Taking Christ Out Of Christianity: Sinner Thou Art Healed (Where Is Your Deductible?)

I have an enormous amount of friends who call themselves Christians. Being that I was raised and have lived most of my life in the south, I have been around the Bible Belt Christianity and have even been immersed in leadership positions within churches, so I have a first hand understanding of how Christianity works down south, by and large. A very good friend recently told me that no matter where in the world he goes, he can have amazing conversations and learn new things, but the moment he goes back home, it is almost as if entering in some medieval world of superstition and myths. I must concur that my home county/state is full of these religious fanatics (as opposed to “Christians). For there is a differentiation.

Let me say that most people are raving, yet unaware, hypocrites, by and large. Sure, they mean well coming from the understanding they have been taught by the fear mongers that control their lives (and sadly, the preacher man in the south has far more control than most people will admit). These preachers don’t get that superiority BS from their imaginations. They feed from those that lavish them with praise and undue respect (and money, homes, retirement accounts, etc). These “men of God” use every possible tactic to take money and control lives. This is just simple fact. Maybe not 100%, but to deny it happens on a large scale is ludicrous.

And in many cases one cannot even blame the preacher. If you had people stumbling all over you to praise you in your “position” of authority, it easily goes to one’s head (like in any human circumstance). Lavish praise and unadulterated sheople-like following would tend to make a person big headed.

So, recently I have had a few discussion regarding faith, especially when it comes to healthcare for all people.

I can’t help but think about the “Good Samaritan” story and how most (yes, MOST) Christians I have spoken with seem to believe that everybody should NOT be healed from their sicknesses, UNLESS they have the money to pay for it (none come right out and say this, except one, but the insinuation is inescapable).

“A Jewish man was travelling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.‘ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Does anyone else sense an unreconciled dichotomy here? Can anyone fully explain to me how one can follow Christ and NOT believe that sick people should be healed, even free of charge? Maybe ESPECIALLY free of charge, for if Christ had been asking for money, how many would consider Him a miracle worker?

How is it that Christianity has basically become the antithesis of the Good Samaritan? How did the followers of Christ become the priest and/or the “Temple assistant”? How is it that we pat ourselves on the back about how we help people in the world, yet we have no qualms about denying healthcare to the sickest of us.

Can you truly call yourself Christ-like, if you don’t do the shit He did?

REALLY?

The logic goes like this: giving free healthcare is immoral because God obviously is showing favor to rich people by giving to them the means to take care of themselves. For us to give to the poor (who are obviously NOT favored by God) is to do something immoral and against God. We simply cannot allow someone to get something for free. As if every human being that doesn’t have health insurance is a dead beat.

You see, these “Christians” have worked too damned hard to be giving away their heathcare that God favored them with. The others can just eat shit and die (or get a better relationship with God thru Creflo Dollar). Whatever!

I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to think that the people that most claim to be Christ’s are the ones that He will not know at the nut cuttin’ time.