Jesus May Be The Answer, But What Was The Question?
This is why the separation of Church and State is still crucial
I’m an atheist, but I’d bet I know more about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ than most American Taliban Christians, who seem more concerned about political power than honoring the principles of their Lord and Savior. They don’t seem particularly interested in the things their Christ taught- love, compassion, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, acceptance, and inclusion. I could go on because it’s a long list, but you get the idea, right? The Jesus Christ these folks claim to revere was all about some very positive values, which they’ve proven incapable of incorporating into their own lives.
In fact, for most of the American Taliban, their view of Jesus Christ seems to be something like this:
Right…accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, or He’ll kick your pathetic ass. Not exactly a great selling point for America’s majority religion, eh?
These folks are so focused on what they hate and fear that they’ve lost sight of what their faith is supposed to be about. They’ve forgotten about (if they ever acknowledged) the love of Jesus Christ that’s the basis of the Gospels.
Man, if that’s the standard, the American Taliban is in SERIOUS trouble, knowhutimean?
They hold prayer breakfasts and gatherings on the National Mall and talk about the need to bring God back into government when the real need is to restore values like faith-based compassion, kindness, and equality. When Christians insist that only Conservative White heterosexuals have a right to claim power, it shows deep-seated arrogance and a pronounced repudiation of their faith.
Some Christians have loudly proclaimed their willingness (nay, eagerness) to turn America into a Gilead-like re-creation of The Handmaid’s Tale. Where justification for that can be found in Scripture is anyone’s guess, but I’m pretty sure there’s none anywhere.
Jesus very clearly told his followers not to elevate themselves over others. To demonstrate the importance of this point, he washed the feet of his disciples. Humility and service were to be fundamental cornerstones of Christianity. And yet those qualities are too often nowhere to be found in those who seek to inject their faith into government, where the Founding Fathers were convinced it doesn’t belong.
You shouldn’t be able to use “sociopath” and “Christian” in the same sentence, and yet I just did without it seeming out of place or hyperbolic.
And few issues allow “Christians” to broadcast their intoxicating self-righteousness like abortion. They bleat righteously about standing up for the unborn and protecting children because it’s the “Christian” thing to do when Jesus said precisely nothing on the subject.
But do prattle on at considerable length about how you’re standing up for Christian values as you yell hateful, ugly slurs at women and girls going into abortion clinics.
It’s what Jesus would do, don’tchaknow?
And, of course, Jesus wanted His followers to be able to protect themselves, which means He was a YUUUGE advocate of the 2nd Amendment…or He would’ve been had he been alive when it was written.
Never mind that the 2nd Amendment represents the most willfully misinterpreted 27 words in the English language. And that Proudly Closed-Minded Gun Control Foes cherry-pick the meaning they choose to see in the 2nd Amendment. They completely ignore the first 13 words while embracing the final 14 as if their lives depend on it.
Christianity is supposed to be a faith tradition based on honesty and affirmation, but the American Taliban’s rabid support for the 2nd Amendment is as dishonest as it is self-serving.
The truth is that guns and Christianity have no connection whatsoever, and tying Jesus Christ to the 2nd Amendment has no basis in truth or Scripture.
When it comes to fundamentalist political parties, it’s far more about political power than religious faith. It’s a smoke screen; camouflage intended to render their purpose more morally acceptable.
It’s about controlling the narrative, dominating the agenda, and forcing others to cave to your will, even if they don’t share your beliefs. If you have to force the issue to convince them to knuckle under, so be it.
The Founding Fathers believed in the separation of Church and State. They wanted to prevent hypocrites like the American Taliban from insinuating themselves into American governance and corrupting our democracy. We’ve managed to hang onto it for 247 years now, and though America has weathered a few challenges, it’s held on pretty well.
What’s been happening since 2016 is enough to make any patriotic American wonder just how resilient our democracy is. Can it hold up…or will we end up looking like Gilead?
Stay tuned, y’all. This battle is just beginning.
WARWJSGW?
(What Assault Rifle Would Jesus Slaughter Gays With?)