If Jesus were alive today, he would be a Socialist, a Green, or possibly a Democrat (I say possibly, because so many politicians who are Democrats have sold out to lobbyists and corporate interests), but he would definitely not be a neo-conservative Republican nor would he be a pro-GWB Evangelical. Jesus would probably equate such Evangelicals with the Scribes, the Pharisees and the money changers that he threw out of the temple, and call them hypocrites for supporting the war in Iraq and torture of other human beings, while at the same time taking a "pro-life" anti-abortion stance.
The pro-GWB Evangelicals were unable to see that although GWB said that he was "saved", he perpetrated many evils during his eight years of residency, not only upon US citizens, but also upon humanity in general. I have asked, "Would Jesus drop bombs on people?", "Would Jesus start a war?", "Would Jesus demonize a whole race of people?", and they have no answer. They don't see any conflict between their supposed faith and "saved" status, and their support of cruelty, torture, and demonizing and dropping bombs on other human beings, all in the name of "keeping America safe". What about "turn the other cheek"? They take the Bible literally only when it suits them.
I am intolerant of intolerance, which is something I guess I have to work on, and in the end I think it's not so important what we believe or what we say we believe, but how we behave and how we all treat each other. It doesn't really matter to me that someone thinks I will end up in hell because I believe differently than they do, however, I REALLY don't want to discuss it with them - my life and what I believe and my relationship to God/the Universe/All That Is is a private matter and not the business of any other individual.
Evangelicals believe the world began around 6,500 years ago. I think people who think the world started 6,500 years ago are living in LaLa Land. I cannot bear to listen to people who argue that because the Bible says that "man has dominion over all the earth" we should drill for oil in the Arctic wilderness instead of building smaller and more fuel efficient cars and developing alternative sources of energy. To me, the earth and all its creatures, forests, and seas are sacred, and it is our job to care for it all.
I have always feared that Evangelicals might take over the country someday, like a worst nightmare, shades of the Inquisition all over again, getting thrown in jail for not going to church on Sunday, or even for not going to THEIR church. They are still a minority, but their rabid proselytizing is effective with people who are weak or by nature fearful. The world is a random place where bad things happen, and such a rigid belief system provides comfort and a greater sense of security to some individuals. I just hope they will never be a majority. God help the world if they ever take over.
Monday, September 28, 2009
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2 comments:
I’ve watched other interviews with that same guest. He’s an interesting speaker, clearly one wanting to make amends for the Moral Majority firestorm he and his father founded. I’d love to know what changed his mind, how did he come to see the light when so many are still blinded by the hatred and fear mongering he incited. Surely the Christian right would say he’s possessed by the devil now and would discount what he says. Still… how did he come to change his mind???
I know someone else who was once a zealous Born Again Christian and he’s as passionate about the hypocrisy and elitism of that movement as Frank Schaeffer. So, it’s comforting to know that some people do snap out of it, that it’s possible to wake up.
I have to agree with everything you said here. I moved from the East Coast to the MidWest when I was 11. It was a true culture shock. One of the things that I found most shocking was the way people here wear religion on their sleeves like a badge. I don't remember people talking about their church or their religious beliefs when I lived back East. At the time, I thought that maybe in a place where there are more people, you don't get that personal because you have to live with people and you can't have those kinds of divisions with people that live twenty yards away. But, over the years, I think there is much more to it than that.
These evangelicals are walking contradictions; they believe in life for fetuses but don't care what happens to them after they are born. They say they believe in "a culture of life" but most of them support both war and the death penalty. (I suspect that somehow it's okay for crowds of people to kill, just not individuals.) They call themselves patriots but don't seem to be able to grasp the ideals that this country was founded on. I suspect they don't know themselves (or don't like themselves) very well.
I wish we could go back in the country to a place where it was not socially accepted practice to discuss your religion, reliogious beliefs or the church you attend in public. Because, above all else, I believe that each person's relationship with God/Creator/Higher Power is deeply personal and not for public consumption.
Great post!
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