I just finished watching Kevin Anett's documentary called 'Unrepentant' and I must say - bingo! You want some enlightenment on the Aboriginal condition and history of my people group(s) within Canada - watch this video.
Kevin Anett claims the Canadian Government and 3 church groups (Anglican, United, and Catholic) progressively set up to assimilate Indigenous peoples of Canada. This assimilation occured mainly via the residential school system but also included stripping Indigenous lands, killing Indigenous children, subverting justice for Indigenous people, and a continual process of hushing the whole dirty history of church work within Indigenous communities and letting it continue to this day - a genocide. Each of those churches I, along with many Indian nations in Canada, call for a total boycott of - since they will not deal with their 'crimes against humanity'. See Kevin's site for more info on this 'hidden from history'.
I have not a single qualm about what Kevin has said in this video and my mother was also in Residential School as a child - in which she was severely abused and taught not to 'love'. Actually watching the documentary - the lady that dies at the end could very well be the testimony of my own mother (and likely is - she refuses to talk about it due to it's pain). The video is explicit about how this same genocide has also helped to keep the Indigenous population in Canada oppressed and broken - a cycle started since the Indian Act in 1876 - legislation which still exists until this day.
It is absolutely abhorent that a supposed civilized gov't and religious structure could do this to a whole nation of people - and not care. Fact is most problems within Indigenous communities stems back directly to residential schools and the torture this had upon Indigenous families - which was then continued by several abuses by the Canadian Government (including the AIM program - adopting Indian children away from their homes and a slack justice system which see's Indian's get life for vicious crimes and when Indians are victims - people get slapped on the wrist). This inhumanity has to stop.
This is where I come from and where I live - and what I have also had to live through as a Indigenous child of the Cree and Saulteaux (Anishnawbe) nations in Canada - this is part of my history whether I like it or not. I suggest, if you want to find out something about Aboriginal peoples in Canada (or even the USA) - to watch the video...learn something they never teach you in any school.
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Hi Society,
This was also the experience of the Pueblo people of New Mexico. The Spaniards marched into their villages, read them a proclomation, demanding that they accept Christ through the Catholic Church, (in spanish of course) or die. Then they would be slaughtered and those not slaughtered were made slaves and also forced into baptism. The original people of Santa Fe managed to drive them back out, at one time, and the rebaptised themselves in yucca juice to wash away the false religion of the Spaniards that had been forced upon them. Their victory was short lived and the Spaniards returned. Pueblo children were taken from the families and forced into Catholic boarding schools, far removed from the practice of their own traditions and force-fed the Catholic Catechism, and forbidden to speak their own language. Many also suffered physical abuse on top of this horrendous spiritual and psychological abuse.
Religion is very weak, it is in fact mortal, for it has been devised by mortals. I have heard it called, "Operation Fig Leaf" as it is mans attempt to hide his nakedness from God. Because it is so weak, in danger contantly of its own death, and so poorly able to do what it desires to do,(as inept as a figleaf is in covering our nakedness)it must be ferousiously defended by those who place all hope in it.
Religion makes me very sad and I feel great sadness for all that your people have endure as I also hurt for all peoples who have suffered through genocide that is always the result of some empty, cold intellectual philosphy of man.
Keep clinging to Jesus, Jason. My prayer is for your healing and also the healing of your people.
Pam
genocide that is always the result of some empty, cold intellectual philosophy of man.
Exactly. It's called salvation through works alone and it always ends up badly.
Society, Annett sounds like a modern-day prophet. If Barnes and Nobles doesn't have his book, I'll definitely order it online. Thanks for introducing him to us!
Pam, thanks for the encouragement and the insight about the Pueblo's (who are Indian just like I am). I will continue my journey in the faith - I have no good reason to give up on Jesus' teachings and God.
Jim, I appreciate Annett's stand against the crimes his church committed - and this man was truly faithful to the 'truth' - and to what was 'brought to the light' about the United church. I admire him a lot - he is digging into the past and truly trying to bring healing to a nation - of the which - he has been halted on so many times by gov't, church, and law. Prophet - I think so also - he is warning the nation and churches to come clean.
Society,
Long and sordid history. This history in the US is no more pretty. I have a personal story you'll want to hear about Indian tribes and adoption, but I don't have time now, so I'll check back in later and post it. Good post.
"demanding that they accept Christ through the Catholic Church, (in spanish of course) or die."(Pam)
"Keep clinging to Jesus, Jason"(Pam)
Wow, this is irony. A whole blog post on the evils of Christianity and the advice is to cling to Jesus? And before you feel the need to repeat yourself, yes I understood your differentiation between religion and Jesus...if only it was so simple. The problem is no one seems to be asking where the supposed transformative power of Jesus/God is in all this. If Jesus is the answer why is Christianity such a horror throughout history? And if we are arrogant enough to believe that we have finally arrived and corrected all the evils of the past, that we are now somehow enlightened and have cut the ties of "religion" then why continue to support church or Christianity? If we have only now arrived at moral consciousness then Jesus obviously isn't the answer but instead the 21st century humanism and its emphasis on human rights and unalienable equality is.
Talk about an unwillingness to face up to past mistakes. Christianity did those things and Christianity claims to represent Jesus so if your feeling like you'd like to be affiliated with Jesus I don't think you get to dodge responsibility as easy as blaming the Catholics or any other denomination (or non-denomination).
Just once I'd like to see God step in and put a stop to the horrors being committed in God's name.
"I have no good reason to give up on Jesus' teachings and God."(societyvs)
Read your own blog post man! What more reason do you need?
