I Guess I Need to Invoke Bishop Shelby Spong Again

I have quoted the controversial theologian's question, "Has religion in general and Christianity in particular degenerated to the level that it has become little more than a veil under which anger can be legitimatized?" repeatedly.

Well, a poster child for using religion as a justification for hate and bigotry, one Jennifer LeClaire, is now wondering why Christians are turning away from the faith, but studiously ignores just how offensive she and her coreligionists can be.

Well over at Patheos, Hemant Mehta is having none of that:

Sometimes, Christian journalists miss the elephant in the room with their stories. Like this one in Charisma Magazine asking “Why Are So Many Christians Turning Into Atheists?”

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Ah, yes… the End Times are near and we’re all just fulfilling biblical prophecy. Makes perfect sense.

Here’s another thought.

People are taking a look at certain brands of Christianity and realizing they want nothing whatsoever to do with it. And when they back away from one form of Christianity, they realize there’s no reason to stick with the other forms of it, either.

For example, just look at a sampling of what LeClaire herself has written in the past couple of years:

• Gay NFL Players Should Stay in the Closet.
• What if NBA’s First Gay Player Jason Collins Renounced Homosexuality?
• She claimed that there was some wacky Atheist Agenda to “woo born-again Bible believers to the dark side.” (To which I say: How did you know?)
• She wrote that prayer in public schools would have prevented the Sandy Hook massacre.
• She thinks atheists are “trying to stir up witches against” her.

Like I said, that’s just a sampling.

There’s this anti-gay, anti-reality, anti-science, conspiratorial mindset that plagues conservative Christianity. Even progressive Christians are ashamed to share a label with that group, pushing some of them to shed the “Christian” label despite believing in Christ’s divinity.

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Really, we all owe Jennifer LeClaire a thank you for answering her own question.

Why are so many Christians turning into atheists?

Because of people like her.

To quote Abraham Lincoln, "I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."

Ms. LeClaire, perhaps if you stopped proclaiming your Christianity, and started demonstrating your Christianity through good acts, people would stop being horrified what comes from your poison pen.