The Most Hated Name
by: JohnQPublik
Total views: 995
Word Count: 958
As I walk down the bustling city sidewalk I hear the sound of profanity and purely evil messages spewing out of a car that has yet to travel an entire city block before it reaches me. I pass by as a few men are gathered around an outside table of a coffee shop, telling the most vile of jokes and laughing as if it were the joy of hearts. I hear bicycles with nine and ten year old boys yelling at each other using any combination of four-letter word profanity they can muster with their limited young minds. I see a sign with an arrow pointing to the right that says "Live Nude Girls" and many cars parked in the parking lot of that destination. Over to the left I see two pretty young ladies handing out literature and one of them smiles and hands me one. The people passing by receive the pamphlets with a smile and wish the two ladies "good luck." I look down at the shiny article and it says "Free Wicca Seminar Saturday Night at 7pm in City Hall."
Of all these, I see no protest, no second look, no bewilderment by any of the citizenry at large. These are but some of the normal, acceptable everyday things in our current society. I am describing Anywhere, USA.
This, of course, is the age and society of 'tolerance.' This is where people are more 'enlightened' are open-minded and more apt to accept a diversity of ideas, both old and new. This is a society which is determined to wipe out all manner of prejudice and cultural misunderstandings and misgivings. This is a place and a time when anyone can stand on a street corner and profess aloud their devotion to Islam, communism, hip hop, pornography, and any and all manner of beliefs and passions.
Except one.
You see, all of the above-named examples would meet with very little resistance or protest. Most would not even be seen as out of the ordinary. And certainly very few would consider putting a stop to them, cusing them, speaking against them publicly or demonizing them. But there is one idea that would bring the ire and the wrath of what would seem to be the general public today. There is one Name that would so often and so deeply infuriate the average citizen of the current generation today that not only would they try to do the above named hinderances, which they already have, but would try and are now actively trying to criminalize it. What Name or idea is this? Is it terrorism? No, because there are those who defend terrorists. Is it pedophilia? No, because there are now organizations which are dedicated to protecting this "right," namely the ACLU and NAMBLA. No, no, this is a Name that has been around for much longer than they.
It is none other than Jesus Christ.
Remember the two young ladies that were passing out the Wicca literature? They were met with smiles and wishes of good luck. However, a Christian passing out literature proclaiming the Name of Jesus Christ is, for the most part today, met with contorted faces, insults, sarcastic comments and even threats of legal action of physical harm. Remember the car with the loud music spewing out profanity and violence? This is well tolerated, however, a street preacher proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ is spit upon, assaulted, threatened and arrested. How about the nude girl establishment? This place is often packed and it can be open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week and it is deemed a successful business. But a little struggling church nowadays is hated by many in the community, seen as a useless waste of time and money. It gets vandalized, sued, threatened and restricted more and more with each passing year.
Why is this? It is because of the name associated with each. With one, the name of the spirit of the world. A spirit of selfishness, greed, indulgance, secret and public wickedness, the attitude of the "I can do whatever I want" freedom. The other is the Name of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of meekness, love, peace and gratitude like no one can give but God. It is the Name of Jesus Christ which is so hated today that even in this the most free of nations, it is becoming harder to speak it publicly because of the scorn of society. For now that Name is only mildly hated relative to the whole of society, but that hatred is growing ever larger and stronger as the days pass. There may come a time where speaking the Name of Jesus Christ will be a criminal offense.
Do you need eveidence? Walk into any public school and ask if you may give a presentation on hip hop culture- you will be eagerly accepted. Ask if you may teach on the virtues of Islam and you will be treated as a dignitary. But ask to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ saves and you may just be escorted out by the school resource officer. Go to your local public park and put on a rap concert and you will gain the love and admiration of many, but go there and preach Jesus Christ and you may be in jail or in the hospital by that evening.
Jesus Christ. One of the most hated names of today. But I love Him and His holy Name.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. - Acts 4:12
About the Author
To God be the glory.
Rating: 3.75
Comments
Thank you for saying what I have been thinking for some time, just look at the advertisments next to the article....who wants and Islam Ringtone?
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Exposing Christianity
Jesus was a failure.
That statement to some is offensive. It is considered blasphemy by those who wholeheartedly believe in the tenets of Christianity. It is a statement that was articulated by a professor my first week of divinity school. I later discovered the professor communicated this to all of his students as a challenge of their faith. Nonetheless, millions of people would wonder why I, a divinity school graduate would make that pronouncement.
It is made because I believe it to be truthful. A statement that is close to the truth and not far from it. A statement that I know will alienate me from my family, friends, divinity school colleagues, and devoted readers. However, I believe my thoughts which eventually become commentaries are practical and filled with common sense. Also, and most importantly, I want to stress to the reader that the failure of the religion that introduces the weak mind and desperate soul to Jesus Christ: Christianity, might be a scam.
