Help! Our culture is brainwashing Christians!

That's what Pentecostalist J. Lee Grady says.

Grady is the editor of the rightwingnut magazine, Charisma. He's very worried. "Forces in our culture want to rip the foundations of Christian faith right out from under America," he cries.

What forces? Well, the devil, for one, who "is working overtime today to gain control of our nation's soul." Yes! This is a "life-and-death struggle." Christians can't be "squishy in their faith or spineless in their convictions."

Got to fight the devil and other "forces."


Christians are being brainwashed by our "culture" in four ways or by four "lies." Christians gotta fight these lies!

1. First lie: Hell does not exist. Jesus preached about hell. A lot. Got to warn everybody - "not to condemn people in mean-spirited judgment but to warn them that mercy has a time limit."

Yup. God's gonna get you, sooner or later, if you "reject Him."


2. Second lie: God didn't create the world. That damn Darwin screwed everything up. Everybody knew God created the world, and then along came Darwin with his "sketchy" theory. Heh, heh.

Did you know that Darwinism is "laughably lacking in scientific basis" and "has roots in spiritualism" and "is not really about science at all--it is about rebellion against God's rule over us"?

In response, the first thing to note is that there is no such thing as "Darwinism." Grady is throwing out a fundamentalist straw man. There's a theory as to how life came into existence known as evolution. The theory has been proven over and over again and all scientists use it as a basis of their work. One cannot begin to understand biology, for example, without an understanding of the evolutionary process.

Grady would have us believe that the "world" (whatever that is) resists believing in a "Creator" because the "world" is fearful that it would have to obey God. Without a Creator God, you see, we are all amoral creatures running about doing all kinds of evil things. You can't be "good" without God, says Grady.

What Grady is really pissed about is people who don't accept a literal interpretation of one of the creation stories in Genesis: they don't BELIEVE the Bible!

Yet there are many Christians today who believe in a God and further believe that their God created all that exists, but also believe that God used and uses the process of evolution in her ongoing creative endeavors.

Of course, Grady would probably say they weren't "real" Christians, because they don't take everything in the Bible literally. (Grady doesn't either, but it's unlikely he would admit that.)

Furthermore, if anything has been made clear down through the centuries, it is that belief in a Creator God does not, in any way, shape or form, guarantee moral behavior. The truth is often the reverse.

Grady is frustrated because "The mainstream media and academia insist that evolution is pure fact. Anyone who dares to challenge it is considered a religious idiot."

Actually, to reject the theory of evolution is idiocy. Most people who reject it are, in fact, religious idiots, and that includes J. Lee Grady!


3. Third lie: All religions lead to God. Even George W. Bush might believe this one, and Barack Obama definitely does!

It is, however, a terrible heresy. Salvation is only possible through believing in Jesus Christ! Unfortunately, some churches (like the Episcopal church) have adopted this terrible notion that you might get to God by walking another non-Christian path, but then, they deny the authority of scripture!

People who believe this, says Grady, are like the prophets of Baal in Jezebel's court. Therefore, "We must arise in the spirit of Elijah to confront this deception and prove to the world that the one true God answers by fire."

Yup. By fire! And if you dare to think that the loving Creator God might find it in her heart to accept all people under the umbrella of her massive and ultimate love for her creation, YOU will BURN FOREVER IN HELL!


4. Man can redefine morality. "This," says Grady, "is perhaps the most deadly lie of all." Perhaps? Isn't he sure? What does he mean? Well, it's a terrible situation: "Everywhere we look today," says Grady, "leaders in media, politics, education and entertainment are plotting the virtual overthrow of conventional morals. They want a hedonistic world with no rules and no guilt."

What? "Plotting"? Is Grady frigging crazy? Can he prove that?

Yes. No. Well, not really. What's got his shorts in a knot is the fact that Newsweek published an article "brazenly claiming that the Bible approves of same-sex marriage."

So, in the end it comes down to the same old crap: It's all about homosexuality and the homophobic fears of the christianist wingnuts; it's about abortion and sex. "A lying spirit has invaded many mainline churches and is convincing weak Christians to change their views about homosexuality, abortion and fornication."

I'm always amazed that these so-called god-lovers seldom, if ever, deal with "real" problems - like hungry people, people without medical care, an economy going down the toilet, the massive corruption in the corporate world and the government, wars without end, the desecration of the environment, the homeless, the millions without work, global warming, the shredding of our civil rights and the increasing encroachment of "Big Brother," etc.


J. Lee Grady acts like a frightened rabbit in a corner. He perceives evil everywhere, and attributes evil motives to just about everyone who doesn't believe as he does, and obviously has aligned himself with a weak, incompetent nincompoop god who can't do a thing about the terrible things that worry Mr. Grady! Grady and the flock of frightened, wimpy believers who fall in behind him, cower beneath the onslaught of this massive cultural attack on all they hold dear and sacred.

What a crock! It would funny if it weren't so sad. What a terrible waste of energy and time! J. Lee Grady is, of course, preaching to his choir. And they will nod and look sober and say "Amen."

For the rest of us, however, he gives four good reasons why intelligent and loving people should reject Christianity as a viable spiritual path.