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Getting Through : Dealing
If Linus were Christian, he would have named his blanket 'Christ'. | from openmind - Sunday, February 26, 2006
accessed 1675 times http://www.snoopy.com/comics/peanuts/meet_the_gang/meet_linus.html There has been much debate about the existence / nonexistence of God on this site. Of course Christians and Atheists are entitled to their respective beliefs ... or the lack thereof.
One of my favorite cartoon characters has always been Linus (Lucy's younger brother) from Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang… yes, that’s the one with Snoopy and Woodstock. Now, let’s picture Linus - he's the one usually leaning on his blanket and sucking his thumb.
On the morning of a bright sunny day, I was leafing thru' the comic pages... when it suddenly struck me... If Linus was a Christian, he would have named his blanket ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’ as many Christians seem to do.
When Christians talk about their 'relationship' with Christ, I can’t help but smile as I think of cute little Linus talking about his 'relationship' with his treasured blanket.
If Christians were only willing to see it from this perspective, they wouldn't be so antagonistic about their religious beliefs. I thank Linus for shedding a whole new light on my understanding of religion and, of course I appreciate his coining of the term ‘security blanket’. |
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Reader's comments on this article Add a new comment on this article |  from a fun read
Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 15:29
(Agree/Disagree?)
THE FOUNDER OF THE ORIGINAL "FUNDAMENTALISTS ANONYMOUS" RESURFACES (BRIEFLY)
by Edward T. Babinski
Richard Yao, lawyer, and former fundamentalist Christian, founded the nationwide (U.S.) organization, "Fundamentalists Anonymous" in the 1980s which targeted religious cult leaders and greedy televangelists. Yao wrote, BREAKING FREE and THERE IS A WAY OUT, and edited the Fundamentalists' Anonymous newsletter that kept the group's centers in the major cities of the U.S. connected. He also testified before the U.S. Congress on the dangers that the "fundamentalist mindset" posed for both the political and mental health of a free nation. Religious Right leaders found Yao's organization objectionable though he stressed his group was neither "anti-God," nor "anti-church," but simply anti-fundamentalism.
http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/fundamentalists/articles/f-anon.html
"Even religious morality (among all the world's religions) enshrines the principle, `do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself,' and `do to others what you would want done to yourself,' which assume in both cases that `you' already possess an `internal' window on moral/ethical behavior."
-- Edward T. Babinski
CHRISTIANITY'S SUCCESS, or, CHRISTIANITIES SUCCESS?
Before anyone can ask "Why Did Christianity Succeed?" they have to answer the prior question of whether it did in fact "succeed" or whether it was doomed from the start to merely evolve into zillions of competing "Christianities" and semi-Christian offshoots--the major "orthodox" sect being the one that won the political, not necessarily the religious, struggles.
E.T.B.
DID JESUS PURSUE THE SAME GOALS AS TODAY’S RELIGIOUS RIGHT LEADERS?
Was Jesus For Or Against the Separation of Church and State?
Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
- Matthew 22:21
Was Jesus For Or Against Public Prayer?
Jesus said, “And when thou pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.But thou, when thou pray, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father who sees in secret shall reward thee openly.”
- Matthew 6:5-6
Did Jesus Rail Against Abortion or Infanticide?
Jesus didn’t mention either topic, though the Hellenistic world not only employed abortifacents, but also abandoned unwanted newborns, usually females, to die (or be picked up by anyone who wished to raise the newborn as their slave).
So What Did Jesus Rail Against?
Jesus railed primarily against two things: 1) “the rich,” and, 2) overly pious, legalistic, self-righteous religious “hypocrites.” Those were his two priorities when it came to a good railing.
Jesus does not sound like the kind of person today’s Religious Right would lead them to believe.
--E.T.B.
This is an edited version of a tract produced by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
Imagine how offensive and in-your-faceChristianity as a whole has been, even laughably offensive! (see below) Christians do more to make people cynical about religion than any other religion does. By the way, my Mom had me nailing up crucifixes above every door in the house just two days ago. I find the image of a half naked man nailed to two pieces of wood "offensive."
CHRISTIAN KITSCH
These days, when it comes to kitsch, it seems like Christianity has been kitsched by Satan. For instance, during Pope John Paul's visits to the U.S., you could buy Pope-on-a-rope soap, a Pope watch (like a Mickey Mouse watch, only holier), a Let Us Spray Lawn Sprinkler (a spinning Pope with outstretched arms waters your lawn), and a T-shirt with George, Ringo?and John Paul on it. Other Catholic kitsch products include Rosary tapes, so you can drive around town and recite the Rosary accompanied by whichever background music you prefer (including jazz, classical, gospel, light rock, even country and western.) There's even a "Jesus doll" that Nancy Pulte Rickard felt she was inspired to create ("One of the big things about the doll," she says, "is it makes it hard for people to deny his presence. They look across a room and go, 'Oh, there's Jesus.'") I am not making this stuff up.
