>While I agree that the cross is an honored and revered symbol of Christianity, Jesus's suffering on the cross is NOT the symbol of Christianity and is NOT the most important part of what makes us Christian. Jesus's life actions and teachings are the most important part of what makes us Christian.<<
I don't want to get into a religious debate with you as Catholics have a different viewpoint on redemption than Lutherans do. But I believe that you are wrong about this. The cross is the symbol of Christianity. That is why it is depicted on the covers of so many prayer books, bibles, hymnals etc. As I said before, we wear it around our necks and hand crucifixes in our homes. Without words a person who sees the cross automatically knows what is being shown. And I was taught that it was Jesus's suffering and dying on the cross for our sins that gains us a place in heaven and without this happening heaven was not attainable for us. So for a majority of Christians the cross and Jesus' crucifixtion and subsequent resurrection is what our faith is all about. It's a powerful Christian image that cannot be denied. The Pope happens to agree with me too
>> What he taught (that man can have a personal relationship with a loving God without jumping through numerous hoops or depending on an intercessor to do so) was revolutionary at the time. <<
Only through his suffering and dying on the cross. Before he was sent to redeem us we could not attain heaven. At least most Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic believe that.
>>The teachings of the Catholic church (and please hear that I respect Catholicism, I am married to an Irish Catholic) - both historically and currently - often position women in subordinate roles. <<
I never felt that way all of the years that I was Catholic and Lutheran. I believe that for Catholics, women have a different role. And again, you are making quite a big assumption that Madonna is acting out because she was a repressed Catholic. I don't think that Madonna was ever a big church goer and she left home at a young age to strike out on her own. She hardly stayed home, got married and dragged six kids with her to church every Sunday and then afterwards drank herself into a stupor and took prozac all day to escape from her repression.
You have a very odd definition of the word repression. As I said. We live in America. Women are free to make many choices. They can even leave the church without fear of death. While some churches have very defined roles for women other Christian churches have women pastors and reverends. Heck, most Catholic women I know have no trouble bucking the church whenever it appeals to them. If they want to use birth control they use it. If they want to have abortions they have them. I hardly call that repressed. There is no comparison between the way women are treated as Christians and women as Muslims. If she really wants to strike out againsts women and religious oppression, as I said before, she could of come out on stage wearing a burka with a bomb attached to her. Or how about coming out in a burka with a video of a muslim rape victim being stoned. How about one of those videos we've seen of a muslim woman being burned alive by her own family because she wanted a divorce? Now that would be brave!
I'd like to see her take her act to the Middle East and see how well it's received there. This woman is a pathetic coward.