As the election draws near, I have been really growing more and more frustrated with the fact that the so-called religious right have hijacked Christianity and are doing it a disservice.
In the Bible, Jesus said to love your enemies. The Bible also says that we should be harmless as doves and wise as serpents. Does this sound like Sarah Palin, John McCain, James Dobson, or any of the miriad other religious right leaders?? Not a one.
Case in point: John McCain is constantly saying that Obama will raise taxes and talks about how awful that is. Well, Jesus said to render to Ceasar (or the government) what is Ceasar's and to God what is God's. Sounds like God isn't against taxes as long as we tithe first. By the way, Obama's plan would only raise taxes on anyone making $250,000 or more a year. That is only 5% of Americans. Just so you know.
Also, on the issue of Sarah Palin... Palin has apparently energized the base of the Republican party, which are conservatives. Palin seems to want to make it known all across our land that Christians are for outlawing abortion in the case of rape or incest. She also, as mayor of her small town in Alaska, advocated for a law that required women who were rape victims to pay for their rape kits! Governor Palin believes that global warming isn't caused by pollution, but is just natural. She is under investigation for trying to abuse her power as governor to get her brother-in-law fired. I could go on and on.
What really infuriates me is the fact that Sarah Palin has become a "poster child" for Christianity to a lot of Americans who are not Christians. Therefore, they are liable to think that most, or all, Christians are like her and believe as she does. It reflects on all of us! Why have the religious right allowed this to go on? Because they truly believe that having her in office would be better, with all of her flaws and total lack of experience, than to have Barack Obama in office. This is not because of his or her policies. It's because of religious bigotry. It's also because we, as Christians, have been told over the years that we need to "take back this Country for God". Somehow, we've gotten the idea that our government needs to be inherently and overtly Christian or we're not doing what God wants.
When did we decide that God wanted us to force people to accept Jesus as their Savior?! Did God ever say that? Not in my Bible! Our government is here for civil laws and to make sure our country is run by the people and for the people. It's not so that God can exercise His power over the people. He already has the power He needs. He has it all! So, it would seem that Christians who want to control the government for God are really the ones who want power.
I'm tired of being told what I, as a Christian, am supposed to think or support. Long ago, I decided that what I had always known Christianity to be wasn't that at all. Being gay didn't mean I couldn't be a Christian. Now, I'm seeing more and more that being a Christian is what God says it is. I won't go back to listening to so-called Christian leaders and not questioning them in light of the Word of God. Everything should go through that filter. Sarah Palin doesn't pass that test, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, not many Christian leaders do either.
So, I've come to understand that I need to call people on their stuff when they go against the Word. When someone tells me that God hates fags, I'm going to look them in the face and say, "God doesn't hate anyone!". When they tell me that voting Republican is the only way God would have us vote, I'm going to say, "God isn't a Republican...He's an Independent!". I will no longer be silent in the face of my religion being hijacked.
Thanks for reading.
Sharone
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Amen
ReplyDeleteBrilliant post, and the title of it made me LOL =)
ReplyDeleteWow. I just found your blog thru the link at Dorothy Surrenders. You have a refreshing voice. You just described my thoughts and feelings on the religious right perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThis will be my first election to vote democrat and I'm 47 years old. Why am I doing it now? Because I am sick, tired and scared of the religious right thinking they speak for ME. They don't.
Thanks for the great post.
indeed. I think they can't see the forest for the trees.
ReplyDeleteAdd my amen to the chorus. I never cease to be amazed at how many Christians accept what they're told, swallow it whole, without ever looking to see what it is they're choosing to ingest.
ReplyDeleteBut just because one wheel squeaks and wobbles, it doesn't mean every wheel is off-kilter. We may pay more attention to that one, but the reason we can continue to move foreward is that the others are still aligned and working smoothly, even if silently.
The world may judge the Church by the off-kilter therein, but the disciples will be known by their love, as always.
Bon
Actually, $250,000 is 3% of Americans, not 5%. You can check it out at the census bureau.
ReplyDeleteSo, even fewer people than cited would have their taxes raised back to what they were under Ronald Reagan.
Thanks, everyone. I appreciate your feedback.
ReplyDeleteSharone
I have to disagree with the tax plan. I don't see how it's right to forcibly take someone else's money and give it to someone else who didn't work as hard for it. That's not sharing the wealth, that's just robbery. And it's wrong. It's just another way of deterring people from becoming wealthy and expanding the middle class of America.
ReplyDeleteEllsworth,
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from. However, what a lot of people fail to understand is that we already have money forcibly taken from us...It's called taxation. Also, my partner is on disability. She cannot work. Period. It's not an option. If she could, trust me, she would work hard!
There are situations that are not as black and white as what you seem to think they are. Taxes are paid for infrastructure and that means taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. No, we shouldn't just give out money willy-nilly, but we should use our resources to help those who are "the least of these".
Sharone