OCR Text |
Show CTlHOT LINE FROM SOPHIR iBy Kurt Nul ing I must admit the newspaper of these junior crusaders is entertaining. One article asked "Are There Good Witches?" and noted that "Cod and His servants seek to love and protect man. Satan and his servants seek to twist man's mind and destroy him. In other "Join the Jesus Movement!" "Reaffirm you faith in the Son of God!" "Don't get addicted to drugs get addicted ad-dicted to the love of Jesus!" Ah ha! They're back! They change their outward appearances and their rhetoric. They've added a new twist or two. But they're the same old bunch. Popularly (i.e., in "Time" magazine) called the Jesus Movement or "Jesus Freaks," they submerge sub-merge the mass media in a flood of revivalist wholesomeness. I prefer to call them fanatics. At the outset let me make it very, very clear that I am not trying to insult (or change) anyone's religious opinions. It's a personal matter. I don't see any tremendous advantage, personally, in trading off addiction to speed or heroin for addiction to Jesus (addiction inherently containing a host of problems), but if that's what they want it's okay with me. My disagreement comes in when the Jesus Rebellion (sounds like the "Dodge Rebellion" of a few years back) insists on converting the rest of the world to their insistent brand of Christianity. When they decide that I, too, must be "turned on" to Jesus, then they enter the realm of fanaticism and must be regarded as fanat ics, in their own ways as dangerous as hungry wolves, Nazi storm troopers, or Weatherman with suitcases of gelignite. "Surely you jest" you say. "Perhaps the Jesus Freaks are a little strange, but dangerous?" No, I am serious. A kid I know was once harassed by these self-appointed agents of God for two hours ("Do you believe in Jesus? Do you love Jesus? Do you live a Christian life?") until he finally managed to break in and tell them he's Jewish. The very terms of this movement ("Campus Crusade for Christ," to take one example) reveal its fanaticism. If ever a more shameful mass movement (lasting two centuries) could be found than the Crusades to liberate the Holy Land. ..well, we all have our heroes, I suppose. words, Satan does not like you at al loves you!. ..human experience, s and the Word of Cod indicate tha: and his demon henchmen doindee: and are extremely active." This kind of pep-club Christianity! "relevant" twist shouldn't fool an: but it somehow does. Christ is cal Fl gutsy, contemporary, radical rem. ary. He is tough!" and we're told f. what Jesus can do for us alter out end role-playing, turn everything a a nd provide foundations for life . In fact, everything you always wao f;; know about Jesus is summed up f-spiritual f-spiritual laws like "God loves you a wonderful plan for your life"1 nice of Him to decide that for ; saved us some work. Can you believe it? Just follow the-simply-understood steps and you i1 happy. Sounds easier than an Erect And if you follow the instructions, way through, Cod will plan theresK life. Ain't that touching? What I really object to is not themselves but the zealously cor way in which they're presented. To the love around a little bit, national conventions in the Cotton They paddle their religion, their L the Union Cafeteria. And it becomes degraded; an ; rhetoric means a devalued "Would you like to take this short see if you're a real Christian?' Between the televised Pitches' Craham (for Middle America "groove on Jesus" bunch of teenv ; religion in America seems to 1 taken over by commercialized la-You la-You can't even respect W disagreeing anymore it's 'e ., used-car commercial. Who that? Co ahead, spout your simP1'"' , Even make some money onj |