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Christians, McChristians, and stupid Christians by Henry Racicot, July 22, 2004
In the article “Who would Jesus vote for?” the author asks: “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?” The answer, of course, is “no,” Jesus would not vote for Bush, or campaign for the man. However, this is not because Bush is the most odious of the present crop of candidates. It must also be pointed out Jesus would not vote for Kerry, Nader or even a “Harry and Helen Highwater” ticket.
As anyone even vaguely familiar with Jesus’ earthly ministry is aware, Jesus was not interested in political activism. He had a higher agenda than the temporal political order of the day. Jesus urged His followers to seek the Kingdom of God and the narrow way, which leads to life.
Regrettably, the most visible “Christians” in America are those like Bush, Ashcroft and the nameless mass that make up the “Christian Right.” Whether or not any of these souls are truly of the faith, only the Almighty knows. The Christian Right is more interested in advancing the cause of America than the cause of Christ. They are tainted by a repugnant self-righteousness. . .a self-righteousness which finds its most ugly expression in President Bush, whenever he justifies his wicked “war on terror” with the refrain “we are good, they are evil.”
We can simplify the theology of Bush and the Christian Right in the following manner:
Since we (America) are good, any who refuse to follow our lead must therefore be evil, and we are therefore justified in taking any action we desire, including “pre-emptive* military action. All that is necessary to justify this “pre-emptive” military action is that we can imagine that the evil nations, members of the “axis of evil,” may one day possibly be able to harm America.
This is not a new spirit to bedevil “Christians.” We find this same spirit once bewitched even Jesus’ own disciples James and John: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him. And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them” --Luke 9:51 - 56 The “Christian” Right know not what manner of spirit they are of. They will regularly command fire to come down from heaven, in an Apache helicopter or an F-16 or a Stealth bomber, to consume any who refuse to bow before America.
Let us return again to the question: “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?” We first responded that answer is “no.” But in truth, it must be conceded that a “true Christian” could believe Christ would mark His ballot for Bush. Salvation is no guarantee of wisdom. There are many stupid Christians … Christians who never advance spiritually beyond the most basics of God’s plan of redemption.
This is especially true of Christians in America, who may be generalized as “McChristians” … partakers of drive-thru salvation. They pull up to the window at the Church of McChrist and order one Jesus-on-the-Cross to go. Salvation for them is one moment in time, when they “accept” Christ, and then go on their merry way, continuing their life with business as usual. Only the Almighty know if any of these American McChristians truly have faith, or if they have merely made some sort of mental assent to a traditional idea of Jesus as Savior (they “believe in Jesus”).
So, it would be more accurate to answer that “yes, some true Christians could believe Christ would mark his ballot for Bush.” They have not yet been under the direction of the Holy Spirit long enough to have developed any spiritual discernment. The propaganda of the government and the media still bewitch … and may continue to bewitch for quite some time … just as sin continues to bewitch even the seeming most sincere of the faithful. Perfection in the human frame is impossible.
But I would guess that not many of the truly faithful believe Christ would vote for Bush. My guess is that most of the Christian Right is best characterized by the following: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but He that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” --Matthew 7:21 - 23 Instead of asking “can any true Christian honestly believe that if Christ walked among us now, in the flesh, He would mark His ballot for Bush?” it may be more fruitful to ask “what relevance does the immature spiritual beliefs of a few Christians have to the redemptory work done by Jesus on the Cross?”
We can all survive four more years of Bush, but who among us can survive, period?
There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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