What’s the Difference Between The Westboro Baptist Church and other Christians?

Obviously the Westboro Baptist Church are almost universally reviled by all Americans, and many throughout the globe. However, one of the main problems that they create is based upon the fact that they really do know their scripture backwards and forwards. All of their loony signs are backed up by their interpretation of the scripture. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Anyone can take certain parts of the Bible and twist it to fit whatever philosophy they are trying to create. However does Westboro’s interpretation of scripture make them less of Christians than say the Catholic Church? For this post I’d like to take a look at some of the more “odd” interpretations of the Bible that exist. And then we will ask the question. Do all of these different denominations get to call themselves Christian?

5. Santo Daime (Ayuasca Church of Brazil)

Santo Daime is a syncretic spiritual practice founded in the 1930s in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Acre by Raimundo Irineu Serra, known as Mestre Irineu. Sometimes called simply the Doctrine of Mestre Irineu, Santo Daime is syncretic in that it incorporates elements of several religious or spiritual traditions including Folk Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritism, African animism and South American Shamanism.

Originally, Santo Daime teachings had no basis in written text, as early practitioners were illiterate[citation needed], learning being experiential, through singing of inspired hymns exploring the perennial values of love, harmony and strength through poetic and metaphorical imagery. The hymn collections of early practitioners have since become the sacred works of the doctrine. Ceremonies, called trabalhos meaning “works”, are typically several hours long and are undertaken sitting in silent “concentration”, or sung collectively, dancing according to simple steps in geometrical formation. A drink known as Daime, containing several psychoactive compounds is taken as part of the ceremony. The drink Daime, as it was named by Irineu, is also known generically as Ayahuasca. Dai-me means “give me” in Portuguese. The phrase “Daime força, daime amor” (give me strength, give me love), recurs in the doctrine’s hymns. The drinking of Daime can induce a strong emetic effect which is embraced as both emotional and physical purging. Santo Daime churches promote a wholesome lifestyle in conformity with Irineu’s motto of “harmony, love, truth and justice”, as well as other key doctrinal values such as strength, humility, fraternity and purity of heart. The practice became a worldwide movement in the 1990s.

4. New Orleans Voodoo

Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African American population of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is one of many incarnations of African-based religions rooted in West African Dahomeyan Vodun. They became syncretized with the Catholicism and Francophone culture of south Louisiana as a result of the slave trade. Louisiana Voodoo is often confused with—but is not completely separable from—Haitian Vodou and southern Hoodoo. It differs from Vodou in its emphasis upon Gris-gris, voodoo queens, use of Hoodoo occult paraphernalia, and Li Grand Zombi (snake deity). It was through Louisiana Voodoo that such terms as gris-gris (a Wolof term) and voodoo dolls were introduced into the American lexicon.

3. Raëlism

The International Raëlian Movement has been described as “the largest UFO religion in the world.” Raëlians believe that scientifically advanced extraterrestrials known as the Elohim created life on Earth through genetic engineering, and that a combination of human cloning and “mind transfer” can ultimately provide eternal life. Past religious teachers, like Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad are said to have been sent by these scientifically advanced extraterrestrials to teach humanity. The Elohim are said to be planning a future visit to complete their revelation and education of humanity.

Raelian Priest Thomas said on this topic, “The difference between Raëlians and Heaven’s Gate and Jim Jones etc., is that the others destructively believed in a God who would give them a better life after death, just like most believers in a monotheistic religion do today, and hence the risk for suicide chasing afterlife rewards… as Raëlians we want the best right now in our life, who would want to die now in that scenario with all those pleasures to enjoy? Raëlians believe in enjoying life now, with happiness and laughter.

2. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints was created by Joseph Smith who claimed he saw a vision of an angel on top of a hill. The angel told him to go and dig in the ground, Smith obliged and unearthed a pile of magical plates outside of a rural town in New York. Smith then took the magical golden plates back to his home at which point he put them into a top hat. By looking through a special stone with a hole in the center Smith was able to decode the inscriptions on the plates. By translating a language which is still unknown to man (he called it Reformed Egyptian) he was able to dictate the entire book of mormon while looking into a top hat. Amongst his new revelations was that Jesus Christ came to the United States, the garden of Eden was located outside of St Louis, and that Native Americans are the lost tribe of Israel.

1. Westboro Baptist Church

The Westboro Baptist Church is a small group of family members from Topeka Kansas. They are widely known for their pickets outside of fallen soldiers funeral services and bright “God Hates Fags” signs. Theologically the Westboro Baptist Church believe that all death is caused by God’s hand and that young soldiers were killed by God for fighting as they put “for a fag nation”. The group takes much of Bible literally and believes that the current culture is out of step with ancient teachings.

