A Tale of Two Religions: Real Christianity and Political Christianity
Elections bring out the Pharisees. Political parties and many politicians proclaim their brand of Christianity at a high pitch of righteous declaration. When did we lose complete sight of Matthew, chapter 6? Jesus makes it plain that our charitable deeds should be done in secret, and that we not be like the hypocrites praying on street corners. Pray to your God in a secret place. The Christian religion is complicated. It encourages humility, modesty and forgiveness, and these moral imperatives need work. They do not come easily to us. To adhere to real Christianity is tough; political Christianity is a breeze.
In the Bible, there are conflicting versions of creation, of the birth narrative of Jesus and whether the Sermon on the Mount happened instead on a plain. Jesus, however, was quite clear in the Beatitudes, that aiding the poor and needy, tolerance, ending oppression, love of brother for brother and kindness are the real tenets of his ministry. These teachings are one of the most moving pieces of writing in our lexicon. Remember Jesus overturning the money tables in the temple? We should follow suit with our rampant lending scandals and regulate the scoundrels, not embolden them.
Remember, too, that Jesus was not an ardent fan of the rich man. So how is it that often the political brand of religious piety and fervor coincides with self-interest more than the needs of others or indeed of the Ten Commandments? Bearing false witness is an obvious example. None of us is above reproach, but most of us know it and judge just a bit less, in order that we be not judged. Candidates for office, on the other hand, fulminate falsifications against their opponents with regularity. Piety and politics are magnetic poles.
When you hear Governor Palin talk about killing great numbers of caribou for sport or shooting wolves and bears (part of God's creation, too) from the air, causing great suffering to the animals, does that sound like Christian behavior? Or just dancing around the golden calf before Moses laid down the law? Cruelty was never the intent of Jesus. Is the excuse here the Biblical "dominion" that God gives man? Hold it. Here comes the hitch. Dominion is not the same as demolition. It is not a license to kill. The true concept is one of increasing bounty and abundance through acts of responsibility, stewardship and husbandry. We are enjoined to take only what we need and not be greedy. Remember those annoying seven deadly sins?
We are at a tipping point in our beautiful country on many different horizons. Claims of religious intent (God told me to) should be viewed with alarm. Wars should be the last resort, not play time for so-called experienced officials. "Yee-Haw," as the bumper sticker says, "is not a foreign policy." Evolution is part of science, and science is at the heart of understanding our universe, ourselves, and the very essence of life and death. If you are a believer in real Christian theology, this is all part of God's plan. We are expected to use our minds and hearts to our utmost abilities.
Historically, God sends us tests. Global warming is clearly a big one. Drilling for more oil sounds great, right? Lower those prices and we are easy riders again. But here is another hitch. More oil increases carbon emissions into the air. Those emissions increase heat levels on earth. Then our world goes topsy-turvy. Those who do not believe man is a proximate cause of climate change are in denial. Governor Palin, like Cleopatra, is the Queen of de Nile. The Bush administration, in the giant shadow of the oil companies, has failed to move us ahead into renewable energy sources and conservation. We can convert to new sources with leadership that understands the choice given us between despoiling the earth and sustaining and enriching it.
As voters we should beware bellicose taunts and sarcasm. Those taunts are a cover for going backwards. Much safer guidelines to listen for and to trust are intelligent, level- headed, and mentally agile proposals and approaches to our problems. . McCain is too old for agility anymore and the Palin choice speaks to his judgment and sincerity. We need wisdom in our places of power, not "Yee-Haw" and "lock and load."
All cultures including our own Judeo-Christian traditions have petitioned and sacrificed to God for good harvest and protection from the elements. In our prayers, many of us still do. And in those prayers, we should ask for wisdom, acumen and kindness. We should all pray quietly in our secret places for enlightenment. These are perilous times and this is a test we had better get right. Let us listen to T.S.Eliot in the Four Quartets:
"Do not let me hear of the wisdom of old men..........or of belonging to God. The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility: humility is endless."
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Historicly, God has never told anyone about tests and has never, to the best of my knowledge discussed the matter with any credible human being, though a number have claimed to have a telephone connection to God's place in the cosmos.
There are those who claim to have their own personal connection to the Creator of the cosmos, though their personal conversations with the creator should be, I would imagine held in strictest confidentuality
with their creator.
Earth has a population of more than 6 billion human beings and a vast number of other living creatures
who very well may also have their connections to the creator.
All communications with God are subjective and personal and directed and ment only for that one creature God is at that moment in time communicating with.
And being such is meaningless to all others. Such conversations are so immense, think of it, talking with the creator of the vast cosmos, I cannot imagine why anyone would want tell others.
John McCain has moved beyond any claim to either decency or patriotism.
Dear Sarah and John:
God doesn't like liars.
But He does extend grace to those willing to invite Jesus into their lives.
I'm sorry I couldn't finish it. I got to the Beatitudes and had to give up. No where does Jesus say that they should petition Pilate to take from the rich and give to the poor. His teachings were for us as individuals dear liberals. The whole liberal premise that forcing charity at the point of a gun is morally superior is silly.
Thank you.
I wonder sometimes if they realize how often they turn people away from faith by their actions. A Christian tries to walk for Christ. I don't think Jesus would like the road they take. They might as well put up roadblocks between people and God.