Protestants on the other hand, have not only been kitsched by Satan, but I think he slipped them the tongue too. For instance, there's a company called Living Epistles that sells a T-shirt on the front of which is a muscle-bound Mr. Universe Christ doing push ups with a cross the size of Kansas on his back (labeled "The Sins of the World") and blood gushing from his crown of thorns. Beneath the picture it says, "Bench Press This!" (Yeah, like whenever I see an image of Jesus hanging from the cross, I can't help but think, "Nice abs.") Emblazoned on the back of the T-shirt is a picture of Jesus' blood drenched hands pierced with railroad spikes, and the caption reads, "His Pain, Your Gain." Another T-shirt reads, "His Blood's For You."
Cashing in on Power Rangers' popularity with children, a Vermont toy maker in 1995 marketed violent Holyland Heroes sets (Samson & Philistine; David & Goliath, Moses & Ramses II, Joshua & Canaanite), featuring muscular, grimacing toys wielding spears, swords, and, in Samson's case, the jawbone of a donkey - which the Bible says, he used to smite 1,000 men.
There's also Christian toilet paper that has, "Get Thee Behind Me, Satan" printed on every sheet. I reiterate, I am not making this stuff up.
And whenever a popular band creates a new kind of music (reggae, rap, or alternative rock), Christians copy it and market it, but only after "baptizing" it with simplistic slogans and syrupy sentimentality. In nearly all cases they hold it under the waters of baptism too long to cleanse it of the least bit of devilishness, and it emerges brain dead.
- Skip Church
On the brighter side, there is at least one thing that Christian baptism hasn't hurt. And that's? coffee. A long time ago, when coffee was but a beany baby, it was denounced as "the devil's brew" and outlawed by rulers who viewed it as an intoxicating beverage that leads to "discussions of rebellion and slander of those in power." At that time it was sold in popular coffeehouses nicknamed, "seminars of sedition." Church opposition ended in 1594, when Pope Starbucks VIII tried a cup (O.K., I lied, it was Pope Clement VIII) and liked it so much that he baptized it. "We will not let coffee remain the property of Satan," he announced. "As Christians, our power is greater than Satan's; we shall make coffee our own."
- John Dollison, Pope-Pourri
THE HOLY LAND EXPERIENCE
Zion's Hope, an evangelical group based in Orlando, Florida, is putting $10 million in pledged and donated money up for a seven-acre park, to be called The Holy Land Experience?It will feature biblical characters telling their stories and re-creations of Jesus' tomb and the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
- Liz Langley, "I'm Going to Graceland," Orlando Weekly, Sept. 2, 1999
Funny, isn't it? Followers of the man who drove out the moneychangers from the temple, charging seventeen bucks to see a replica of his tomb. I don't suppose they'll have Gay Days.
- Jonathan
Sixty residents of the Seminole Health Club nudist camp near Miami comprise a Christian mission that worships twice a week in the nude. According to leader Elijah Jackson, "We're not trying to start a cult here, but I think nudity adds something to Christianity."
- News of the Weird, "Weird Clergy"
A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back, he's gonna wanna see a cross? Maybe that's why he hasn't shown up yet. "Shit! They're still wearing crosses. When they start wearing fishes I'll go back, this is ridiculous. They've entirely missed the meaning of this thing."
It's like going up to one of the Kennedy clan with a rifle pendant on. "Just thinking of your uncle, the former president. We love him."
- Bill Hicks, Rant in E-minor, CD
We Christians neither want nor worship crosses as the pagans do.
- Minucius Felix (Christian author, circa 200 A.D.)
It was only in the third century (after 400 A.D.) that Christian communities increasingly used "covert" crosses, which have survived in the murals of the catacombs and on tombstones. They might be an anchor with a crosspiece, a ship with a mast and yard, a human figure with outstretched arms, or a juxtaposition of the initials of the name Jesus or Christ (in Greek or Latin) to produce a cross-like shape. It was in the fourth century that the cross became an openly Christian symbol. By that time crucifixion as a method of state execution had been abolished and the cross ceased to have its former cruel and negative associations. Several hundred years later it was deemed a terrific symbol to use to ward off vampires, demons, etc.
- Skip Church
If Christ was executed today I bet Christians would wear little electric chairs around their necks.
- Dick Gregory
After the missionary explained the Bible's superior civilized plan of salvation to several natives, one of them stood and said, "Like you, we love our gods and seek to love one another. What we do not understand is why your god tried to pin down sin by using His son as a voodoo doll."
