Are you a “God Warrior?”

This clip was taken from an episode of “Trading Spouses,” a reality show that documents two mothers spending time with the each others’ family.  Marguerite Perrin, the jabba-like howler monkey in the clip, traded places with a mother who’s family does not believe in God, let alone Jesus, and ventures more on the mystic side of religion.  As Marguerite spent time time with her new family, she was exposed to ideas and concepts that were foreign to her.  Winter solstices, hypnotism, mendalas …what the hell??!!  Her lack of understanding turned to anger, well…more bitch-ass crazy, when she finally arrived home to her family.

Marguerite became an overnight sensation on the web after the episode debuted, and its not hard to see why.  The raw fury and dramatic over-expression of an obese Christian Fundamentalist makes for damn good television.  Most people, from whatever religion or background, watch this clip and instantly dismiss her as being some crazy back-watered cunt who needs a hard does of reality, and maybe one or two Valium.  At first, I was one of those people.  But as I watched again and again, I realized something:  Marguerite Perrin is the perfect external example of what every conservative right-wing American Christian internally thinks; she just has more balls.

During Marguerite’s time with the other family, she was introduced to a world which she never knew.  She was so ignorant on the symbols, lifestyles, and ideals surrounding her that in the end, she could only categorize them as, “dark sided” and “the this and the that.”  However, what is most interesting is that her confusion did not lead her to find answers, it lead to fear and anger. 

What we have here is the most blatant form of Christian hypocrisy shown in a most embarrassingly oblivious way.  To say you are a Christian is to say you believe in Jesus and His Word.  To say you are a Christian is to state that you have the truth.  Therefore, if you are a Christian, then why fear others who do not have what you have?  If you are a Christian, why is it a threat to understand another belief by all accounts you know is wrong?  If you are so confident in your belief, why is there a fear of being “turned to the dark-side.”  Where is the love that you “believe” is so powerful?

As we progress into an age where information becomes easier to access, where the Internet provides instant answers and countless sources of views, I have discovered an increasingly more hostile stance on religious views, and for good reason.  The bubble is no longer safe. 

There was a time that you could go through life without ever being forced to defend your stance on God.  The world was bigger, but your community was smaller.  The comfort of like-minds and the lack of opposing views made it simple to find meaning and purpose.  You would think that as we progress into this new information age, most people would be amiable to investigating aspects of their own viewpoints and attempt to verify questions which they could never before find an answer.  For many, the opposite has occurred.  The overwhelming terror of discovering a world that has the potential to destroy the essence of everything they have built causes them to reject an understanding of anyone that lacks a similar view.  But my question is this:  How is it that anger and fear can spur from truth?

If you truly believe in God and his Word, than you have nothing to fear, and you have nothing to defend.  How can ones ideas or knowledge spark such fear as to lead you back into the safety and comfort of your Christian community, if you say that you are supposed to share the good news?  That is the height of hypocrisy, and the proof of your religious insecurity.  Finding ways to justify your own belief is not seeking after anything, especially truth. 

I encourage us all to not fight or debate what we think is right, but have enough love and patience for one another that we may sincerely consider everyone’s thoughts.  We of course can disagree in the end, but at least we loved each other in the process.  If you quietly retreat back into the safety of your ignorant community, than you are no better than Marguerite Perrin, for at least she had balls doing it.

Love,

CAH