PSEUDO CHRISTIANS?

by Ruth Sheets

As a Christian minister, I am appalled with the way Christianity is being tossed around by the Republicans these days.  It seems that claiming Christianity as the center of one’s life is all one needs to prove one is a “real American.” 

The candidates stand before the American public and declare that they believe in the Bible word for word and “know” that creation is just as described in Genesis (although which creation story, they are not always sure since there are two quite different accounts).  These candidates are also sure there is a “Second Coming” as described in psychedelic dream that is  the Book of Revelation.  In between, they also are committed to the one verse in Leviticus that condemns homosexuality.  So, we know they accept Genesis, Revelation and a verse of Leviticus, but what about the rest of the Bible? 

If one looks at the “deal” the Congressional Tea Partiers proposed and examine their plans for the future of America, it is hard to see that the gospels, for example, are any part of their public considerations and actions.  (I cannot speak for their personal lives.)

The conservative Republican proposals support the wealthiest Americans, yet, Jesus says that it will be harder for a rich person to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  He also told the rich young man in Mark, to sell all he has and give it to the poor and follow Jesus.  That doesn’t exactly sound like it meshes very well with what is happening among these professed believers and their relationship with the top 1 percent of American earners.

It is the “Good Samaritan” who stops to help the man along the road in Luke, not the wealthy religious travelers, and the Samaritan was of a hated race.  Jesus said “Go and do likewise. " I see no evidence of Tea Party support of anyone who is in need.  And, their attitude toward non-Christians is not particularly Christ-like.”

Jesus spent a lot of time teaching people, yet, education is certainly not a priority of the Republicans.  Well, sometimes it is, if they can introduce privatization, vouchers, and other destructive elements to “public” schools.  Who benefits?  It is rarely the children.

Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  I don’t see the Republican representatives offering Americans the same kind of health care and pensions that Congress enjoys.  In fact, Republicans are doing everything they can to be sure American citizens never do.

Jesus fed the 5,000, yet the Tea Partiers would cut the programs that help to feed their fellow Americans who are not as privileged or lucky as they are.  Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, yet many Republicans across the country have eliminating gay rights as a centerpiece of their platforms, along with abortion which is also not seen as important enough for Jesus to mention either.

Instead of the gospel of love and caring, they read and understand a “Gospel of Prosperity” which tells them that they are receiving all the good things that America offers because they are God’s favored ones.  They pray loud and long in public so that everyone can see how pious they are.  It seems to me that if anyone chooses to claim Christ as their Savior, they must remember the saying of the Civil Rights Movement:  “You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.”  We’ve all been hearing a lot of the “Christian” talk, but where is the walk?