Jesus Was a Liberal and God is a Progressive

Mission accomplished: the War on Christmas is over -- for this year at least. It was a tough battle, with some of us foolishly wishing unknown strangers 'Happy Holidays' just in case they were Jewish, Muslim or otherwise. But thankfully, the suppressed voices of Christians throughout America finally got the opportunity to drown out all reason in this regard.

With the war over now, it's no doubt the tinsel and Christmas bulbs are starting to be packed up, and department store gift exchange lines are hellishly long. After all, it just wouldn't be a proper celebration of Christ's birth without the brand name red-and-green storage bins and wrapping paper organizers -- not to mention the many, many gift receipts.

But let's not let the season pass without taking an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Two thousand years ago, a single life was lived so extraordinarily well that millions of people dedicate themselves to a religion formed around it still today.

Having grown up in a fundamentalist evangelical family, I could've never predicted the absolute triumph not only over Christmas, but all the wonderful things the politically religious have accomplished recently. Even our born-again Christian president has family values inherently flowing through his bloodstream. Seriously, just raise a question about his administration's motives, and you'll uncover a moral character so infallible that mere mention of disagreement instantly transforms you into an unpatriotic Satan-worshipper. Praise the Lord.

I'm sure when Jesus taught His followers to "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's," He didn't mean the separation of church and state. In fact, all those years spent in Sunday school made it pretty clear to me that Jesus was a huge fan of the way the Pharisees and Sadducees oppressively ruled over politics through their interpretation of religious doctrines.

And it's rather inspirational to think back to the many Gospel stories of the sick and dying asking Jesus to heal them. But the Son of God, in all His compassion, explained that without private medical insurance coverage, there was nothing He could do for them. It just wouldn't have been fair to the wealthy, or good for the economy.

And speaking of the economy, Jesus, of course, repeatedly taught His disciples that if they could just come up with a million-shekel idea, they wouldn't have to mooch off the kindness of others anymore. He wasn't really much into sharing. "God only helps those who help themselves," He said. Well, okay, maybe He didn't say that. But I'm sure He meant to. It's just a fluke that's not in the Bible.

The many stories about Him treating women as equals were probably a fluke, too -- a mistake made by the patriarchs who canonized the Bible. They must've just missed those stories when cutting out a bunch of other stuff that categorized women as people too.

Okay, I fully realize this article may ensure my eternal damnation, or at least with my mother if she ever reads it. But, I can't help but notice that many of those who call themselves Christians -- and speak for the masses today -- in no way resemble their namesake.

As a matter of fact, when compared to conservatives today, Jesus was a liberal and God is a progressive.

Kim Mance is a writer and women's advocate, she just launched a new blog in anticipation of her book "Religiarchy."

Comments

[JimReed]

"Jesus was a liberal and God is a progressive."

Kim, that is my prayer.

God, we know you are a progressive god, and your servant Jesus was a liberal. Help us understand the global horrors we have unleashed through our conservative fundamentalism.

[1observer]

Thank you for your commentary, Ms. Mance. I look forward to your "Religiarchy" book.

Jesus the liberal stands in stark contrast to modern, faux liberals. He taught that we must love our neighbors as ourselves and love our enemies as well. This is the moral basis for everyone having a stake in the governance of the community. Liberals today, who reflexively heap derision and insult on one man, one party, one nation, and one religion, fail to extend that basic decency towards others. They childishly trample the spiritual seedbed in which liberal democracy is itself planted.

Moreover, modern liberals routinely reject Jesus even though he is allied with them against those who grasp for secular power by their show of public religiosity. Jesus taught resistance to concentrated moral authority, vocally and physically refuting theocratic hypocrisy " the central government in his time. Modern liberals, while aware of the resurrection of this hypocrisy in our time, mindlessly reject the planet"s original architect of resistance to it. How amazingly misguided!

Jesus was indeed a liberal. The social reactionaries who today grace themselves with the label most certainly are not.

And as for God being a progressive: That, too, is correct. He is the original artist.

1observer

[Nanotyrnns]

I've seen here that Jesus was this and Jesus was that. So I'll throw in my Two Jesus Cents.

Jesus was a nice guy that said some nice things and got nailed to a cross for it. His followers have been punishing the rest of us for his crucifixion ever since.

He was a fine fella, but he died 2000 years ago. We can't find anyone around here now that's just as nice and says such nice things?

[avergejoe]

It is important to distinguish between the two groups of Christians. The old testament (evangelical) Christians, whose primary focus is isreal; and the New Testament Christians whose primary focus is trying to live as Christ taught.

Way back when the second group had influence, there were Consumer Protection Laws, affordable - almost universal health care, 'Loan Shark' laws, vigorous discussion of the wars, price gouging laws, etc.

But now...

