I have always maintained that the "new Republicans" that had a 10.000 member convention in DC this week have missed the whole point of what it means to be a "Christian". They all profess to belong to this religious designation, but the definition of this philosophy is "to follow Christ", and the speeches at the convention that were most vigorously applauded were those calling for torture of those who don't agree with their agenda. For the most part they are for torture, against helping the poor, and against regulation of the criminal banking corporations on Wall Street. Jesus threw "the money changers" out of the temple with great anger; the attendees of this convention are against all regulations and all taxation of the modern day version of the "money changers". A blog by Mike Lux on Huffington Post, called them out on this point. He quoted the New Testament on the actual provisions that Jesus Christ had for his followers to observe.
While there has always been a crazy streak in the conservative movement- the John Birch Society founder used to call Dwight Eisenhower a communist agent- the most wild extremists have never taken over the movement lock, stock and barrel before. Today they are thoroughly in control.
Here's what I find so puzzling. Let me throw out some random quotes for you, and you tell me which socialist tract they came from:
"Love mercy, show kindness, and walk humbly with your God"
"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me... in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me"
"He has filled the starving poor with good things, and sent the rich away empty"
"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim a year of favour [when the poor would be forgiven their debts] from the Lord"
Most people will recognize these quotations as being the words of the man the Christian right professes to follow. Lux's take on this point:
"Jesus didn't talk about torturing people, he talked about helping the poor. George Washington forbade the use of torture even in the darkest days of the American Revolution when the British were doing it to our troops. Jesus and Washington seem to be the two people conservatives claim as their greatest heroes. Can you explain this to us, guys? The answer to "What Would Jesus Do" is definitely not torture."
The platform that the Tea Baggers and the CPAC attendees support would be the antithesis to the proclamations of the leader they say they follow. When will the Southern Baptist hierarchy distance themselves from the people who are disgracing their membership? I have singled out the Southern Baptist Convention to demonstrate that the supporters of CPAC tend to identify with this church group and about a dozen others of the most conservative religious groups. These are the members that the "the Party of No" kowtows too. Will the real Republicans please stand up.
2 comments:
Kitty, the people we are discussing are in the middle of a true Margaret Mead-like moment (remember her quote: "A core group, sufficiently motivated, can change the world - indeed; it's the only thing which ever has.")
These are not the people who hold the bake-sale to support Junior Church activities. These people are religious wolverines; they're focused, organized, and (worst of all) armed.
They represent between 12-18% of the American populace. By contrast, however, they comprised 80% of the military (over 90% of the officer-corps), and have a significant presence in the legal system and the judiciary.
This is by design. That they've taken over one of the major political parties should not surprise us.
I'd appreciate your two-cents on my recent article and podcast - I interviewed Michael Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Believe me, this problem is so pervasive that it constitutes a national-security threat - it has become so ingrained in the American fabric (political; judicial; educational; military) that it's hard to believe, unless one is complicit.
Looking forward to your commentary, Kitty. I've a feeling we're both preaching to each other choir here (pardon the pun) - but I'm glad to see someone 'connecting the dots'.
--W
Apparently the Religious Right has yet to figure-out Jesus was a socialist. Sorry for the sarcasm Kitty but it’s all I can muster for these folks. They really are cut from the same cloth as the radical Muslims.
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