Jackalope

One needn't be a christian, but one must believe in some sort of God-type entity to become a mason. They hold that an atheist has nothing to swear to in the case of oaths. Plus, they adhere to the idea of a Grand Architect. An agnostic possibly could become a mason. An atheist could not. I'll dig up the entries from the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry if someone really wants a reference.

The nazis had it in for the freemasons because they were a secret society, not because they were atheists. Secret societies make totalitarian governments very, very nervous.

Daggah

But ONLY after the wedding.

Pyrrho

The differences are often subtle to outsiders (and probably to some insiders, too), just like the differences between the various forms of Christianity generally. Most of the things that Methodists believe is the same as the stuff that Presbyterians believe, and I do not have sufficient interest in finding the differences to bother doing so. The same is true of distinguishing all of the extreme right wing Christians; I have no desire to study them enough to be able to accurately distinguish between the doctrines of each. If you are really interested in the subject, I suggest that you read as much as you can of the materials that each group in question puts out. Pay attention to all of the details. If the prospect of doing this kind of research does not make you feel nauseous (or something like nausea), then you are far different from me.

fatherphil

i think the terms have become defined to the point that they are synonymous.

Cipher Girl

:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy

Seriously, I really could not stomach reading the drivel these people put out, in order to learn exactly the small differences between the groups.

I guess what started my wondering was the sad example of a high school friend of my husband. He was raised in a very, very conservative christian home. This family believes that everything "wordly" is of the devil and that people should constantly beg forgiveness against minor sins from god. Well this friend X has a very bad self image. After leaving the military, he tried college, but did not want to study. He always seems to blame his own shortcomings on others. He flunked out of college.

He then worked at one of the local chemical plants and joined some tax resistance group. He was really taken in by them and spent a lot of money learning how to not pay taxes. Well after some years of not paying taxes, Uncle Sam finally came a calling. Well after serving a couple of years in prision for tax evasion, he still maintains its all the government's fault, not his own stupidity.

Now, he works odd jobs for cash, his house is not completed, and he has not car. All so the government won't get any tax money. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. And how does he think government services are paid for? And the time he had to go to the hospital with no insurance. Who pays the bill?

My husband says that when he sees him occasionally, all X talks about is getting rid of all of the groups X hates. X continues to blame all of his problems on others, he never takes responsibility for them himself. I guess this is what happens when he has been told his entire life that he is a "worthless sinner". It's very sad.

Pyrrho

I am sorry; how does this relate to your original question?

Cipher Girl

am sorry; how does this relate to your original question?


Well, the example of this guy X, the way he was raised with extremely conservative christian upbringing, and how he ended up hanging out with these looney extremists, some with ties to neonazis. And he is still a conservative christian, who is convinced that only his chruch will go to heaven and all others will go to hell. It seems that haning out with all of these extremists, causes no problems with his faith as a christian.

So I have wondered, why is neo-nazism and far-right politics so compatible with extremely conservative christianity? And what exactly if the difference between them. Perhaps since American neo-nazi groups are peopled with far-right conservative christians, that today there is little or no difference. Perhaps I've just answered my own questions.

Tarnaak

Just to put my two cents in:

Don't judge all Christians by a single person, group, or act.


Christians are not perfect, though we may try to be. We are all not brainwashed, twisted, warped, mad, happy, sad, misunderstood, mistreated, misguided, dysfunctional, judgemental, sarcastic, holy, greedy, faithful, college educated, or extremeists. Did I leave something out.

Cipher Girl

Don't judge all Christians by a single person, group, or act.

Did I say all christians were nazis? I don't think so.

Christians are not perfect, though we may try to be. We are all not brainwashed, twisted, warped, mad, happy, sad, misunderstood, mistreated, misguided, dysfunctional, judgemental, sarcastic, holy, greedy, faithful, college educated, or extremeists. Did I leave something out.

Yes you did. The part about why a lot of christians make excuses for and ignore their more extremist right wing cousins instead of critisizing them. Not pointing out and condeming bigotry when one has the chance would be nice. Unfortunately a lot of times when some neo-nazi or right wing christian group causes trouble and picks on people (minorities), there is usually not a peep from the more moderate christian community.

If I sound a bit harsh, this is a pet peeve of mine.

fatherphil

tell me, what exactly is your definition of a far right conservative christian?