The Essence of a Scam
We were encouraged to go to church as children. Some of us were forced. We went and in most cases as children we hated the place. Back in the day it was loud, the seats were hard, and it was hot. The service was entirely too long. We were told at church to love Jesus. The Ten Commandments were beat into our heads. Then we were told how to behave. We were punished if we sinned. We learned how to act in the presence of adults, but out of their sight we were misbehavers. We sinned. As we got older we began to feel a sense of guilt if we broke one of God’s commandments. So, we did what we were taught. We asked for forgiveness. After a few more years, it was time for baptism. We got baptized because we were told we had to be wiped clean of sin. We had to be washed with the blood of Jesus. So, we got baptized. But nothing really changed. We were the same ole people: sinners. We were told that we were by the pastor that baptized us. Actually, everyone in the black community told us we were sinners. After we got sprinkled or dunked into water we still had to get saved. Yeah, saved. This process is simple. All we had to do was say, ‘I confess my sins and now I want to be a child of God.’ Then and only then we were free. Wait a minute! No, we were not free. We still were sinners. The pastors told us that every Sunday even after we were held under water gasping for air. As a result, we began to feel bad about our lives and the way we behaved because we fell to temptation. We were weak. So, we go through life wondering if we are ever going to be “clean” enough for God because we were told day in and day out that we were sinners. You know the old saying, “we all fall short...” We just could not and still don’t cut the mustard. We never got rid of the defeating process. This process is great for ministers because we continue to flock into his/her church seeking forgiveness and God. We continue to go hoping God will accept us. Never realizing that we will never be enough for Him in this self defeating prophecy. This is the masses of black people’s situation: DEFEATED. Unfortunately, this ridiculous process we call Christianity is part of the problem. If all of the churchgoers evolved, got smart, and realized that church at times is a place of unproductiveness and un-progressiveness we would stop going. Numerous churches survive/thrive off of ignorance, self-pity, low self esteem, and passive aggressive behavior.
One of the greatest lies ever told to us and most psychologically damaging is that “Jesus will save you from sin if you confess with thy mouth”.
I don’t expect anyone to agree with me. I only ask you to contemplate the scenario above. Think about it. Do not dismiss it out of faithfulness to Christianity or fear of going to hell. Use the critical thinking capacity that all of us should have.
If you are still of the belief Muata is the antichrist, crazy, Satan in the flesh, and he is going to perish – then you may be officially hoodwinked. You may have been brainwashed by a system that preys on the weak and I may have discovered that Christianity is a fraud. This does not mean that I am elevating myself above you. That’s not the case. You (Christian’s) are the individuals who call yourselves SAINTS: persons of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence. I just view Christianity as a product used to sell a belief. A belief that once gained does not have any lasting or substantial affect on one’s life.
The scam has been so successful that the people (preachers, evangelists, bishops, etc.) who represent it do not even realize that they are purporting a belief system that has done nothing of extraordinary significance for its followers, particularly black people. Think about it, we forfeited our traditional beliefs for a religion that was forced upon us. We eventually warmed up to it believing it would comfort us. Then we used Christianity to organize against the people who introduced us to it, and it was this religion that helped us gain civil rights. Now, that we have these civil rights we still go to church faithfully, but what do we truly have as a result of becoming a Christian. Do we feel better? Are we still sinning? No, don’t answer those questions. Address this: Tell me one thing that Jesus has done for you that can be considered of quality to help you successfully navigate through life other than ‘he died for my sins.’ Help me understand by responding with something that I did not learn or acquire from a childhood lesson.
Failure - an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success: Her effort ended in failure.
Jesus did everything he could to eliminate chaos. (John 3: 17 - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him). The chaos still exists. He was unsuccessful which makes him a failure. Maybe if we see Jesus as a loser we would see him as what he was: a man. I am convinced the removal of this man’s divinity will help us defeat the self defeating prophecy!
Written by Muata. Inspired by my expensive Howard University School of Divinity education.
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Muata. You have proven to me how little you know about Jesus Christ. You must have slept through most of your classes. God DID NOT send christ to the world to end chaos! He sent him to cover are sinful nature with his blood. It sounds to me like you've let your heart grow hard towards God. Thats a shame.
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Diboc-
My heart is not harden. My efforts are to convey another point of view. That's all.
This was God's purpose for Jesus. This is littered throughout the Bible:
John 3: 17 - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus did not save this world. Look around.
-Muata
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Regardless of the vast opinions and beliefs, I am comforted by my Saviour's promise that the day is coming when every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. On that day, everything will be resolved. It matters not who scoffs at that now.
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Oh, yackety-yak! If you believe in God, then you have to believe that God gave you a brain. Why not use it for thinking? You're just sticking your fingers in your ears and singing, "La-la-la-la," to drown out any possible voice of reason.
And so are you. We have a name for people like you. It's called "hypocrite". =)