It’s interesting how conservatives brand anyone who disagrees with them a “liberal,” as though there were only the two extremes to public opinion. I'd have to sit and think awhile about whether or not I’m a liberal. I have fairly strong conservative views and fairly strong convictions. So strong, in fact, that when I see people lying and harming others, I tend to point that out. The problem I see with most Christian conservatives is they think in these absolutes: black and white, right and wrong, liberal and conservative. And so they’ll turn a blind eye and deaf ear to corruption and caprice because, to many of these people, there is no alternative. The overwhelming number of these people see an extremely dangerous and complex world as a single issue—abortion. Gay rights comes a close second, but for many conservative Christians, the entire world is about abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, and it has allowed that tail to wag the dog for decades, with Christians voting, time and again, to bring unscrupulous and, in the case of George W. Bush, dangerously unfit people to power simply because to their minds there is no other ethical option: white/black. Truth/lie. Good/evil. Conservative/abortionist.
When asked, Jesus said the greatest commandment is this: to love God with all of your heart, and to love your neighbor. In God's eyes, there are no big sins and little sins. Sin is sin. Doing harm to your neighbor is just as big a sin as abortion. Turning a blind eye and deaf ear to s nasty and divisive campaign just because the guy is a conservative or that he's pro-life is inconsistent with the biblical model: sin is sin. But we Christians routinely excuse one sin (meanness, intemperance) for another (abortion). This is a guy who sins. A guy who lies. Is he better or worse than the other guy? Only God knows. What I do know is the offensive tone of his campaign does not, in any way, display the qualities of Christ. He is not, in any way, the "Christian candidate" or "God's man." God's man will have God's qualities.
I tend to beat on Church Folk a lot, but it is in fact white evangelicals who are the most dangerous people in America. Extremist, “light switch” thinking in severe moral absolutes properly defines fascism. It is the Christian equivalent of what the Nazis did in World War II, boil down complex questions of society into simplistic, child-like slogans and prosecute those ideas with religious fervor. The evangelical political movement is also dangerous in that it is inconsistent with the personal example of Jesus Christ. It is a bunch of folk helping God out by enforcing God’s law on their community. Which misses the point, entirely, that we are no longer under the Law but under grace, and our responsibility to God is a personal one: to not sin ourselves and to make disciples of men (and, presumably, women). I might be missing a point, here, but I’ve found no biblical model for the political actions of the religious right in this country, and absolutely no biblical support for voting for bald-faced liars simply because the bald-faced liars claim to be pro-life.
I also find no scriptural support for being a moron, for being led around by your nose and told who to vote for by church elders. For being lemmings, marching in step toward the cliff, pulling levers for conservatives just because that’s what they claim they are. The world is a much bigger, much more complex place than that. God is a much bigger, much more complex God than that. His creation is a much more wonderful and varied mosaic than that. Narrowing your thinking to severe either-ors insults and, in many ways, blasphemes God. To blame God for your having voted twice for the worst president in modern history is simply ludicrous. Ignorance is not a quality of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Changing society at gunpoint—or by legislation—is not what God has asked us to do. He’s asked us to be witnesses for Him. To change the world one disciple at a time.
All the rest of this noise is so far off the mark, I rightfully question the motives and, frankly, the spirituality of those who perpetuate it. Such politicization of The Gospel is an offense to the cross. Lacking a biblical model of Christ Himself, it is, by definition, antichrist. Does that mean we do nothing, that anything goes? No, of course not. It means try the spirit by the Spirit [I John 4:1]. It means examine the whole candidate: his record, his motives, and, yes, how he conducts his campaign. Then, sure, vote for Obama if he’s earned your vote. Vote for McCain if he’s earned your vote. But, if you are marching in the name of Jesus, please stop marching like lemmings.
6 Comments
People, in general, are dualistic thinkers. Black or white, with me or against me, etc. It seems to have been an evolutionary advantage back when most things were either food or trying to make you into their food, but it's not so good anymore.
Anyway, it's not just religious people or conservatives who do it. Pretty much everyone does, some of us are just a little better at recognizing it and trying to add a little nuance.
scrawled by David Van Domelen | September 18, 2008 6:23 AM
Indeed! And they overlook all the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's because he lied us into this war. Aren't they people too?
scrawled by Blaine | September 18, 2008 6:32 AM
Well that thinking pervades much of Western thought you need look no further than the state of most comics, movie tv writing or American fiction in general its still "good vs. evil" with the good guys winning by having a bigger stick noone wins because they are "good" anymore. Heck Wolverine is being marketed to toddlers but the venue of origin is restricted to them how is that not a bit morally screwed. Thank goodness for Uncle Larry because I can dang well assure you the grind house culture can't be bothered with questions like can love redeem a soul shattered terrorist or will a hero leap into the abyss after an enemy and eventually forgive him?
