Where Is the Right Wing's Christian Forgiveness When It Comes to Ted Kennedy?
Apparently, many on the political right are without sin, because they wasted no time after Senator Ted Kennedy's death to start casting as many stones as possible.
Right wingers so often focus on religion or morals as the basis for their politics. That's part of what drives the anti-Roe v. Wade movement, though, interestingly, not the right's support for the death penalty. As I watched the coverage of Ted Kennedy's death, and listened to and read accounts that dripped with unbridled contempt, I had to wonder where the right's so-called Christian values were for an American who accomplished much and whose family was grieving. And, more specifically, how could those on the right who have sinned just as much as they accuse Ted Kennedy of, have the gall to make things harder for those who are suffering the loss of the patriarch of their family?
Granted, Ted Kennedy did a lot of things in his life that wouldn't earn him any medals. But why is it that those who hate the left find it acceptable to trash a political icon in the days after his death? Whether you agreed with his politics or not, can't most of us admit that the late Senator Kennedy did accomplish good things for the country? If Orrin Hatch can acknowledge that, then it ought to be easy for others, as well.
I always thought that one of the main components of religion was forgiveness. Is that a lesson that Kennedy's right-wing critics missed out on? In the hours after Kennedy's death, I was shocked to see that Twitter was a-tweet with critiques of Kennedy's personal life, including messages that bashed him for missing Senate votes in the last year of his life while he was fighting brain cancer.
Seems to me that a terminal brain tumor buys you a little slack on that one.
I'm not saying that Ted Kennedy's personal failings are things that we can or should forget -- some of them were so big they've become part of our collective Kennedy family knowledge, even for those who weren't old enough to remember when they happened. It's too much to expect any person to be perfect. Yet, that seems to be exactly the drum beat that some right wing conservatives want us to hear as we remember Ted Kennedy -- that his accomplishments should be given short shrift because he was significantly less than a perfect man.
No sin is a good one; we've all sinned. But I'd rather have a person in the Senate who sinned on his personal time than on the country's time. When it comes to righteousness, I'd rather that someone be concerned about not putting Americans into harm's way for no good reason than with who they are spending their time with after hours.
I'm not a particularly religious person, but if there is a God, I wouldn't want to be one of those on the right who are making Ted Kennedy out to have been the worst man on the planet and who did nothing to contribute to the greater good. Because if there is a God, they're going to have a lot of explaining to do for their own actions when they meet their maker.
I'm glad I don't have to worry about whether those on the conservative right will be the final arbiters of who is forgiven on this earth. And if I were them, I'd be throwing a few less stones at other people's glass houses. They've got plenty of their own who have fallen short of their picture of moral perfection.
Joanne Bamberger writes about politics at her blog, PunditMom, as well as at BlogHer, where she is a Contributing Editor for News & Politics, MOMocrats and MomsRising. Her book about the increasing involvement of mothers in politics, Mothers of Intention, will be published by Bright Sky Press in the Fall of 2010.
Follow Joanne Bamberger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PunditMom
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In the USA today, the term "Christian", especially when used to describe oneself, often implies a familiarity with soundbites taken from the book of Leviticus rather than any understanding of the Gospels.
The Old Testament told you what you ought to be and showed you your shortcomings. The New show you how to repent and change your ways and by Grace to be forgiven.
Why does anyone think these people are Christians? They more resemble the high priests of the temple with their hands out for money and power. The devil has taken them over so it is best to just pray to God that they will repent before they burn in Hell.
If Jesus were alive today, he'd be challenging many of these self-righteous right wing evangelical Christians who are being so judgmental. They are today's equivalent of the Pharisees and give true Christianity, a faith of love and grace, a very bad name.
Let me see there's Larry Craig, Vitter, Gingrich, Ensign - help me out here, I'm getting tired.
I know there's about 10 more in the last 2 years.
"I always thought that one of the main components of religion was forgiveness."
