Politics and Christianity

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.

Thoughts for today

I have been sitting here pondering the state of the US government.  With all the talk about Debt Ceilings, Minnesota's government shutdown, all the anti immigration laws going into effect among Southern States etc, I am hearing a lot of people talking about both sides, but no one is DOING anything.  Most people I know have no clue who their Federal Senators or Representatives are and fewer know who represents them at a state level.  Even the ones that vote seem to have no clue.  In addition to that many people cannot remember who they voted for, if they voted, and many cannot say if the person is a Republican or Democrat.  The worst is even the ones who know, and who voted, cannot tell you their Senators' or Rep's stance on most issues.  What has this country come to?  Democracy is supposed to be a government of the people by the people (as quoted in the Gettysburg Address).  Our country, as it stands, is not operating as one at the moment.  This is not the government's fault.  Who are they to rock the boat when they can do whatever they want and just keep getting re-elected.  This is the people's fault.  WE THE PEOPLE (from the preamble to the Constitution).  When I hear people complaining about the government I ask, who did you vote for?  Did they/do they support that bill you are complaining about?  Have you written them to tell them how you feel?  Are you going to research the candidates better next time you vote?  Most of the time, people just want to complain, but the way they behave never changes.  They do not research, they do not write or call their congressmen, etc.  They just sit back and whine.  What the heck does that accomplish?  Absolutely nothing.  This country is going down the tubes fast because the average American just wants to sit back on their butt and whine and complain and expect others to do something for them.  There are many other countries, newer democracies, where the people are willing to risk death to cast their vote, and less than 50% of American's even go to the polls, unless it is a presidential election.  Our young people are even worse.  They have a sense of entitlement and laziness that crosses over to their political involvement.  I was watching TV not too long ago and they were interviewing college students.  All knew who the president was, but many did not know who the vice president was, many did not know who their governor was, and sadly most had no clue at all who was the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader.  What are they teaching our kids in school?  I also see all these posts about saying the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.  I know the controversy is on the phrase "Under God" but I am not addressing that.  I am addressing the statement "I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands."  How can we ask our children to pledge their allegiance to "the republic for which it stands" when most have no clue what they are pledging allegiance too.  I am all about patriotism etc but to simply brainwash our kids to be patriotic because they should, and not educate them and empower them to fully participate in our political system is wrong.  Democracy is about participation by the people, not complacency and acceptance of whatever comes our way.  We might as well be a monarchy (which has a figurehead and parliament).  I am not anti American Government.  I am disgusted with the laziness, cynicism, and apathy of the average American citizen.