When American Christians decide that compassion is optional, humanity loses

Christianity and the 2nd Amendment have nothing to do with each other

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

• Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:28-30

And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

• President Barack Obama (impolitic, but spot-on)

I may be an atheist, but I grew up going to Sunday School, so while it’s been quite some time since I set foot in a church for anything but a wedding or a funeral, I have a pretty good idea of what the teachings of Jesus Christ are about. And I have to be honest; what I see around me today from those who call themselves “Christians” is embarrassing. Most of these folks are as much about the teachings of Jesus Christ as I am a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

This is especially true regarding what Christ taught about compassion, love, acceptance, understanding, and tolerance. These are all things that Christ expected of His followers. Yet many of today’s “Christians” are intolerant, judgmental, exclusionary, and incapable of understanding, much less accepting, those who are different.

They reject transgender people, as they do the LGBTQ community in general. They treat women as property. And they refuse to accept that democracy means the fair exchange of ideas, not the quashing of ideas they don’t like and the effort to remake government in their own image.

Instead of reviling those who seek to come to America in search of opportunity and a better life, a faithful Christian would try to determine the root causes of the poverty and suffering that drive them from their homes to our border. Then, once they understand their circumstances, they’d endeavor to do what they could to meet them where they live.

Instead, today’s “Christians” condemn the poor and downtrodden who flee poverty, war, and political instability in search of security and financial stability for their families. Those aren’t unreasonable things to hope for. All of us want to be able to live and support our families in circumstances free from violence and repression. As Americans, we are fortunate enough to do that (if you ignore the daily mass shootings).

But there are millions of people all over the world who aren’t nearly so fortunate, who see America as a beacon of freedom and stability. When they think of America, they see a place where it’s still possible to chase dreams, get an education, and live free of repression.

Being an America doesn’t mean being able to shut the door and say “F**k you!!” to the rest of the world. It doesn’t mean that because we’re members of the Lucky Sperm Club, we get to ignore what’s happening outside our borders and lock out those who don’t look like White Conservative Christian heterosexuals.

Too many in this country (and too many “Christians”) live lives dominated by hatred and fear. Hatred of those not like themselves. Fear of “The Other.” Hatred of those who don’t look, live, love, think, and/or believe as they do. Fear that compassion and tolerance will make America weak and prone to being overrun by “undesirables.”

By living as they do, what they lose sight of is that THEY have become the “undesirables.”

Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace that White Conservative Christian heterosexual patriots claim to revere and worship, never rejected those down on their luck. He never blamed the poor for their circumstances, never told them that if only they “worked harder” or “stopped being so lazy,” they might not be so down and out.

Then there’s the “spiritual connection” between the 2nd Amendment and the American Taliban, which is wholly inappropriate and unrelated to anything Jesus Christ taught His followers. Nothing in Scripture makes any connection between the 2nd Amendment and Christianity.

Right-wing pinheads and American Taliban zealots like “Pastor” Steve Camp can attempt to make that connection all they want, but the “2A” has no spiritual underpinning. It’s neither Divinely-inspired nor -bestowed upon Americans. That’s a convenient association American Taliban “Christians” have chosen to make because they believe it gives their cause a veneer of holiness and godliness.

As I said earlier, I’m an atheist, but I think I’m on pretty solid theological ground when I say this: You CANNOT serve The Former Guy and Jesus Christ. The two are mutually exclusive, even if some choose to make it politically convenient to marry the two. They have about as much in common as Hemlock and Cabernet, and no matter how much one might argue, there is no credible way to be a “MAGA Christian.” Just the thought of the degree of hypocrisy required to call oneself that makes me want to vomit.

I may not believe in the reality of Christianity, and I consider myself to be “good without God.” However, I know people who seriously endeavor to live their Christian faith, and when we discuss this subject, they agree with me. They’re frustrated by the charlatans who bastardize Christianity and use it as a tool in their search for temporal political power. They recognize that some call themselves “Christians” but in no way endeavor to lead Christ-like lives.

Scared and destitute refugees should not be met with scorn or hatred. We should not be looking at them with a desire to destroy them, for they’re not the agents of their circumstances. Instead, they’re the victims of forces largely beyond their control and should be met with compassion and kindness. We should be able to recognize that these aren’t people looking to “invade” America. They’re not looking to take our jobs or destroy our way of life. They’re not hoping they can suck on the public teat indefinitely as an extended vacation from their troubles.

Americans are prone to losing sight of the fact that (save for Native Americans) we’re ALL refugees. All of us can trace our roots to somewhere else. Sure, our families may have been here for generations, but someone at some point in time hopped on a boat, traversed the Atlantic (risking sea sickness), and landed on these shores.

If they survived scurvy, starvation, and a raft load of other diseases, they had to worry about the winters and the natives. Those of us here today can thank our forebears who survived through luck, skill, cunning, or combinations of the above.

But that doesn’t mean we’re blessed or special. We’re Americans through an accident of birth, not the grace of God or anything else. That means we’ve neither cause nor reason to look down on those on the outside looking in.

And “Christians” who advocate that refugees be murdered or turned back and sent home ignore the teachings of the same Prince of Peace they claim to adore.

Their hypocrisy and lack of compassion aren’t going unnoticed. These people should be ashamed of their duplicity. Of course, that presumes they can process shame.

I’m not sure that’s the case.