Battlecry
May 24, 2006
These people clearly worship a war god.
While in the bathroom, I saw something equally unsettling—a preteen girl wearing a shirt being sported by many attendees that night: Jesus on the cross, robes waving, and emblazoned across the front the words “Dressed to Kill.”
Between musical acts, Luce, the BattleCry founder, hammered away at the dominant theme of the night: his contention that “pew-sitters … passive Christians … the Christians who just want love, joy, peace … ” were the problem, and that the world needed more radical and extreme God-worshippers—those who would be obedient and fully submit to Christ.
This was theoretically a Christian rock festival, but what would the god of turning the other cheek think of this?
The first rock band that performed, Delirious, got the crowd festive and up on their feet with lyrics that were projected on large screens so that everyone could join in: “We’re an army of God and we’re ready to die…. Let’s paint this big ol’ town red…. We see nothing but the blood of Jesus….”
This isn’t an altar call, it’s incitement to violence.
All quotes from truthdig. Hat tip to Amanda, who (under the circumstances) can probably be forgiven for thinking Christianity is the worship of hatred. More on the War God here.
Posted in Religion, What The...?!?
content rss
May 24th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
It’s not surprising, given the battle motif in the Bible and “classics” like “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” After all, conquest and conversion is as old as religion itself. Why, even our troops are getting in on the action.
May 24th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Dang it, how do you do links in WordPress comments?!
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2003/04/15/in_touch/index.html
May 24th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
The bare url seems to work, but html or other syntax is apparently stripped out unless you’re me. There’s not a readily apparent option to change this, although I’m sure there’s a plugin. I’ll see what I can do.
May 24th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
More to the point, though, conquest is probably *much* older than religion; and there are few things in civilization older than religion, anyway.
May 25th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
Never attended one of those type concerts. However I think you should realize that the “blood” they’re singing about is the blood of Christ, not the blood of some infidels. I know “blood” sounds like violence but it’s Christ’s blood that covers our sins. That’s what they mean.
May 26th, 2006 at 4:03 am
I understand that’s how some folks treat that, but this is not the first time Ron Luce has expressed a violent, militaristic kind of Christianity; his performance at the “War on Christians” conference, while pitched more towards adults, was just as violent. And notice how he disparages “the Christians who just want love, joy, peace” as “pew-sitters” and “watered-down Christians.” If this is Christianity (which I doubt), it’s the Christianity of Torquemada, not the Christianity of Christ.
July 21st, 2007 at 9:21 am
[...] relish conflict. Encourage it where there is precious little (War on Christmas anyone?). Militarize their worship. Prepare their children for battle and seek wars of conquest for religious [...]