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What went wrong with Christianity?

Religion taking a political role, few things in this world have more disastrous results. But right wing America wants a strong Christian leader, because they see their enemies as religious and fire must presumably be fought with fire. Also there's the issue of appeasing the deity who is apparently angry at the moral slide in Christian America. Looking at this equation objectively the same problems loom as loom whenever Christianity enters the arena of public policy development, everyone else cringes. The reasons for this are deeper than the simple fact that bigotry and closed mindedness have become a universal anachronism. The problem has it's origins in a far more fundamental contradiction in this most pervasive of faiths. Christianity in its original form comprised two simple objectives, first the propagation of its message of reconciliation and set of values and second the creation of a community of faith that would exist within but separate from society in general. This remit specifically did not include the imposing of these values on anyone who didn't want them. Jesus also made it clear that his followers were not to be politically active (the only area in which they were to be active was in protecting their right to preach). They were to respect secular authorities but not replace or infiltrate them under the guise of protecting the interests of the church. Jesus knew that his teaching would not appeal to everyone and that for a person to properly benefit from them they would have to make a personal choice to adhere, the law was to be written in hearts not enforced. These restrictions placed on the activities of his followers were necessary and strategic. Christianity in politics assumes that everyone should have Christianity as the basis for their government whether they like it or not, either that or it wants disproportionate lobbying power. For the reasons already mentioned these options are deeply unchristian. Ultimately a multicultural, multi faith society will reject the pretensions of such a narrow spectrum life approach but also the man who dignified everyone he met and reserved his hostility for those who had disastrously misrepresented the authority of his Father, is most likely going to reject them to.

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