People will turn a blind eye to principles as long as they get what they want wether its Roe V.Wade or flatout dropping the Code Code to compete in other markets. Only in hindsight does any true criticism for abandoning what sustains you for immediate satisfaction come into view.
And isn't there something about giving whats holy to dogs. And politicians are close enough for me.
scrawled by dennis | September 19, 2008 3:06 AM
Do you read Chambers?:
http://natturnersrevenge.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarahs-more-american-than-barack-ask.html
scrawled by Kristopher | September 19, 2008 7:02 AM
Priest, I will take where you are going one step further - it's not just white evangelicals that are scary, I hate to say it, but it is any American who subscribes to organized Christianity, period. I am not talking about faith or of spriituality, but American people who organize to worship Christ. it is sad I have come to this conclusion, but I do not know how else to reconcile this. I have many friends, baptists, catholics(myself, I am a non practicing catholic), lutherans, non demoninational..... Most of them think Obama first and foremost is Muslim - somehting I would gues 90% of republicans truly believe, as if it should matter this was actually broght up by a astor in a baptist church at a mass I went to - and he said it as if it were a FACT - I will have to assume that happens A LOT... Most of them think McCain is a really great guy and still like Bush - to like McCain orthink Bush is doing a good job, I am sorry - yo can throw whatever reasons you want up - but to think that one MUST be brainwashed, there is no other excuse.. All of them think being gay is morally wrong, but none of them have a problem with me being overweight - they have all been taught a sort of dumbed down moral subjectivity that only Americans Christians seem to have. I have been to services with some of them - just to see it and it is like when I was in basic training all over again- total brainwashing technics - and their PAstors would actually talk politics right there in the pulpit. My friends saw nothing wrong with that, because they are right anyways.. Organized Christians in Australia, Eurpoe, Asia, do not have this sort of moral subjectivity
American Christian: Abortion is BAD - Death Penalty GOOD - not so in Eutope; American Christian: Gay Marriage BAD, Adultery - not that bad if you are rich or you feel really bad about it - the only non-adulterous leader of the past 30 years I can thik of is Jimmy Carter and most conservative christians HATE him - but Reagan, Bush, both KNOWN cheaters they love(they hate Clinton, but only because he was a liberal); not so in Europe. This sort of thinking I could go on and on about - some sins, because my preacher told me, are worse than others...and it does not seem to go on in other parts of the world. That said, it has to be because of all the Christian Nations, ours is pretty much the only one where the governement and religion are so closely tied..and it is very sad, because these people are becoming more and more brainwashed and more intellectually dependant every day - becoming exactly like those people they want to eradicate - terrorists. And it is funny because these people cannot see the parrallel from our soldiers to terrorists attacking Americans - they truly do not think American soldiers kill civilians on purpose, they truly think God wants US to win, when in reality, both sides are wrong and no one is really right - we support dictators who do not educate or care for their people so we can make more money, in turn, those uneducated, poor people become manipulated by another organized religion to hate us and kill us...
That probably made no sense, but I feel better. As always, Priest, I love reading what you have to say.
scrawled by Todd Brown | September 21, 2008 11:10 PM
excellent commentaries, Mr. Priest, and the responses as well. What strikes me about conservative American Christian culture is the intellectual dishonesty..(and of course, it's not all 'white folks', but plenty of blacks & others who co-sign in varying degrees).
On the surface anyway, they claim to be about spreading the Gospel and following the model of Christ, but in practice they're mostly being pro-war by default, anti-gun control absolutists, and clamoring for Old Testament retribution on everyone/thing that they feel falls within sinful boundaries.. Even the concept of "social tolerance" is ridiculed and often equated with Pagan-derived philosophy (!?!?!) or they come up with knee-jerk hypotheticals ("should we 'tolerate' child molesters? carjackers? strippers?"); news about violent gay-bashing incidents are often met with shrugs and not outrage..
..in both their public discourse and printed materials, they often portray themselves as persecuted minorities ('christianity is on the verge of being outlawed!').. But, really, except for when the first white settlers came here, when has Christianity been 'in the minority' in the USA? just saying.. :)
..especially in seeing people close to me get involved with Amway and how they're tied in with Christianized hyper-conservatives, it's just.. Well, it's just depressing..
scrawled by christopher currie | October 1, 2008 12:25 PM