament and German White Supremacy extant in 1880’s Europe.
Jesus Opposed to Money Associated with Religion
‘Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”’
Matthew 21:12-13
These congregations are dangerous to encounter in the areas they live – as they shoot first and ask questions later – whilst politically their numbers are marshalled to elect equally dangerous rightwing politicians!
THE SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 