Comments on 'No Longer A Christian'
by Lah-May
When I first read Karen Horst Cobb's article, "No Longer A Christian," a gush of pride and hope welled within me. Here was a woman honestly assessing her beliefs while she addressed the Christian-right rhetoric flooding the airwaves. Although she could no longer identify herself as a "Christian" [hence her subsequent non-capitalization of the word], her belief in the teachings of Jesus has never been stronger or more convicted. Her articulate expressions of her discernments of the false christianity embraced by the Christian right is nothing less than courageous. I wasn't the only one who was moved by and who identified with her—her article spread around the world thanks to the World Wide Web.As a result of her article, she published a sequel, "No Longer A Christian, Part II." Here she wrote of the few thousand letters sent to her commenting on her initial article: the majority were supportive, some lukewarm, some were outright hateful,—the most hateful coming from those of the Christian right who choose to cite biblical passages about smiting rather than passages about loving and forgiving. Interestingly, even in Jesus' time there were many who recognized the Master's teachings as "heavenly and ideal" but would not take them seriously or live by them. In addressing such spiritual cowardness, the Master taught, "It is easy to die in the line of physical battle when your courage is strengthened by the presence of your fighting comrades, but it requires a higher and more profound form of human courage and devotion calmly and all alone to lay down your life for the love of a truth enshrined in your mortal heart." (The URANTIA Book, p. 1608:04)
I agree with Ms. Cobb, the only true hope for lasting peace lies in the application of the Master's teachings. We should have learned by now it will not be brought about by the leaders of all cultures who “seek to divide humanity for the purposes of money and power." The Master taught that the kingdom (or my favorite term—the Father-/Motherhood of God and brother-sisterhood of humankind) is to be found in the hearts of those who believe and follow His teachings. Anyone of any faith can recognize there are those who talk truth and there are those who walk truth. While we will never be able to unite under any dogma or doctrine, if we truly hold the divine truths that there is a Creator of All, we are His children, and we are to live together as a planetary family, we can then unite, stand against the hate-mongers of the world, live together in peace and love, and work for the betterment of all the peoples of this world.
Note: Karen Horst Cobb’s articles, “No Longer A Christian” and “No Longer a Christian, Part II” can be read in their entirety on the CommonDreams.org website.