A hideous, grinding speech, as of some monstrous machine running without oil, burst from the big telescreen at the end of the room. It was a noise that set one’s teeth on edge and bristled the hair at the back of one’s neck. The Hate had started.

George Orwell, 1984

I’ve known a lot of Christians in my life (starting with my parents and siblings, of course…I’m the only heathen in my family, as far as I know), and I think Christianity is one of the most powerful, beautiful and astonishing expressions of human spirituality in existence. I don’t mean those bureaucracies called “religions”: I mean Christ’s teachings and the treasury of ethical and moral thought they’ve inspired. The concept of a moral universe powered by an engine of love is an astonishing idea.

So it’s always suprising to me how little impact the core idea behind Christianity seems to have on its loudest proponents in the blogosphere. Does it strike anyone else as odd that the folks who label themselves with their religion, or who claim to be its proponents and defenders, are inevitably those who come closest to mimicking Orwell’s “two minute hate”?

Three recent samples. Judge for yourselves.

The self-proclaimed Christian Canadian Sentinel, on China:

“Hey, you pathologically lying, butcherous, barbaric (and now, according to a reliable source of mine and according to the book that sparked 22 million defections from the Communist Party since 2005, cannibalistic, meaning that people eating people is a value of the Chinese Communist Party) Chinese Commies… clean up your own backyard before opening your foul mouths about anyone elses’ backyards! Such evil as the SinoCommies do… cannot remain under wraps forever. And will not! Yes, I’m talking about you, the Chinese Communist Party and its unrepentant, nonconsciential current members!”

Girl on the Right, on Islam:

“They are brutal monsters, and the sooner we can abolish the religion of Islam the better. I do not need social reprogramming to become more tolerant - they do. Let’s rescue them from their disgusting sex/death cult. Maybe then they’ll have a chance to live side by side with other religions and cultures without resorting to murder. In the meantime, though it shouldn’t need to be said, keep your goddam daughters away from these animals.”

And of course, Prolapsed Catholic, having a tantrum because (I think) her hubby-to-be is having trouble getting his first marriage annulled.

Those of us who “think” are, as far as I’m concerned, not under the authority of those who don’t, those Euroweinie time-serving three-hour-lunch jackoffs in the Curia. See, this is how Leopolds and Loebs are made. I refuse to follow dumb rules and dumb procedures made up on the fly by dumb people. I’m smarter than they are. I work harder and more efficiently. Therefore I refuse to acknowledge their authority or participate in their reindeer games. This here Rudolph’s got a cooler nose, anyway. Hope they all like the view of my butt. My vocation as an outsider, one I’ve always known was mine and have by turns rejected and embraced, is confirmed yet again. There is no room for me in the Catholic Establishment (and a petty, toffee nosed little club it is too) as recent events have made clear. But the secular world with its brainless Church-bashing is just as bad…I am forced to “marry” — like some half-drunk cross dresser on a whim — within the walls and halls of our city’s monument to bien pensant socialism and brainsucking paperwork because my Church is an ass.”

Heh. Can’t you just feel the Love?


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