As we look at all of these disparate groups we can see a thread between them all. All have taken the Bible and created a new belief system around it which (not ironically) already fits in with their view of the world. It isn’t a mistake that Haitians mixed voodoo with christianity, and it’s not a mistake that the Westboro Baptist Church are white suburbanites from Kansas. It’s not a mistake that Joseph Smith (a former treasure hunter, and adventure novelist) wrote the book of mormon during a time of westward expansion in the US. And it’s also not a coincidence that practitioners of Santo Daime blended shamanistic rituals involving hallucinogens with christianity.

Now, I know what many of you may be thinking. These are all radical versions of Christianity which are out of step with what most mainstream christians believe. Ok. Fair enough. So let’s take a look at some of the big examples of Christianity and see if there is also a correlation.

3. The Catholic Church

The first place we need to look at concerning the Catholic Church is it’s origins. When Jesus Christ (if he ever existed) was crucified he was placed on a wooden cross and nailed to it through his hands and feet. During the time that this happened Jesus was living under the Roman empire. There were also Jewish rulers but their preferred method of capital punishment was stoning, while the Romans liked to crucify people. So it’s fair to say that if Jesus ever was crucified it most likely came at the hands of Roman rulers. With Pontius Pilate generally taking the blame. In a great example of the memory spans of people it the same Roman empire which killed Jesus that would then become the largest advocate of Christianity. They saw the new religion spreading like wildfire and needed to capitalize upon it as soon as possible otherwise those in power could literally lose their heads. So the highest government officials in the Roman Empire established the Catholic Church, which they claim is the first church of Jesus Christ, and was actually created by Jesus himself (never mind the fact that Jesus was killed by the Romans). The church continues on today under a rigid hierarchy with the Pope being the man who speaks directly for Jesus. In this case it was no mistake that the same empire which killed Jesus, then co-opted his message and established a hierarchy which would ensure that their empire would remain intact. The Catholic Church now boasts over one billion members and is the largest denomination of Christianity.

2. Pentacostalism

Pentecostalism is a movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, a Greek term describing the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power, worship styles and teachings that were found in the early church. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel to describe their movement. Pentacostalism is currently the fastest growing denomination in the world (mainly in third world nations) and has over 300 million followers worldwide. Pentacostal preachers are known for their fire and brimstone sermons, healing the sick, speaking in tongues, and direct “religious warfare” with evil demon forces. Pentecostals rose mainly in the South and still make up the majority of christians living in rural areas. The rise of Pentecostalism can be tied directly to an extreme sense of individuality common to the American culture and fear of openness to typically liberal opinions. The Pentacostal church was started in Topeka Kansas (home of God Hates Fags now) on January 1st 1901.

1. Protestantism

Protestantism is one of the three major divisions (Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism) within Christianity. It is a movement that began in northern Europe in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices.

The doctrines of the various Protestant denominations and non-denominations vary, but most non-denominational doctrines include justification by grace through faith and not through works, known as Sola Fide, the priesthood of all believers, and the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and order, known as Sola Scriptura, which is Latin for ‘by scripture alone’.

In the 16th century the followers of Martin Luther established the evangelical churches of Germany and Scandinavia. Reformed churches in Switzerland were established by John Calvin and more radical reformers such as Huldrych Zwingli. Thomas Cranmer reformed the Church of England and later John Knox established a more radical Calvinist communion in the Church of Scotland. The rise of Protestantism can be largely tied to a populace upset with Catholic rule and was largely seen as a driving force for individual autonomy against the Catholic Empire. In a completely normal twist of history it would be the Catholics in Ireland who would be led to believe that the Protestants were the oppressors due to the fact that Church of England is still protestant.

SO. As we look at all these different religions we begin to see a common thread. It isn’t a thread which involves theology, but rather an interesting look at how the human mind latches on to ideas, and then tries to gain credibility for those ideas by using Christianity and the words of the Bible. Therefore I don’t think anybody has the right to say that Westboro Baptist Church are not Christians. Just as a Catholic shouldn’t have the right to say that all Protestants are going to hell. With the Bible we have seen that it can be interpreted in a multitude of ways and the diversity of Christianity is what gives it it’s strength. Many times these beliefs are in contradiction with one another, but the contradictions are many times what sets apart one denomination from another. The Pentacostal needs the left wing minister who does gay weddings. And the Gay Minister needs the Pentacostals otherwise his words would have no meaning. If a Pentacostal brings up a piece of scripture from Leviticus pointing out that all gay men should be killed, then a Unitarian minister could bring up other sections about acting “christ like” and seeing compassion for all man kind. It’s a feedback loop. Both sides know that there is an abundance of scripture which contradicts their viewpoints but they choose to overlook this. This goes for both sides. They then use the scripture which is most likely to connect with their congregation (whether it be the jungles of Brazil, or a field in Tennesee) and say without a hint of irony that this is the “true word of god”. When in reality they are simply picking and choosing what supports the belief system they’ve already constructed, or were brainwashed in, from an early age.

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