The Christian Right

Today I find myself exiled by choice from that group of people who deem themselves Christians. I came to a realization of that when I read an article today on theamericanview.com titled Rush Limbaugh A Modern “Mr. Worldly Wiseman” And Bush/GOP Cheerleader On Murderous Iraq War by John Lofton. I saw at the top of the page God * Family * Republic and Psalm 127:1 "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." I immediatly suspected the article of a Far Right bias or at least a out-of-touch Christian view. However, upon reading I found that, though the author might have some of those Christian views, the article was sound and reasonable. But I have found that it is a closer walk with The Lord Our God to be segregated from the modern Christian Church.

I recoiled in surprise. A Christian group that speaks reason! Quite unheard of. I must have thought myself the only reasonable Christian on the planet I suppose. But in actuality I believed that the overwhelming majority of Christians were just weak and did not have the stamina to maintain intellectual views of such things as national policy and ethics. An example for support of this belief I find from my Grandmother who said many a time when I was haranguing her with my voracious appetite for devouring the actions of the U.S. Government domestically and abroad: " We have a limited quota of worry!"

Her point was that she has houses to build, renters to collect from, a grown daughter to take care of, and myself, and she did not want to add to this list issues of foreign and domestic policy. I saw this attitude present in many members of my family who did not have the stamina to take up the flag and defend it from those who would trample it. Of course that is but a metaphor, they did not realize that it was being trampled and in fact they probably elected some of those who were doing the trampling. However, their lack of stamina is in relation to their ability to think intellectually. All of them are well educated to some extent. My mother graduated from Mercer University summa cum laude, and yet she reverted to a certain ignorance of world politics when she began dating her current husband. They, like many Christians, did not maintain the stamina to keep an open mind and think intellectually about issues around them.

And so over the years I began to develop a burning hatred in my heart for the far right. I myself probably hold some views that are in line with the conservative movement but I do not agree with the Christian Right's actions over the past few decades. They have a overwhelming wish to instill their religious beliefs in national policy. Their support base is made up of a group of people who cannot think for themselves in many cases or simply do not have much capacity for the action at all. The Christian Conservative Movement does not have the right to instill their religious views in the governing of this nation. They do not have the right to dictate to those who believe something other than they do as to what to believe. And yet they have made instatiable efforts to do these things.

I attended, for most of my childhood, a relatively large church in Warner Robins, GA. Central Baptist Church was the church my family attended since my grandparents moved to Warner Robins in the mid-70s. And it was at Central Baptist Church that my hatred for the conservative movement grew. They practiced a certain type of Christianity which at times I do not believe to be Christianity at all. The pastor: Owen Boseman, like the congregation and most of the nation, got caught up in the lunacy of the first Bush term. He talked about the coming war in Iraq and asked the question was Saddam Hussein the great evil which the Bible spoke of at the end times. He spoke of war but I don't think he knew what it entailed.

When you brake down the word Christianity you find that its root is Christ. Those who are Christians are followers of Christ. Can you call Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Jerry Falwell, or even Owen Boseman followers of Christ. I say you cannot. It is a path open to them, certainly. But the path of Christ is not one of ignorance, bigotry, or lack of stamina. The path of Christ certainly is not the path for warmongers. And yet how many claim to be on that path who fit into one of those categories.

The problem is simple. The Christian Right wants to pursue their conservative goals and in a self righteous way they justify their actions with the Bible. They do the work of the Devil in disguise. Indeed they quote the scripture as the best of men and yet it is their intentions that define them. Those who call for assassination like Pat Robertson, those who pray for rain at the Democratic National Convention such as Stuard Shepard of Focus on The Family, those who say that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment of America for harboring the gays, pagans, etc.. such as John Hagee. They call themselves Christians. And yet their path is not His path.

Those who know the word of Christ best should know what is beyond the word. Beyond the word their is the attitude and mindset which is that of Christ. To take His word and apply it best you can to your actions is the path of Christ. But they do not do so. They spew forth from their pulpits ignorance and bigotry. And they package it all in a five-point sermon that Grandma Judy and the whole gang can take notes on. Because they don't have the stamina to think for themselves and they only have a "limited quota of worry." Did Jesus have a limited quota of worry? I think not.

For that is the path of destruction, murder, and sin. Their's is the path towards our demise and the downfall of America. And they will be called saviors of man whilst they lead this nation to world destruction and draconian times.