- Skip Church
Christianity is merely paganism with a more successful advertising campaign.
- Skip Church
Orthodox Christian theology teaches that Jesus had to die before God could forgive sins and send people to heaven. If that's true, then why isn't there a "Saint Judas?"
- Skip Church
Whenever I forgive someone it's relatively easy. But for God, it takes a bloody miracle.
- Skip Church
CONVERSATION, A.D. 33
A: Have you heard the latest?
B: No, what's happened?
A: The world has been redeemed!
B: You don't say!
A: Yes, the Dear Lord took on human form and had himself executed in Jerusalem; and with that the world has been redeemed and the devil hoodwinked.
B: Gosh, that's simply lovely.
- Arthur Shopenhauer
CHIPMUNK CRUCIFIXION
No chipmunk had to be crucified
on a tiny cross of twigs
To save all the other chippies,
Had to have nails pounded
through his little paws,
Had to take upon himself
all the sins of all the chippies
that ever were or would be
and die in agony
So that after they died
all the chippies
could live again forever,
But only if they believed
in all the sayings and doings
of the chipmunk crucified
on the tiny cross of twigs.
- Antler, Last Words
Christianity has a built-in defense system; anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument, is the work of Satan by the very fact that it makes you question a belief. It is a very interesting defense mechanism and the only way to get by it, and believe me I was raised Southern Baptist, is to take heroic doses of mushrooms, sit in a field, and just go, "Show me."
- Bill Hicks
It seems to me that the most spurious of all the great religions is Christianity. Its biblical miracles are childish, pre-scientific myths. Its theology has been taken right out of the caldrons of blood sacrifice and appeasement. For God so loved the world that he allowed the crucifixion of his only son to appease his own wrath, and then he denied eternal life to billions of human souls who refused to accept the gory myth.
- Paul Blanshard (former minister), Personal and Confidential
Isn't it ironic that Christians keep repeating, "Civilization will fail without Christianity" on computers built by Buddhists in Japan?
- Source unknown
Christians are generally creepy people as a direct result of the dysfunctional dynamic of worshipping a dead naked hippie.
- Die Warzau, Engine Tour Shirt, 1995
http://www.ffrf.org/
(reply to this comment)
| from WWJD
Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 07:37
 (Agree/Disagree?)
Last time I looked Linus was in a cartoon for children - need I say more? you obviously lack maturity and need to grow up.
(reply to this comment)
|  From Jesus Crust
Friday, March 03, 2006, 11:20
(Agree/Disagree?)
Verily verily I say unto thee Jesus art back with super smite action. Firstly WTF art with thy moinker, "WWJD"? Art thou Jesus? Like thou would know what I wouldst do. It slayeth me how people "speak for me" yet none of thee knew me. I command thee to stop speaking in my name, oh thou fraudulent one, or I shall smite thee such as was not from the begining of the earth no nor ever shall be. (reply to this comment) |
| | From WWJD
Friday, March 03, 2006, 17:50
(Agree/Disagree?)
Wow that's pretty impressive! I see you haven't forgotten the Old King James English, which was used for the beloved Holy Bible! That's awesome! God's word never returns void. And I believe that with all my heart. Despite the false teachings and abuse God's word never left me, and He certainly never left me! All I can do is stand in awe of his righteousness and the blood that was shed for the remission of my sins.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | From Jesus Crust
Friday, March 03, 2006, 12:03
(Agree/Disagree?)
Yay though my KJ English doth leave much to be desired I shall not suffer thee above that which thou art able, but will with my english also make it amusing that may be able to bear it. Behold, English doth not be my native tongue. Let not thy carnal mind lead thee astray from the words I hath spoken unto thee. Ask not "Whom is this Jesus Crust who speaketh strange and wondrous sayings". Believe, and thou shall be saved. MBAKY.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | from live_fast-die_young
Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 03:18
(Agree/Disagree?)
Well done, openmind. I can remember telling my mum something quite similar to this when I was 15 years olf & tired of debating Jesus with her. I told her that despite being fully confident in my disbelief I still sometimes envied her. Having a god, especially the loving-forgiving-responsive-intervening type of god, means you get to lie down at night & lay all your worries on something stronger than you are. As a Christian you believe you have someone stonger, wiser, omnipotent, omnipresent to be there for you through all your struggles. You have the ultimate security blanket.
I, on the other hand, by choice, have only myself. No one to blame but myself, no one to guide my decisions but myself. Religion is what we use to fill in the blank spaces, to comfort our jarred senses in an ugly, chaotic world in which we wish to have no part of the blame. I personally see a great strength in not needing the soothing balm, the assuring gauze, the security blanket of religion.