It is, that is why I left the church. The church teaches forgiveness, but it doesn't practice it. The hypocrisy from the religious zealots in this country is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
I will forgive these people for their transgressions, but I will not sit with them again.
The lead editorial in the Boston Globe began:
"Ted Kennedy was not a great man." And proceeded to recount in honest, not glowing terms, the varied successes and failures of the Senator, personal and professional.
It is in GOOD faith that the history was recalled. You would do well to consider that not all recollection is bad history or bad faith.
Forgiveness is at the core of the Christian religion.
Time and time again, the right-wingers have called themselves Christians, they love laying claim to this. Yet come Ted Kennedy's death, there were many that were absolutely void of forgiveness.
Laura Ingraham immediatley pointed out on the O'Reilly Factor that he took a pro-choice stance.
Sean Hannity referred to the Mary Jo occurence the night of his passing, but then said he would not go any further for respect for his family.
Huckabee came out with some tripe as well.
Regardless of being a Christian or not, I just think out of basic manners and respect when someone has died like that, Republican or Democrat, just shut up and save your criticism for a while.
Furthermore, if these people are saying that are Christians, they certainly are not behaving like them.
There was certainly KNOWN evident on Fox for some (I did not see any other) Pundits. It's ridiculous and yet another contradiction.
"I am a Christian. I am a Christian." -Yeah, well start bloody acting like one.
Huckabee is acting like a modern equivalent of a Pharisee. It's very disappointing to see him become so small-minded and Fox news-like.
Just Like Tom DeLay always declared he was a believer in Jesus Christ and thought that covered how crooked he continued to be. That is not forgiven. He has not changed.
First, I'm not a Republican, I'm a Libertarian... so don't call me a Repug for saying this...in any case:
I'll forgive Kennedy if you forgive Bush.
Well, Sen. Kennedy's failings never harmed your life in the slightest. On the other hand, Pres. Bush's failings have nigh-on devastated mine. If I live long enough to recover, and he lives long enough to repent, I may forgive him. You have nothing to forgive Sen. Kennedy for. Hence, the scales are not balanced.
Not in this lifetime.
When will Bush redeem himself? When will he ask for forgiveness?
Li'l george never did anything wrong in his own mind. So why would he need forgiveness?
GOP Rule #3: Only Republicans are worthy of redemption or forgiveness.
Sanford is a case in point.
"Where is the Right Wing's Christian forgiveness when It comes to Ted Kennedy?"
It's where its patriotism was when most of its current leaders chose never to serve in uniform, where its intellect was when its leading talk show hosts dropped out of college and abused drugs, where its common sense was when it cut taxes in time of war, and where the proud past of the Republican Party has been ever since Nelson Rockefeller, Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley, Jr., left the scene and uncontolled personal greed became its only platform, repeated lies and blind rage became its only armor and the ignorant, gullible and bigoted became its principal followers.
Those in its ranks might find their way back to reality, decency and public service by the path of forgiving Edward Moore Kennedy and emulating what he ultimately accomplished for others. That path doesn't appear to be very crowded with Righties just now, but those who do take it can thereby rejoin the Great Experiment. If they do, they'll certainly receive a welcome. In time, they may even experience forgiveness.
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Fanned and Faved!
Most don't understand forgiveness or grace. Forgiveness means you can be forgiven. Have you ever noticed that a sin that was committed in the Old Testament is not mentioned in the New Testament, It is because it is forgiven. Grace through Jesus was a gift not something earned or worked for. Through the Grace of God, you through belief in Jesus. You can receive the gift. You have to ask for forgiveness. Sin is when you do anything you know is not right against God or someone else. To God one sin is not greater than another. Though some will tell you that is not right. God says it is and I'll go for his answer. Especially as Jesus said Go and sin no more.
"I always thought that one of the main components of religion was forgiveness."
Not so much. A god who will put you in a lake of fire *for eternity* for any of a list of minor transgressions hardly sounds just and forgiving.
