Is the GOP "God's Own Party"?
Another election year is upon us, and already the Republicans are pulling out the trump card that has worked for them time and time again throughout the last few election cycles. Fundamental Christianity.
I worked for a man last year who was also a friend from my church. During a conversation about politics and God between this friend and another worker (a conversation I was desperately trying to stay out of), the other worker turned to me and asked me what I thought. When I gave my answer, he asked if I was a Democrat, and my friend said, "Of course he's not a Democrat, he's a Christian.'
With books on the best-seller lists like "The Faith of George W. Bush," and "A Man Of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush," we are yet again presented the notion that the Republican Party is "God's Party," and that George W. Bush is a man of God on a mission for God.
During a presidential debate in the 2000 election, Mr. Bush was asked to name his personal hero. He quickly answered Jesus Christ, and I could sense the collective swooning of Christians nationwide as they welcomed another "out-of-the-closet" Christian to their ranks.
For years, Christians have been increasingly eager to validate their relevance by embracing anything and anyone that claimed to share their convictions. This is why television shows like "Touched by an Angel" (a feel-good drama that is theologically bankrupt) have become so popular. At the same time, however, a large number of Christians have refused to hold those claims to even the most minimal level of scrutiny.
For instance, while swooning over his claim to be influenced by the teachings of Christ, the Christian community ignored his record of 152 executions in the state of Texas. They also ignored the fact that there were more children living below the poverty level (and without access to health care) in the state of Texas than in any other state. His pursuit of wealth and power were conveniently ignored as well. He said he was a Christian, right?
What would Jesus do?
Jesus Christ was a peacemaker who shunned wealth and possessions. He spoke of the poor and downtrodden, the widows and children, and spoke the truth, no matter how unpopular it was with the public. His teachings were (and are) hard to swallow. But the Bible says emphatically that the Christian way is a hard road to travel.
Mr. Bush has built a foreign policy on pre-emptive war and has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands. The poor and downtrodden are even more so today, thanks to careless tax cuts that return to the wealthy what is "theirs," leaving state and local governments gutting social programs to pay their teachers and state employees a salary that is just below a living wage.
No other virtue is more cherished, perhaps, than truth. God abhors lies, we are told, for by lies sin entered the world. Christ spoke of the truth setting us free.
There is now an unsettling abundance of evidence to suggest that our president and his advisors are pathological liars.
At the beginning of any relationship, it is proper to accept a person at their word. When it becomes evident that the person isn't who he or she claims to be, you no longer give them the benefit of the doubt.
The next few months will see millions of dollars spent to convince you of the religious convictions of the candidates. I implore you to look at the facts.
Many Christians cite abortion as their reason for voting for Republicans. All too often, though, these candidates who preach that all life is sacred are nowhere to be found when legislation is introduced to help young mothers after the child is born. Women in crisis have real needs, needs that are being largely ignored by our government, causing them in desperation to seek solutions to a life-changing event.
But if Republicans give lip service to the abortion issue while completely negating the rest of Christ's teachings, then what end is served? How do the candidates fare with the rest of the teachings of Christ?
Do they protect the interests of the poor and oppressed? Do they look after the treatment of the working class? Do they pursue peace until peace is no longer an option? Do they attempt to provide social services to the neediest Americans, including health care that every American is entitled to? Do they seek legislation to raise the minimum wage so that a worker in this country can work 40 hours and pay his rent? Do they seek to improve the welfare of children, or do they attempt to cut programs like WIC and Head Start?
It's far easier to be sheep and follow the other sheep. It takes courage to break from the pack and think for yourself.
I worked for a man last year who was also a friend from my church. During a conversation about politics and God between this friend and another worker (a conversation I was desperately trying to stay out of), the other worker turned to me and asked me what I thought. When I gave my answer, he asked if I was a Democrat, and my friend said, "Of course he's not a Democrat, he's a Christian.'
With books on the best-seller lists like "The Faith of George W. Bush," and "A Man Of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush," we are yet again presented the notion that the Republican Party is "God's Party," and that George W. Bush is a man of God on a mission for God.
During a presidential debate in the 2000 election, Mr. Bush was asked to name his personal hero. He quickly answered Jesus Christ, and I could sense the collective swooning of Christians nationwide as they welcomed another "out-of-the-closet" Christian to their ranks.
For years, Christians have been increasingly eager to validate their relevance by embracing anything and anyone that claimed to share their convictions. This is why television shows like "Touched by an Angel" (a feel-good drama that is theologically bankrupt) have become so popular. At the same time, however, a large number of Christians have refused to hold those claims to even the most minimal level of scrutiny.
For instance, while swooning over his claim to be influenced by the teachings of Christ, the Christian community ignored his record of 152 executions in the state of Texas. They also ignored the fact that there were more children living below the poverty level (and without access to health care) in the state of Texas than in any other state. His pursuit of wealth and power were conveniently ignored as well. He said he was a Christian, right?
What would Jesus do?
Jesus Christ was a peacemaker who shunned wealth and possessions. He spoke of the poor and downtrodden, the widows and children, and spoke the truth, no matter how unpopular it was with the public. His teachings were (and are) hard to swallow. But the Bible says emphatically that the Christian way is a hard road to travel.
Mr. Bush has built a foreign policy on pre-emptive war and has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands. The poor and downtrodden are even more so today, thanks to careless tax cuts that return to the wealthy what is "theirs," leaving state and local governments gutting social programs to pay their teachers and state employees a salary that is just below a living wage.
No other virtue is more cherished, perhaps, than truth. God abhors lies, we are told, for by lies sin entered the world. Christ spoke of the truth setting us free.
There is now an unsettling abundance of evidence to suggest that our president and his advisors are pathological liars.
At the beginning of any relationship, it is proper to accept a person at their word. When it becomes evident that the person isn't who he or she claims to be, you no longer give them the benefit of the doubt.
The next few months will see millions of dollars spent to convince you of the religious convictions of the candidates. I implore you to look at the facts.
Many Christians cite abortion as their reason for voting for Republicans. All too often, though, these candidates who preach that all life is sacred are nowhere to be found when legislation is introduced to help young mothers after the child is born. Women in crisis have real needs, needs that are being largely ignored by our government, causing them in desperation to seek solutions to a life-changing event.
But if Republicans give lip service to the abortion issue while completely negating the rest of Christ's teachings, then what end is served? How do the candidates fare with the rest of the teachings of Christ?
Do they protect the interests of the poor and oppressed? Do they look after the treatment of the working class? Do they pursue peace until peace is no longer an option? Do they attempt to provide social services to the neediest Americans, including health care that every American is entitled to? Do they seek legislation to raise the minimum wage so that a worker in this country can work 40 hours and pay his rent? Do they seek to improve the welfare of children, or do they attempt to cut programs like WIC and Head Start?
It's far easier to be sheep and follow the other sheep. It takes courage to break from the pack and think for yourself.
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