But then again, I'm not Linus.
(reply to this comment)
| From WWJD
Friday, March 03, 2006, 18:01
(Agree/Disagree?)
This so called "security blanket" is a fallacy. What makes us safe and secure is our Risen Lord and being in the palm of our heavenly Father and being guided by his Holy Spirit. People think they are secure in having a large bank account, a big car, the latest fashion in clothes. I'm telling you right now that could be all gone tomorrow. I know that I could lose everything, including my life and never lose the love of my savior. Satan has blinded people in this world to the truth. Believing in Christ is an admission that you can't do it on your own and you need a savior. So I won't concede to calling it a "security blanket" but a blessed assurance that I am loved and cared for. Linus holds on to that blanket when he could have something better... the love of his Father and we have that available to us because He loves us. If you belong to Him, one day you will fall into His arms as I did because He is sovereign and He promises that if we are His nobody can pluck us out of His hand, and that includes David Berg who tragically stole the faith of so many.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | From Baxter
Saturday, March 04, 2006, 05:40
 (Agree/Disagree?)
It never ceases to amaze me: the degree to which some religious people will assert a sense of superiority over the rest of the insecure world.
The rest of the world tries to secure stability and self-identity in material substance, which is acceptably insecure and potentially fleeting; you on th other hand choose to find emotional security in something which you cannot validate in any substancial manner outside of your personal faith, and which you cannot demonstrate to anyone outside of said faith. In what way is your security any more established than anyone else's? How is it possible that you can imagine that you stand in a more secure position than the rest of the unbelieveing world?
If your faith was as secure and convincing as you assert it to be, why do you become so defensive in the face of criticism? If you knew that what you believed in was unassailable, would it matter that other people thought that your faith was a security mechanism?
(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | From vixen
Thursday, March 02, 2006, 04:16
(Agree/Disagree?)
I'd agree with you somewhat, l_f_d_y, but on the other hand, I feel it's rather delusional to hold the view that those of us who don't rely on that particular security blanket (religion, in other words) don't each have our own coping mechanisms, many of which might well be just as damaging, or more, than that of simply believing that God will always be there.
In another thread I talked about a belief in God (or certainly a paranoid belief in God) as a perpetuation of the weakness and dependence built into us by our upbringing, but, if I'm honest, I have to admit that I am still, to a degree, weak and dependent, even though I try my hardest not to let it overwhelm me. I don't think anyone is EVER truly strong and completely independent, at least not in purist terms, and so the only thing that separates myself and, say, my mother, is that I choose to assuage my neediness with something else, probably because I never want to go back to the degree of control, oppression and suppression of human instinct and intellect that TFs environment represents to me.
The major difference, in my opinion, is that most non-religious people generally don't go trying to force everyone else to comply with their particular coping strategy, whether it be workaholicism, drink, drugs, meaningless sex to an extreme degree, shopping addiction, etc etc etc. And that's where religion irks me - the constant compulsion to demand from others acknowledgement that they are the truth-bearers, the chosen ones, *the only right way is my way*, 'us and them', 'good and bad', 'saved and damned', yadda yadda yadda.
If the majority of religious people truly were happy to live and let live, I would have no problem whatsoever with the ultimate security blanket. For other people, that is, not me ;-)(reply to this comment) |
| | From vixen
Thursday, March 02, 2006, 06:55
(Agree/Disagree?)
Well, I went away and thought about it some more, and, whilst I was having my waxing done (yes, 'tis true that scarcely a moment goes by in the day when I'm not entrenched in deeply philosophical musings) I realised what it is that separates me, more than anything else, from my mother (the two of us being, obviously, representative of opposing extremes):
I *know* my weakness, admit to it, take the necessary steps to go some way toward overcoming it, and resolve to face the world squarely regardless. I am, at any given moment, and, as far as it is possible for me to be so, intellectually honest and relish the ambivalence, the fluidity, the freedom of honest contemplation. I am satisfied with my lot, 'vices' and 'self-destructiveness' (subjective terms, I know) included, and I will gladly endure the existential nightmare that is my day-to-day experience in exchange for those precious moments of complete mental, emotional and ideological clarity that come along once in a great while.
My mum would rather unquestioningly believe in her preferred set of fairy tales than admit that she couldn't deal with the transient nature of life without something bigger than herself to fall back on.(reply to this comment) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | from RT
Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 00:56
 (Agree/Disagree?)
That sunds like blasphemy to me! First of all, who do you thngk are you to styreotipe all of us christians as stupid cartoon character???!! You should see the world around you & go out more!! Looossser!
(reply to this comment)
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