by Helen & Harry Highwater, Unknown News
July 9, 2004
When George W. Bush speaks about God, he says things that a Christian might say, in a soft and reverential voice. Is sounding like a Christian all it takes, to make intelligent, thoughtful Christians believe Bush's line of crap about being a Christian?
Many Christians act as if God Himself has endorsed George W. Bush. They hope and pray Bush wins, they write checks for his campaign -- they're just nuts about the man.
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Of course, nuts walk among us. Nuts have always walked among us, and always will, and some of those nuts are Christians. But most Christians aren't nuts.
Like most Americans, I was raised in a Christian family. I was a Christian for many years, and while I wouldn’t call myself a Christian now, that's still the God who comes to me when I need to pray. And it’s still offensive to me when someone says all Christians are nuts, or hypocrites, phonies, charlatans, or just plain stupid.
Or when someone plays Christians for fools.
But there are so many letters to the editor in our local paper from hate-filled Christians, so many furious callers on talk radio who call themselves Christians, I have to ask: Are all these pro-Bush comments coming from nutty Christians, hypocritical Christians, phony Christians, charlatans, and just plain stupid Christians?
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I have long wondered how Germany, a Christian nation, could have supported Hitler, a man who claimed to be a Christian.
Would the people who believe Bush is a Christian, give Adolph the benefit of the doubt as well?
I’ve wondered how Christians could have supported the Crusades -- conversion at the point of a sword, or death in God’s name.
But I had always thought these would be theoretical questions, not serious moral imperatives while history repeats itself.
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Or are there intelligent, thoughtful Christians who support President Bush? If there are, I would ask them:
Who would Jesus vote for?
I doubt He'd endorse any candidate, but I can't imagine Jesus would say anything in Bush's favor -- except perhaps, "Forgive him, for he knows not what he does."
Yes, Bush once said that Christ was his favorite philosopher. Does saying so make him a Christian, when virtually everything he’s done, from tax cuts for the rich to budget cuts for programs against poverty, from 50,000 dead in the Middle East to massive cuts in education, homeland security, and veterans' benefits, from an endless assortment of lies to secret prisons, flaunting international law, to exporting jobs instead of products, says he's not?
Which of Bush’s policies would not make Jesus regurgitate the Last Supper?
Again, I mean no disrespect to real Christians. My father was a Christian, and he was the most intelligent man I've ever known. We have friends, neighbors, and website helpers who are Christians, and near as I can tell, while they all have their faults like anyone else, their faith in God is a blessing, not a fault.
But I emphatically do mean disrespect for the phony Christians, the hypocrites, the charlatans, and the so-called Christians being led by charlatans.
I have long wondered how Germany, a Christian nation, could have supported Hitler, a man who claimed to be a Christian. Would the people who believe Bush is a Christian, give Adolph the benefit of the doubt as well? I’ve wondered how Christians could have supported the Crusades -- conversion at the point of a sword, or death in God’s name. But I had always thought these would be theoretical questions, not serious moral imperatives while history repeats itself.
In younger years I attended hundreds of Bible studies, and taught hundreds more. I’m no Biblical scholar, but I have at least an average layman’s understanding of Christ’s teachings, and a well-informed citizen’s understanding of Bush administration policies. And it's obvious the twain have never met.
There are prophecies of an evil world leader who's supposed to rise to power as the end approaches -- which is not to imply Bush or Dick Cheney is the long-rumored AntiChrist. That would be an absurd suggestion.
But if Bush was the AntiChrist, no current White House policies would need to be changed. Point by point, this administration stands "anti" everything Christ taught.
Perhaps I’m wrong, though. Perhaps some sincere Biblical expert can show me the New Testament Jesus I’ve somehow forgotten --. The white-lies-for-war Jesus ...
. The screw-the-poor Jesus ...
. The give-alms-to-the-rich Jesus ...
. The smear-your-enemies Jesus ...
. The screw-the-environment Jesus ...
. And of course, the killer Jesus so many Christians seem to believe Bush believes in.
My question is serious, dead serious: Can any true Christian honestly believe that if Christ walked among us now, in the flesh, He would mark His ballot for Bush? Or that He would urge others to do so?
Any response, pro or con, from any thoughtful, intelligent Christian would be welcome. Our email address is unknownnews at myway.com.
© 2004, by the author.
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There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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Is it Jesus, or is it Bush?
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
--Matthew 5:1-12, NIV
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Has God Himself
endorsed GW Bush?
"The Lord has just blessed him," Rev. Pat Robertson said of Bush.
"I mean, he could make terrible mistakes and comes out of it. It doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad, God picks him up because he's a man of prayer and God's blessing him."
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Associated Press
Jan. 2, 2004
NORFOLK, Va. -- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Friday he believes God has told him President Bush will be re-elected in a "blowout" in November.
"I think George Bush is going to win in a walk," Robertson said on his "700 Club" program on the Virginia Beach-based Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded. "I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. It's shaping up that way."
Robertson told viewers he spent several days in prayer at the end of 2003.
"The Lord has just blessed him," Robertson said of Bush. "I mean, he could make terrible mistakes and comes out of it. It doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad, God picks him up because he's a man of prayer and God's blessing him."
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, a frequent Robertson critic and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said he had a prediction of his own: "Pat Robertson in 2004 will continue to use his multimillion broadcasting empire to promote George Bush and other Republican candidates."
In a reference to Bush's political adviser, Lynn said, "Maybe Pat got a message from Karl Rove and thought it was from God."
Published by
Associated Press
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