I would like to dedicate the following video to American Christianity and organized religions of all ages for whom the inevitable tendency is to use the mask of religiosity as a cover up for true spiritual discovery and as a substitute for authentic worship.
R.E.M.
Shiny Happy People
Out of Time
1991
Lyrics:
Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd
People, people
Throw your love around
Love me, love me
Take it into town
Happy, happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine
(chorus)
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it, take it
There's no time to cry
Happy, happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteA sometimes friend of mine fairly frequently goes into a fit of anger at conservative Christians. He says we don't really rely on grace but on how well we push everything in the closet and pretend its all ok.
In a lot of ways I think he's right, except for he kinda carries it out to be an extreme conspiracy theory.
But, I also just don't think its very practical for people to run around with their hearts on their sleeves. They're kinda squishy and there'd be blood everywhere...
Maybe Christianity just isn't a practical religion...I don't know.
Maybe Christianity just isn't a practical religion...I don't know.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though things went wrong as soon as Christianity became a religion.
Things seemed to be going pretty good when Believers were just focussed on the basics of sharing each other's lives together and munching on bread. (Acts 2:46)
Well, maybe...but there were problems then too...I mean old Ananias and Sapphira weren't so cool and the Corinthians got lambasted for just about everything under the sun.
ReplyDeleteNo church is free of problems. It's just that some have real problems.
ReplyDeletelol, because getting struck dead for lying isn't a real problem.
ReplyDeletelooks like michael stipe was doing the same as you, Jon. Didn't he grow up in the church? If so, this video is a powerful indictment against the false spirituality of which we are all aware.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about Stipe. But it sure seems like the song fits a lot of churches, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteMelody,
ReplyDeleteAre you advocating capital punishment for sinners in the church??!!?
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ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, the decline of the church can be traced back to the discontinuation of stoning.
ReplyDeleteOr I could just be laughing at your insinuation that the church of Acts only had problems, not real problems.