I've got nothing against Jesus; he seems like a great guy, but as of late, I've had a huge issue with his followers. Today both presidential candidates went to a local Orange County mega-church to answer questions. I don't have a problem with that either. If 22,000 people want answers from two people who are vying to represent them, they should be able to hear where the candidates stand.
My issue has been with the constant blurring and subsequent erosion of the separation of church and state. Since 2000, Evangelical Christians have been on a quest to show their might via the vote. Their modern-day crusade has led to one hell of a strong-arming of government, and the introduction of a litmus test that should never be an issue in this country: the candidate's faith.
Our fore fathers were so worried about the legacy left by the Puritans that they made sure to include a separation of church and state in the Constitution. Remember the Puritans, you know, the assholes who burned hundreds of young women at the stake, because they misconstrued hormonal reactions for witchcraft. Yep, our fore fathers knew, and they had enough sense to head radicals off at the pass by including a separation of church and state in the document that our system of government was founded on.
Yet here we are in the new millennium with a group of people, who today, rallied in Washington D.C. to have abortion and same sex marriage pushed to the forefront of the national political agenda. Gas is $4 per gallon, unemployment is the highest its been in decades, millions of people are losing their homes, our government is pissing away billions of tax dollars in an unwinable war, but the Jesus folk think that two guys kissing is the greatest threat to our nation.
At this point, not only should the Evangelicals not have an audience with the candidates, they shouldn't be allowed to vote. They all came to the polls and voted for George W. (twice), because a vote for George was a vote for Jesus, and look at the sorry state our country is in today. You would think that after eight years of misery, they would have learned their lesson, but nope, they still don't want educated women making choices about their bodies.
I was brought up to be a tolerant person, to respect everyone's personal life choices, and to fight and defend a person's right to do their own thing. I've done that on the stipulation that anyone can be or do anything as long as they don't force it on others. Now, I don't think I can be so ready to go to bat, because I've personally suffered from the last eight years of Evangelical strong-arming, and I'm sick of it.
Judging by the panderfest that happened when McCain had his Q&A hour at the OC mega-church, the Evangelicals will likely stand behind the pro-war, anti-energy efficiency, anti-choice candidate, because that hour contained more ass-kissing than Happy Hour at Fire Island, which is a damn shame. Who would have thought that you had to sell your soul to the devil before speaking at a Christian church, but I guess some people who want to be elected bad enough will say anything to anyone.
Either way, I'm pissed off that a group of people who have a track record for making bad decisions have been given such power, and that they didn't wise up and learn their lesson the first time (or two). What would Jesus do? I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that he would see through the bullshit, and he sure as heck wouldn't be a member of a mega-church.
5 comments:
I reckon he'd stay on the cross
You make some strong and valid points with this one, Melanie.
I don't agree with the sentiment that Evangelicals should have their right to vote reneged, as they are citizens of this country just as much as you and I are. However, I do think that a strict revival of separation of church and state needs to happen. The right-wing Evangelicals have far too much political prowess and it's a slap in the Constitution's face.
Also, I'm disgusted with all the tax-free Mega Churches gobbling up public turf. You want a big arena to jump around a praise your Almighty? Then fucking suck it up and pay taxes for it, morons.
Chris Hedges said it well with this quote:
"This is the awful paradox of tolerance. There arise moments when those who would destroy the tolerance that makes an open society possible should no longer be tolerated."
Vote away, Jesus freaks, just don't try to change the very core of what makes voting possible.
Thanks Beezle! Very well said!
I'm a Christian, but I'm absolutely DISGUSTED by these people. They make me ill. The bible does not support their ignorance and their hate, and they truly are destroying our country. There should be some kind of IQ requirement for voting or something, eh?
Oh, and sorry for the double post, but I accidentally skipped your final paragraph. If Jesus were here today... you are very correct. These megachurches and the evangelicals act exactly like the Jews Jesus set out to fight against. I just don't understand how people can constantly talk about a man, but avoid knowing anything about him or his beliefs. He was a hippie, a punk, an outcast. Exactly the type of person these people hate. They make me sick.
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