"Christianity, a second-class superstition"?

Quoting from today's New York Times, 08 October, 2006-

"Society 'treats Christianity like a second-class superstition,' Tom DeLay, then a Republican representative from Texas, told the crowd. 'Seen from that perspective, of course there is a war on religion.'" -from the first of a four part series in the Times entitled "IN GOD'S NAME - Favors for the Faithful" which examines "how American religious organizations benefit from an increasingly accommodating government."

"Second-class superstition"? (Hmmm?, a "first-class superstition" would be?) Mr. DeLay, you honor your Christians by several "classes" up from reality. Mr. DeLay should take five minutes out of his busy schedule, find a history book and learn about Adonis, Attis, Osiris - their virgin births and deaths on/as trees and nearly 32 other "super hero" stories that came BEFORE DeLay's annointed Christ mythos. But aside from his concerns about a "second-class superstition"-

by reading and living his own Book, Mr. DeLay could improve the situation of Christian believers and the "war" against them. Without mentioning the obvious for Mr. DeLay - "thou shalt not steal" or "thou shalt not bear false witness" - here is my esoteric choice of six passages from the Christians' Bible which Christians should probably take a second look or, truth told, a first look.

1) for the door knockers, the helpers of the Almighty - Romans 1.19-20: "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world, His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things He has made. So they (we, the ungodly) are without excuse." Again, for emphasis- Who shows we, the godless, about God? not our fellow worm bait - but it was, for your short moment, so reassuring to be the happy little helper of the great Eternal One.

2) for the Lord's Day folk and Blue Laws - again, Romans - 14.5: "Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds." Oh, and, by the way, no judging of each others' judgements - entire chapter, Romans 14 - takes all the fun out it.

3) two creation stories- the one you know Genesis 1.1-2.3 and one you do not know, Genesis 2.4-24. Compare. OK, you know the mysogynic rib part, but compare the rest - days of week, etc. - dont forget the Lilith story.

4) two (three) sets of "Ten" Commandments- the one you know, Exodus 20.2-17, with condensed version, Deut.5.6-21 and then the second set you do not know, after Moses broke up the first set, Exodus 34.1-27. Compare all three. Note on Ex. 34: firstborn humans are to be "redeemed" just the same as the first "womb openers" from sheep and cows - "Father, where is my brother?"  Some scholars refer to this second writing as the "Ritual Decalogue. Wiki discussion here.

5) from an earlier post on the "Ten" or however many Commandments that the right winging USA so-called "christians" want posted in every courthouse and government building (who exactly are the Taliban?!) - The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 31.31ff, cf: Heb. 8.6-13) stated that "the days will come that (the Lord) will make a NEW COVENANT, not according to the covenant...made with their Fathers...out of Egypt [that would the be TEN stone ones], but a covenant (He) will...write in their hearts." Well, this has not happened yet - in 2900 years.

This echoed by the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 3.6,2 NRSV) that "God has made us competent to be ministers of a NEW COVENANT - written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone, but on tablets of human hearts - for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." Still, no action yet - 1960 years later - folks are still "stone" bound.

6) my great favorite - "God with Breasts" - El Shaddai - I promised some esoterica - “By the Almighty [El Shaddai] who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts [shadayim] and of the womb [racham] ” -Genesis. 49:25, see also Genesis 28:3; 35:11.

(re-edit 08/10)