Due to the fact that it is an election year, I am seeing tons of debates, speeches, articles etc about the candidates. I am finding something hard to get my head around. It is the Tea Party candidates using Christianity as a reason we should vote for them. What I am having serious issue with, is the fact that Jesus never would have belonged to the tea party. In all his actions and teachings, we can surmise that he would have been a left wing liberal. Consider the Following:
The Beatitudes-Clearly Jesus saw the way to heaven as being humble and without worldly trappings.
Conservative Republicans are all about hoarding the almighty dollar. Let's not have those millionaires and corporations pay taxes. Jesus actually tells people (all people) to pay their taxes in Luke 20:25 “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Tea Party Republicans do not believe in social service programs. But in Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus said the following. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Clearly he believes in taking care of the poor, the hungry and the imprisoned. This passage would also refer to the blatant discrimination and racism directed at immigrants. They are the strangers we are not inviting in.
Republicans also do not seem to grasp the Love your Neighbor concept. Hence the wars, that have little to do with people, and everything to do with money and position. Jesus said, when asked about the greatest commandments in Mark 12:29-33 29 Jesus answered,“The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” He makes it real clear about what he expects us to do.
In addition, I honestly think Jesus, if he was in our world today, would be sitting on Wall Street with the protesters. I come to this conclusion based on his teachings in scripture and the official doctrines of most Christian churches, which are based on these teachings.
I am writing this, not to debate Christianity vs other religions (or lack thereof). I am writing this to point out the blatant hypocracy perpetrated by the Tea Party republicans in order to get votes. As far as I am concerned, Jesus was not political, but if he had been he would have been as liberal as they come. Nowhere near the Republicans.
