Jesus has been drafted to participate in the presidential elections again this year. His immense fan-base keeps pulling Him back in, without His consent, and He is probably just as philosophical about this as the next guy. “Whaddaya going to do? It’s not like I can turn my back on people,” He said.
As someone raised in a Southern Baptist, evangelical home, I might have a thing or two to say about Christianity being injected into politics. I could probably fill a book with my angst, but I have no intention of running you through my mill. In brief, the experience of such an upbringing leaves little doubt as to why I practice no religion as an adult. I have been to those churches. I have seen the faith healers and heard them speaking in tongues.
I often disagree with the Christian Evangelical, Pentecostal opinions but there is no way we can ignore them or change this country unless we can change their True Believer minds. It is not impossible to change minds, but it might help for us to relate to them in their terms (i.e.: Good Book in hand). Before I even get to that point, I think it would be helpful for you to understand where they are coming from.
The Christian Right is not worried about global warming, balancing a budget, corruption, earmarks, or dying because they think God will sort it out. Or that The Rapture will come before they actually have to suffer. “What me worry?” isn’t just a Mad Magazine slogan. It’s a mantra for the faithful.
They think they can help God bring along End Times. They actually believe that they can petition the Lord to hasten Armageddon. If you think I’m kidding, read “Jesus Made Me Puke” by Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone. It mentions Pastor Hagee. Here’s a quote, with reference to Christian Zionism:
“The whole idea behind Christian Zionism is to align America with the nation of Israel so as to "hurry God up" in his efforts to bring about Armageddon. As Hagee tells it, only after Israel is involved in a final showdown involving a satanic army (in most interpretations, a force of Arabs led by Russians) will Christ reappear. On that happy day, Hagee and his True Believers will be whisked up to Heaven by God, while the rest of us nonbelievers are left behind on Earth to suck eggs and generally suffer various tortures.”
In Christian extremist’s minds, for as long as a politician is acting on God’s will, their chosen politicians can do no wrong. That is why they forgave George Bush and why Sarah Palin will get away with everything. If a member of the religious right claims to be doing God’s Will, it is the ultimate free pass. Good Christians conform, and they don’t ask questions.
The first politicians to effectively counter the religious right by reminding them of actual words in the Bible might bridge a gap. Surely there might be a politician running for president who has attended church and might know a bit of scripture? It might behoove that candidate to remind the Christian right about a few things, if he is able to. I'm just saying.
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10)
As of this post, Sarah Palin has refused to speak candidly with the press. The Bush regime has been one of the least transparent administrations in American history. The Republicans have done everything within their power to ignore your knocks on the door. What would Jesus do? He would not take this horseshit sitting down, and neither should we.
Plastic Jesus On The Dashboard Of My Car
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6 comments:
Ohhhh, I loved this blog. I grew up Catholic. We didn't study the Bible, which always put us at a disadvantage with the protestants.
Some Catholics think the Pope will solve everything but some are skeptical and then become Episcopalian. :-)
You know what? I love those Episcopalians. So many of them put the church on the line to support gay people. It cost them dearly.
Minnie, I knew you would post to this. Thank you, and thanks for being to candid.
I understand the gap between Catholic and protestant well. I even got married to my ex in a Lutheran church. More importantly, all of my friends in NY were Catholic and I got to attend mass with them weekly. Which, more often than not, put me in Hell with my parents because Baptists (as a rule) look down on Catholicism. Yes, I used to get the wrath of God beaten into me for coming home smelling like incense. Obviously, my curious mind recorded the wrath and started asking questions...
I'm a little concerned with some folks in the media crossing the line and trashing Pentecostals and people who speak in tongues.
I have a different take because my daughter and grand kids are Pentecostal. It is a bizarre religion and I do NOT want to even think them speaking in tongues.
I worry about making it an issue ONLY because there are more of them than you'd think and you might be surprised by who they are. I'd rather they not get all riled up and decide to vote in huge numbers.
My daughter is only 1 of 2 Democrats in her church. The rest of the folks should be voting with us on fiscal issues, but they are strictly anti abortion voters.
See, here's my take on all this. I hear my christian friends telling me to vote Republican. I hear my liberal friends telling me to vote Democrat. How about listening to the issues and choosing the ones that most benefit...ME? Isn't that what democracy is about?
Of course it's all about you. And you, and you, you over there, and you, too. Don't even get me started about me.
I love this country. It IS all about ME, not Jesus. But I really wish Jesus (or Santa) would give Palin a copy of "The Origin of the Species" and a basic sex ed book for her kids. That abstinence-only education isn't working so well for her. So what would work best for ME is for people to pull their heads out of Jesus's ass and take a look around.
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