[UltraClassic]

Reminds me of an incident I witnessed a couple of weeks ago. A friend of mine's pregnant daughter was invited to a Christmas pagent at a fundie church. She is 17 and in a bad way over numerous issues and many of us are attempting to encourage her to straighten up her life. She's a smart kid who has made some real dumb decisions in her young life.

Long story short, a couple of the church's high and mighty daughters confronted this young girl and called her a slut amoung other things. That was so uncalled for and so unchrist like but so very much in keeping with the intollerent and repressive attitudes of the religious right.

Was not Mary an unwed mother?

[MissingAmerica]

I watched a documentary last night on "Jesus Camp" and it scared the stuffings out of me! "Nightmare on Elm Street" was at least fiction!

We are one with God and all that exists, and Jesus knew it and tried to show us the way. "The Kingdom is within." And that doesn't mean within geological borders or ivory temples.

Jesus tried to show us the way to peace and happiness, and his way was not violent. Every anniversary should remind us of that connection with our Creator.

The religious influence in government has us moving backwards into a sectarian society. We are moving away from the very foundation of this country, the tolerance that made us great! That is not progression, that is stupidity, and that is turning us into those we call our enemies.

What do we do now? Is this blamed on God or Jesus? That's easy, "All good is from God, all evil is from man." It's time to stop brainwashing our children to turn them into God's weapons, and start teaching them to think for themselves. Buddha did it, Jesus did it, Ghandi did it -- we can do it, too, if we stop publicizing God and learn to listen to Him!

[mydogshakespeare]

kells1001 wrote: "When it comes to religion Conservative politicians are good at preaching one thing and doing another."

Your remarks apply equally well to virtually everyone, politicians or no. Ask anyone who does work on the Sabbath. And the penalty for such sacrilege?? Death by stoning! How often does *that* happen?

And of course, these are but two examples of many. No reason to lay Biblical Hypocrisy upon only "conservative politicians".

[derik]

In my opinion, the bible is a military handbook for battle. If one took out the magical stuff (including some mythical god), then that is all it is.

[dori]

Ms Mance, thank you! You have said what needs to be said and I do hope people will pay attention.

I know this is not the god neocons believe in, but it sums up the beliefs of people who know better than to follow neocons backward philosophies.

Jesus would approve.

[1will]

Other than spelling, what is the difference between a Liberal and a Progressive?
Isn't really just a bunch of Liberals running from the title?

[LeftRight]

Jesus wasn't a liberal. Jesus was a radical bleeding heart liberal the likes of which we've never since seen.

[usna73]

Great blog. You can be secure that Christians don't have a lock on messing up. As a "lapsed" Jew, I am equally ashamed of the total hypocrisy. I suspect religion comes under the modern day remorse: "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Keep up the stimulating sarcasm!

[Lisette]

Dear Kim,
I don't know what to make of your article. But I do know that our Founding Fathers advocated separation of Church and State. And the Freedom not to have any religion. This Christian stuff is very divisive and dangerous to our Country. Just like Nazi Germany. There they hated the Jews, here, we hate the Muslims. We were better off [and nicer people]before all these Christians got involved in politics.

[Bateman]

Jesus saves, Moses invests.

Actually, Jesus invests too. Consider the Parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-30.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Talents

"The parable tells of a master who was leaving his home to travel, and before going gave his three servants different amounts of money. ... The first servant reported that he was given five talents, and he had made five talents more. The master praised the servant as being good and faithful, gave him more responsibility because of his faithfulness, and invited the servant to be joyful together with him.

The second servant said that he had received two talents, and he had made two talents more. ...

The last servant who had received one talent reported that ... he buried his talent in the ground for safekeeping, and therefore returned the original amount to his master. The master called him a wicked and lazy servant, saying that he should have placed the money in the bank to generate interest. The master commanded that the one talent be taken away from that servant, and given to the servant with ten talents, because everyone that has much will be given more, and whoever that has a little, even the little that he has will be taken away. And the master ordered the servant to be thrown outside into the darkness where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth.""

Jesus the financial advisor.

I know, everyone is going to argue that it's all supposed to be metaphorical and it's not really about investing money at all. Or at least it sounds nicer if it's interpreted as a metaphor.

Then there is a matter of that warlike theocratic guy who shows up at the Apocalypse to destroy the unbelievers. What's that guy's name again? That's right, Jesus Christ.

Not a problem if you - like me - don't believe in God nor the divinity of Jesus. However, it is a problem if you insist on Jesus being a liberal hippy.

[Merlin7]

Nice sarcasm, but contrasting one religious view over another merely gives them both way too much credit. You might as well speculate about how a unicorn got its horn, where a leprechaun sleeps or if the Flying Spaghetti Monster agrees with Huckabee on tax policy.

One profound truth seems to escape most people's attention: All religion is equally false. Catholicism is no different than Judaism or Hinduism or Islam or any other. You can't build good philosophy out of fantasies, and that's what religions are.

Humans must move beyond religion -- all religions -- or eventually be destroyed by our unending conflict.