Jesus is a person and not a religion or philosphy. Religion is about human power just as governement is about human power and control. In Jesus, I have spiritual relationship with God that isn't dependent upon the Christian religion. I don't need special holy men to tell me how to please God, nor do I need special holy days or rituals, or even a moral code. In Christ, I am guided by God in my every day life.
God did step in when Jesus died on the cross and rose again. This was to make peace between God and man so that there would be no longer any need for religion. Sadly, much of the institutionalized church is very much about relgion and the power over others that it gives to power hungry people. Happily, also among the religious, are those in whom Jesus lives by faith and through them, Jesus yet walks among us and God's Will is done upon the earth.
Humanism seems to me to be just another philosophy. It has had free reign in the public schools for a long time now and they are not improved. I see the same failure in humanism as I see in religion, it is unable to change us inwardly and for such atrocities as described here to cease, inward change is what we all need. Laws and rules and philosphies can only punish evil it can't prevent it.
Pam
Oh Heinini, this old arguement again (many an atheist has told me this). Okay, here is my rebuttal. Thanks for the comments though - I need to evaluate my beliefs irregardless.
"yes I understood your differentiation between religion and Jesus...if only it was so simple." (Heinini)
I think it is painfully simple - church is a structured organization that doles out the 'do's' and 'don't's' and Jesus is a person that lived in 1st century AD (who was written about) - whom some believed to be the Messiah (which became the 'cornerstone' or foundation of church in it's early beginnings). Can the idea of person and church go seperate ways - yes...this is so much of the story in the Tanakh writings concerning Israel and YHWH. So if it is possible in that theological grounds - it is more than possible in this realm also - I put the problem beginning with Constantine (religion and state partner in Rome).
"The problem is no one seems to be asking where the supposed transformative power of Jesus/God is in all this." (Heinini)
I don't need to ask that question - I am waiting for people to follow their consciences - and Annett is one example and there are many others (most of them Natives however). Transformative power is not something we can discuss here - it is so open to opinion and most people don't respect someone's personal story (since it is 1st person and .: unreliable). But it exists - just how to explain it does not.
"If Jesus is the answer why is Christianity such a horror throughout history?" (Heinini)
That's quite the broad stroke of the brush? I think your wrong about this - I am not saying church institutions haven't been horrible in the past (they have) - but does this include everyone within that faith/belief system? I think once you join faith with state - the become inseperable it is hard to state which problem is from whom - but what I am sure of - if certain faith(s) were not supported by gov't (politics) this discussion would not exist.
"that we are now somehow enlightened and have cut the ties of "religion" then why continue to support church or Christianity?" (Heinini)
This is a good question for every one to ponder. I can't speak for current institutions at all (since I get very little from it) but as for the actual writings about Jesus - they 'transformed' my life - I can say no ill to them.
"If we have only now arrived at moral consciousness then Jesus obviously isn't the answer but instead the 21st century humanism and its emphasis on human rights and unalienable equality is." (Heinini)
Bogus. This faith's teachings inspired 3 of the most important figures in the 20th century - Gandhi, King Jr., and Mother Theresa - not one of them considered even dropping faith as part of their life - and these 3 figures still inspire until this day (morally). I cannot think of 3 humanists that I want to emulate in the same way.
That being said - this faith's teachings have existed for 1000's of years and are continually discussed and challenged (they do change for the better) - and within this faith it is hard to find a single issue of it's era that doesn't get discussed - and your gonna tell me humanism has enlightened this faith? I think it is the reverse - I am willing to guess humanism was inspired by the this faith's freedoms and discussions of times past (this was social democracy before their was).
"Christianity did those things and Christianity claims to represent Jesus so if your feeling like you'd like to be affiliated with Jesus I don't think you get to dodge responsibility as easy as blaming the Catholics or any other denomination (or non-denomination)." (Heinini)
But I also think we have to call out these denominations for change - which I do in my blog - but in general living I also do. But in all logic, a genocide happened in Canada - did the Catholic church have the power to committ this alone? No fricken way. This is an arm of British imperialism not Vatican imperialism...so actual blame also falls at this gov't's feet again (again we see church and state - with state as the funder of the problem - church being the abusers). So the Catholics who actually did this need to be held responsible - it is 100% against the teachings of Jesus and against what we now hold as decent - but I am putting blame where it is due and not on all the faith.
If the faith is altogether responsible (which I am open to) - show me where Jesus teaches for murder, rape, abuse, violence againt children, etc...if ti does not exist there then this is not a construct of his teachings but something else more sinister - I think politics and church tradition.
"Just once I'd like to see God step in and put a stop to the horrors being committed in God's name." (Heinini)
I think He does - but again this idea is debated ad nausem.
"I have no good reason to give up on Jesus' teachings and God."(societyvs)...Read your own blog post man! What more reason do you need?" (Heinini)
Uhm a hell of a lot more - I want someone to honestly show me one thing within Jesus' teachings that actually harm society and how this was implememted to oppress the masses? I read those teachings front to back and studied every parable, healing, teaching, and life incident of Jesus - I cannot find a single teaching that actually tells humanity to destroy one another or teaches an ethic that state and church have used to do 'harm in God's name'. Actually this is warned about in the gospels ironically enough.
But show me one - how you would implement it - has it been implemented - within context - to destory humanity? Even Annett hasn't given up on God - and he was the one persecuted by the United church - and even he held onto his faith. I cannot find this Jesus that you mention in history within his teachings - which tells me - this is not that 'Jesus' at all but something else.
It is a miracle in and of itself that relgion does so much harm and yet, so many still find faith in Jesus Christ.
Pam
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