One of the things I admire about Obama. He seems to try very hard to do what people call "take the high road". The very act of doing so is an application of real Christian teachings.
No true Christian lies, manipulates, cheats, especially on the level of McCain/Palin. These two are not Christians in any sense of the word. If Palin thinks God is going to take her in the Rapture she is in for a surprise. Not my God.. and I am a Christian.
If the church is overlooking obvious repeated non-Christian behavior in a ticket, and yet are standing firm in promoting them based on the use of buzzwords that are code for 'It's Us Against Them", demographic exclusivity, etc., then they have evolved from being a church to being an exclusive social bloc that is a pawn. How gullible!
For many "true believers", Jesus has become the Golden Calf. But don't let them know it!!
Bin Laden claims to know God's will too.
Actually, American Christianity as a whole is a breeze, luckily for the rest of us. You get to thump the Bible as the infallible word of god, yet cherry-pick only the comfortable parts of it. For example, we tout the ten commandments and want to chisel them into the walls of our courthouses, but we completely ignore all the other stuff written in the same books by presumably the same inspired author, because the penalty for violating any of those commandments is clearly spelled out. Where in the Bible is the barbarism of the Old Testament made obsolete? (nowhere).
There is no way to effectively square religion, any religion, with politics. The squarer you get, the more we begin to resemble Saudi Arabia or Iran. Do we want a 21st century society with a 14th century mentality? Look no further than the middle east to see how well that works.
Well put! But, I hope you do not place all Christians in America in one basket! American Christianity?
Literalism is the difference between fanaticism and enlightenment.
The article is unfortunately flawed. "Real" Christianity and "Political" Christianity are now virtually one and the same. "Real" Christians (Jimmy Carter, Jim Wallis, Marcus Borg etc.) pale in numbers to the "Political" Christians. IOW "political" christianity has gone mainstream. This is by far the #1reason why McGelding/Jesus Freak Hockey Mom is polling so well. Once a person immerses themselves in this noxious christian world of Jesus and hate politics, the chances of pulling out of it are as unlikely as a crystal meth addict kicking the habit. Or, put differently, you can lead a christian to the facts but you can't make him think.
No, they are only presented as one and the same. There are Christians all over this country who are practicing their religion quietly, not thumping their chests in public. Perhaps they don't make enough noise and attract a lot of attention, but they are steadfastly and caringly doing their best to live out the message of Christ to love God supremely and then love their neighbors.
Being politically Christian is easy, popular and thoughtless. Being Christlike is an entirely different matter. There really is no comparison between the two.
Jesus wept.
Jesus also said something along the lines of, "Whatever you do to the least of me, you also do to me," and instructed us to treat prisoners humanely. Somehow, the religious right is willing to overlook this when it comes to, for example, torturing prisoners in Gitmo.
It is ridiculous that the party that, for the past eight years, has brought us corruption scandals, a war based on false pretenses, human rights abuses, and too many lies to count can, with a straight face, claim to be the "values" party.
To often people are sucked into platitudes and bumpersticker sloagans offered by charismatic personalities, without using their own brains to educate themselves about realities and facts.
Not all "Christian" religions are alike, anymore then all "fruit" looks like apples.
Here are some facts. Be educated.
http://www
Most politicians are ambitious, narcissistic and will be asked to compromise their values at some time in Office; I'm a christian in progress and am having a total turnaround in my political beliefs. The democratic convention was so inspiring, gave hope for a future, B. Obama behaves wisely, kindly, is a gentleman, has the qualifications, intelligence. On the other side, the Rep. convention seemed stale, cold, indifferent, and snarky. I love the beautitudes and found them displayed in the Obama/Biden team. It's all about actions, not words.
Hear, hear! That was my impression too. It's time for real Christians to
speak up ..........
Your understanding of Christianity is terrifically flawed! So is everyone else's, mine included. However, Christ invoked all to take care of their brethren, for the sake of their souls. As a government has no soul, and taking our money to pay the lazy, shiftless, and incompetent is in itself evil, I presume you don't put any study into your Christianity. Jesus may not have been an "ardent" fan of the rich, but neither was he an enemy of the rich. Read your Scripture again. He merely meant that the rich have more distractions that can keep them from reaching Heaven, not that the rich cannot get there.
I presume you are anti-abortion, since you deem yourself so well versed? Or are you a Pelosi-type Christian, who says the Catholic Church is unsure of when a baby is a person? You do know that the Church hierarchy is calling her out on this, right?
Semper fi
I don't think Jesus would agree with your denigration of another of his followers. The government "taking [your] money to pay the lazy, shiftless, and incompetent" shows your hatred, insecurity and your absolute lack of Christian understand
Hey, Skeeter-- Where in the Bible does Jesus (or anyone else?) even mention abortion? "Your understanding of Christianity is terrifically flawed!"
BLAH BLAH BLAH
LEGISLATE YOUR UNIT BEFORE YOU TRY AND LEGISLATE MINE.
SEEMS YOU'RE NOT SURE THAT WOMEN ARE PEOPLE FIRST
Jesus asked the rich man to give up all his wealth before he could enter the kingdom of heaven, and the man couldn't, and walked away.
If the Bible is literally true, sounds like only the Bhuddist monks have the right idea.
Study up more on monasticism!
You must have one of those fundamentalist bibles that stops at Leviticus and picks up again at Revelation.
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