(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . OTCs, Ten Commandments, IVF, No-Fault Divorce, Contraception, etc., etc., etc. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-25 Louisiana orders every classroom to display Ten Commandments, reports the BBC. [i] So, the Christians of the great state of Louisiana want the Ten Commandments posted in classrooms. Hm. Don’t they know that the Ten Commandments are in the Old Testament? They claim to be Christians. Then why aren’t they asking that the teachings of Jesus be displayed? Shouldn’t they be following Jesus first? Why not the teachings of Jesus in every classroom rather than the Ten Commandments? Is it that some of the teachings of Jesus are just too woke for some Christians? You know, all that stuff about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, forgiveness, remove the beam out of thine own eye, sell your goods and give the money to the poor. Is that all way too woke? Not like that good ole time “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” first commandment. None of that New Testament wishy-washy niceness in that commandment. Rather, it’s a firm “You better worship Me and only Me.” So, it’s no surprise that if you look closely at the photo, you see the sentence “Louisiana governor cites Moses as he signs Ten Commandments law.” The sentence is hilarious if we take “he” to refer to Moses. But, of course, the “he” refers to the governor, who cites Moses and makes no mention of Jesus. It’s as if they are Old Testament Christians. What is an Old Testament Christian (OTC, for short). I’d say an OTC is someone who is a Jesus fan but not a Jesus follower. A Jesus fan thinks the world of Jesus. Jesus is their savior. They are washed in his blood. They have accepted him as their Lord and Master. Jesus is their ticket to heaven. They like him a whole lot and accept what he has to offer. But follow Jesus? Hardly. In many cases, the OTC doesn’t even know what Jesus taught. A friend once talked to a Catholic priest because his fiancée wanted a Catholic wedding. At one point in the conversation, my friend asked why the priest allowed himself to be addressed as “Father” when Jesus says in Matthew 23:9, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” “Jesus never said that,” said the priest! Here was a man who had given his life to the Catholic Church but who wasn’t acquainted with everything Jesus said! Of course, it’s arguable what Jesus in Matthew 23:9 “really means.” (Oddly, the Bible often doesn’t mean what it clearly says. But, not to worry, your priest or pastor can tell you what it “really means,” what God would have said if only God spoke as clearly as your priest or pastor.) So, it’s arguable what Jesus “really means” in Matthew 23:9. But it is not arguable that Matthew has Jesus saying “call no man your father”. There are red-letter Bibles where the words of Jesus are printed in red. It’s not very difficult to find what Jesus actually said. But many OTCs are more interested in what their pastor has to say rather than what Jesus actually says. They are fans of Jesus, not followers of Jesus. As another example, Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 says in the clearest possible way “don’t take an oath.” Most OTCs don’t even know Jesus said that. So, they happily put their hand on the Bible and respond “yes” to the question “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” They take an oath when entering the military or when assuming political office. Today, OTCs are on the march. Conservative US lawmakers are pushing for an end to no-fault divorce [ii] The right’s war on birth control is already starting [iii] US religious right at center of anti-LGBTQ+ message pushed around the world [iv] Christian Nationalism Is ‘Single Biggest Threat’ to America’s Religious Freedom [v] And their efforts to criminalize abortion are too well-known to need further comment. Of course, religions have the right to their views. Hindus condemn eating beef. Islam condemns eating pork. Jews say meat and dairy should not be mixed. (Which makes the bacon cheeseburger taboo in three of the world’s religions.) Jehovah Witnesses condemn blood transfusions. I have no problem with such beliefs — until they try to impose their beliefs on the rest of us. Try to outlaw cheeseburgers or blood transfusions and we’ve got a major problem. But imposing their religious beliefs on the rest of us is what OTCs are all about. Among the many teaching of Jesus they ignore, Mark 12:17 is near or at the top: “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Many OTCs believe what U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert recent said out loud: that 'the church is supposed to direct the government' [vi] Case in point: the Southern Baptist Convention has recently voted to condemn In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Southern Baptists Vote to Oppose Use of I.V.F. [vii] If they condemned it for their own followers, I’d have as little problem as I do with Hindus condemning beef. In other words, no problem. But, as I said, OTCs are all about imposing their beliefs on the rest of us. So, the article says the Southern Baptists “advocate for the government to restrain” IVF, which, says the article, “may be the next front for the anti-abortion movement.” The Southern Baptist Convention is the world’s largest Baptist organization and the second-largest Christian group in the U.S. after the Catholics. (One wonders if “the church” ever came to direct government, which church would it be? Baptists or Catholics or something else. Religious wars raged in Europe for centuries, which is one reason the Founding Fathers decided to keep religion out of government.) Apparently, the Southern Baptist Convention feels qualified for the job of keeper of public morality. When you apply for a job, the company checks you out. They examine your experience, your resume, your previous work history. Let’s check the Southern Baptists’ resume, shall we? Here are a two choice items from Wikipedia[viii]: In 1845, the Southern Baptists separated from the Triennial Convention in order to support slavery, which the southern churches regarded as "an institution of heaven". During the 19th and most of the 20th century, it played a central role in Southern racial attitudes, supporting racial segregation and the Lost Cause of the Confederacy while opposing interracial marriage. Looking back further, we see centuries of pre-Baptist OTCs hanging and burning (after a bit of torture) women for the imaginary crime of witchcraft because, after all, the Old Testament says in Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” In the Old Testament, Israel had an official state religion. Jesus had a different idea. It’s no surprise then that “Christians” who want to impose their beliefs on the rest of us favor Old Testament teachings over the teachings of Jesus himself. Old Testament Christians are Christian in name only. 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