Really, there's lots of talk about forgiveness, but a) read the bible - you'll see that's not true b) look at the behavior of the followers.
If we are to believe the bible, The Christian god is jealous and vengeful, just like it says.
eh not so much.
THe point of the new testament was summed up in one Jesus qoute: "Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
There's really nothing jealous and vengeful in the new testament. Jesus's last words while bleeding out were "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do."
I'm more agnostic than Catholic, but I still believe, and I'm well read on the subject, whereas you are not.
You are right. Jesus said that the 10 Commandments (The LAWs)were covered by Love. He showed Love to those that the JEWS same as REPUBs rebuked as being nonredeemable because of some sin. Those people don't know what love for one another pertains to. The only see themselves to be so Christain like a Pharisees (legalistic and separatistic group who strictly kept the law of Moses though hypocritically and had no sin in them) that they would pray and thank God that they were not like the others. Jesus saw them as empty vessels.
The burning of unbelievers during the Inquisition was based on the words of Jesus: "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6)
Or: "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27. In a parable, but spoken of favorably.)
I'm a Democrat, lived in Boston at the time of Mary Jo's death. Kennedy should have been investigated, instead the incident was swept under the table, payoffs and paybacks. If you were driving the car where do you think you would have ended up? Be honest, it certainly wouldn't have been in the Senate for all those years.
And you know all this because????
good call
I suspect that if I had accidentally caused someone's death in a car accident, most everyone would have forgotten about it rather quickly . . In any event, the normal human reaction is to sympathize with the survivor of an accident and not to pretend that you are God and are somehow entitled to sit in judgment . . .
A brother-in-law of mine accidentally killed his fiancée in a car accident, and her parents and sisters became his second family. They forgave him, and more - because it was the charitable and human thing to do. It was just about thirty years ago this month, and he and that family remain close and tight. Some people don't have poison running through their veins.
Right before the election my brother-in-law announced to my family. at a reunion of sorts, "the trouble with this country is the gays and Mexicans, and we don't need a black man in the White House"!
I confronted his obviously bigoted assertions by asking him when had ANY Mexican or gay person EVER hurt him or his family? He responded with "well, I can see where YOU stand with the Lord"!
If you dare... venture over to the Sean Hannity website forum "Washington Politics". Some of the most vile, bigoted and hate-filled posts there are often ended by the posters with Bible verses!!!
It appears now that conservative Christian churches are actually siding with right wing lies and urging their congregations to help fight to defeat health care reform!
Forgiveness????? It is THEY who should be seeking forgiveness!!!
quit spouting virtiol on a specific group, in and of itself its bigotted to do. There are plenty of Democrats who are racists, and there are plenty of Right Wing truths as well as Left Wing lies.
Take every comment for what it is, an individuals opinion... your brother-in-law is a bigot, his preacher may be a bigot, but because I'm remotely Christian, right-leaning and against the current healthcare bill (but not real reform) does not make me a bigot or evil... get over yourself.
"Where Is the Right Wing's Christian Forgiveness When It Comes to [Anyone Who Is Not a Right Winger]?"
In the garbage where they've tossed it right along side
Love thy neighbor...
Thou shalt not commit adultery...
Take care of the poor...
Thou shalt not patronize airport men's rooms or brothels....
Feed the hungry...
Thou shalt not cheat on your wife with an employee.....while her husband works for you....and hire her teenaged son as a "consultant"....and fire them all when the affair ends...and twist your parents arms to "gift" them almost 100K.
i guess JESUS got lost on the way to the church house they became BLIND to the TRUTH
Have you forgiven Bushie yet?
sorry Marv, it works both ways
When I start seeing Bush do something to balance out the harm he's done, I'll be more than happy to!
The next time a right-wing Christian goes into attack mode over Teddy Kennedy, please remind them of King David.
Adulterer. Murderer. Suffered the consequences, yet still called "a man after God's own heart." In the geneological lineage of Jesus Christ (so is Rahab, a prostitute).
So King David was like Bill Clinton?
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