If there’s anybody who could convince me Christianity is not just a scam for suckers run by frauds or a way to get greedy fatheads to feel superior to people less lucky than them, it’s Fred Clark. Since 2003 he’s been tireless in showing that you can be a Christian and be smart, compassionate and — not unimportant — have a sense of humour. All of which are on show in his ongoing critique of the Left Behind series, about what happens when the x-tian Apocalypse finally happens and which so far has only managed into making the end of the world as we know it sound dull. Fred is excellent in taking the mickey about the writing and plotting of the books, but even better in skewering the little morality tales the authors indulge in. The following quote comes from
his latest post on the series, in which Fred moves from dissecting one trite moral about putting family over work and how in the real world few of us might have that luxury to addressing his readers directly about this:
For those who can afford them, I suppose these moralistic platitudes are true. But only for those who can afford them. If you’re such a person, then: 1) You might want to follow Rayford’s example and deliberately set aside time with your family free from the demands and distractions of your career; and 2) You should also thank your lucky stars that the universe has conspired to allow you to be one of the very, very few people in such a position. (Don’t ever forget this. I’m sure you’re very gifted and you’ve worked very hard. Good for you. But billions of people work much, much harder and have little to show for it. And plenty of gifted people never get the breaks you’ve gotten. There’s a reason it’s called a “fortune,” you know.)
It’s something that struck me, as I have been lucky in being able to spend so much time this year in dealing with my partner’s medical problems and that the people at work have been so understanding about this. Part of this however isn’t due to fortune, but has been due to hard work and a long struggle; not mine, but those of workers and socialists before me, who won all the rights and benefits I am now profiting from. That solidarity and common struggle is one of the things the righrwing x-ianity Fred blogs about has also undermined, with its preaching of the idea ofindividual wealth as a sign of having the right morals