Those harmless, moderate christians

It has been a long long time since I last engaged in a robust religious discussion. It was not intended and, given my current inability to remain calm and rational, might have been better avoided. (see Hillsong.)

Then when I woke at 3 am, mind alive to the trigger of the internal rage the discussion ignited: The Sydney Evangelical Movement. It should be understood, this is not bound to Sydney not to any single church type. They can be found now across Australia, in Catholic and Anglican communions through to the newer American style ‘growth churches, like Hillsong.

These people appear all sweetness and light, perceive themselves as winged angels floating above the worlds woes, not recognising they are waste deep in a stinking fetid shit bowl of destructive self delusion. They generally arise from apparent self confident middle class suburbs, clean and freshly scrubbed wielding the sword of their constructed Christ.

It is not hard to see how this dreamy, touchy feely style of religious behaviour could inadvertently slip into unacceptable behaviours. It’s surprising we haven’t seen more revelations of perverted activities, but I suspect these people pull together, pray together for the healing of any poor transgressor. Fuck the victim; they are the ones who cause the problems.

But if that was the only damage caused by these deluded fools, bad as it is... No it is just another aspect of the carnage ‘innocent’ ignorance wrought on an already troubled society. We are coming to the end of ‘Mental Illness’ Week: An awareness week, into which this discussion segued perfectly. My rage stems from having seen. Numerous times I have seen and experienced just how stupid, heartless and destructive these people can be.

Imbued with the love and vast power of their jesus construct, they truly believe they can heal any ill, but the reality is never addressed or considered after the fact. Whether it is a broken person off the street or one of their own who inevitably succumbs, they jump in with a confidence that is bound to fail every time.

Like a child with a new puppy, they jump in with an abundance of enthusiasm. They lavish love and sustenance; they are all enthusiasm, guiding their charge to becoming part of the dream. They chant their baby talk ‘prayers’ only to find their puppy shits and pisses on their pretty carpets. The puppy barks and bites in inappropriate ways.

Their puppy might be deep in the grip of the black dog or any of a number of the debilitating illnesses, yet are treated with warm communal meals, happy clappy sing songs and fucking prayers! Talking to imaginary friends to help people with mental illness is the absolute height of their destructive stupidity!

And finally, when the puppy becomes unmanageable, having already removed it from any natural support system, they abandon it with scorn. This is the real trigger for my deep, white hot rage. I have seen too many victims of the idiocy of religion; some merely driven to sad isolation and disorientation; others driven to suicide. People I would not normally care to associate with I have found myself being the only source of support, or worse, having to watch impotently as the damage takes its toll.

I do need to thank Wolty and friends for picking up the argument when a white shaking rage struck me. I supposed I owe thanks to some of those misguided twats for making me understand, again, what it really is driving my anger at religion. Perhaps for bringing back to mind those people who I’ve seen suffer the results of this idiocy. Religion is never benign. It always has consequences.