Has Christianity lost track of where it is supposed to be?

Do you remember the so-called Golden Rule, the one where we are supposed to do unto others as you would have them do to you? It is a nice idea, but it has a flaw. Many of us don’t look after ourselves very well. Treat others as badly as you treat yourself doesn’t have the same ring about it.

The aphorism has a biblical basis and it was not the only one, there’s the big ten of course. The list about honoring and not coveting and then there is the Beatitude list. You probably know these too –   Blessed are the [put a group here] for [put a reason why they are blessed here].

It is easy, even for the uninitiated to find out the basic tenets and beliefs of Christian behavior, but even with all that guidance Christians seem to have lost guidance a little. Throughout the story of the religions that have Christ or the Trinity as their central figure(s), there has been disagreement, conjecture, schism and on occasion all-out war.

But the basics are the basics, aren’t they?

Well in some ways yes and in others no. We can get the love one another as I have loved you, but we don’t necessarily agree much beyond that point. Even the meaning of the words which Christ said at the last supper is a source of disagreement even if we can agree what the words were.

The Religious Right

One element which is worrisome to the modern moderate Christian is the so-called religious right movement. It is a cause for concern in two ways. The religious right is not one group, but rather an amorphous amalgamation of groups, and don’t be surprised when you realize they don’t necessarily agree with each other 100%

What is concerning about the religious right is their route to make things ‘better’ tends to be to turn the clock back.

The problem with turning the clock back is that it impossible

You just can’t turn back time, and as long as the religious right continues to try, it takes attention cycles away from the rest of the world who are not turning the clock backward, rather they are pushing things forward and going gang-busters.


Make no mistake if you’re female the religious right has no real time for you, they will talk about family values and hope you buy into the concept. But while doing it, they will attempt to systematically remove your rights and by choice, you’ll be barefoot and pregnant until you are thrown over for a younger version with fewer miles on the clock.

Does this sound cynical? If it does it is probably one of the reasons why all those years ago we decided to separate the church and the state. No, Christianity has not lost the plot, it is those who believe they have discovered the one and only way they are the ones who really have lost their way, and sheep-like could do with bringing back.