It sure seems sometimes like I am alone. You see, I am a born again Christian. I believe in the bible as the inerrant word of God. I attend church twice per week, teach a bible class, and run a small group. I believe even in those things that may seem fringe to a lot of non-Christians, such as speaking in tongues. I can accept the differences we have and understand that what I believe may not be what you believe. The difficult part is realizing that divergent political beliefs within born again circles are often ridiculed and mocked; truth be damned.
I feel alone because I know that there are political forces out there in the world that use Jesus Christ for their own ends. Sure there are a few well-intended politicians for whom their politics are part of their Christianity. The majority however adopt Christianity as part of their politics. Why? Not because they believe in Christ as I do but rather, because they want me to vote their way. So, they pretend to believe in Christ as I do. Because I see these things for what they are and because I am not shy about telling the truth, I am branded a “political lunatic” by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Because I can see when a chain email is rife with lies designed to get me to hate people, I am a lunatic. Or emails designed to support Christian values but uses outright lies to make the primary point. Everything from is Obama a Muslim to a fake comparison sheet of McCain and Obama where the tax innuendo presented is entirely fabricated. Emails telling me that it is God’s will that McCain and Palin are elected and that I must pray for that will. Not pray for God’s will mind you, the writer of the email (who is of course anonymous) has already determined what God’s will is for me. Because I call these things what they are, outright lies, I am branded a political lunatic.
I am alone because nearly everyone I associate with honestly believes that pro-life politicians intend to do something about abortion. I know they never will because it is too valuable a political football to toss to the Christian base every four years. It amazes me that my Christian friends never seem to notice that the ONLY time they even discuss abortion is during a presidential election. I see Alito and Roberts for what they are; pro-business judges who happen to be pro-life because of their party affiliation. More power to the corporate structure and less rights for the common man. Roe V. Wade is not being overturned folks and I see this. Why? Because the republicans will never allow it. If they did, they would have nothing to run on. Endless war and tax breaks for the rich will only win you so many votes. Instead, you have to play to people’s outrage and morality. I can see that plainly, which must be why I am a lunatic.
I am alone because I see that the entire gay marriage fiasco was made up by politicians and sold to Christians. There are no verses compelling us to protect the “sanctity of marriage.” Instead, these politicians sell us the homosexual as a way for us to feel better about our own sin. Whatever it may be, at least you’re not gay! Then what do you have? Instead of the love of Christ, you have Christians holding up “God hates fags” signs at gay pride parades. The bible however, tells us what God does hate:
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. – Proverbs 6:16-19
I could go into detail about each one in relation to the past eight years of republican-so-called Christian reign but I already have a lunatic reputation which I do not seek to embellish. I do see however that two of the seven are directly related to lying. The world does a good job of turning the truth into shades of grey but the reality is always black and white; right and wrong. It saddens me that so many Christians allow themselves to be used so casually and callously.
I feel alone sometimes because I know that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. The Republican Party has done a masterful job of tying war to Christianity and turning Christ into a God of war but the truth is that there is not one pro-war verse in the New Testament. The best they can point to is Revelation, which is a prophetic book. Some have tried to misuse the “I have come to bring a sword” verse, which speaks about the word of God not the wars of man. The truly desperate will point to Ecclesiastes, where it says there will be a time for war. Looking beyond the inability to know when that time actually is, the larger point is that the verse does not mean that God condones it. Within the same verses He says there is a time for hate and a time to kill; does that mean God is condoning those as well? Of course not. God is reaffirming the depravity of man and recognizing that there will always be a time for everything; every season under the sun. Jesus Christ said blessed are the peacemakers. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul implores us:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12: 17-21
I have yet to read the verse that says live at war with everyone or bomb them back to the Stone Age in the name of Jesus. It is as if sometimes my Christian friends think that the hundreds of thousands dead in other countries don’t matter to God. I guess that is why I am a lunatic though; because I believe they do matter to God.
I am a complete lunatic however when I think that everyone should have healthcare in the richest country in the world. When I think that the poor need more than fancy talk, they need real help; I am absolutely nuts. Mind you, I have actually worked with the impoverished and the disabled for the past 17 years, so maybe I am a little biased in my insanity. In the spirit of full disclosure, John McCain would be better for me personally. Based on my salary, his tax plan is better for me than Obama’s. My professional work right now is in Welfare to Work, so again, McCain is better for me. Time to lock me up in a straightjacket I guess.
I just want the truth. If you line up where both candidates really stand on the issues and at the end of the day you vote for McCain because he is pro-life; so be it. Just don’t vote for him because you think that Obama is a Muslim, or doesn’t wear a flag pin, or won’t say the Pledge of Allegiance, or wants to take “in God we trust” off of currency, or is going to raise your taxes. Don’t vote for McCain because you think he represents true Christian values, is a maverick, is a reformer, or any of the other lies they keep peddling out there. None of this stuff is true and the truth should matter.
It was a sad realization for me however when it dawned on me that the truth doesn’t seem to matter much to most of my Christian brethren. They forward emails full of outrageous lies, written by corrupt politicians pretending to be Christians, and think that someone who merely points them in the direction of the truth is a political lunatic. They are being used by people who co-opt their beliefs and twist Christ into a horrible caricature to suit their own ends.
There is truth and there is fiction. There is black and there is white. There is right and there is wrong. It is not a political opinion to say that Barack Obama mocked the bible, as a recent email suggested to me. That is what is known as a lie. The horrible liar that put the video and email together is a republican strategist who has formed a 527 where his website brags that he hopes to be the swiftboat organization of the 2008 election. He has ties to disgraced republican felon Jack Abramoff. Not only is he not a Christian, he does not care for Christians. But he does care who Christians vote for. So he splices a speech from Obama, taking things horrifically out of context and turns a message praising the Sermon on the Mount into a distortion of Obama allegedly mocking the bible. Then he buys some Christian email lists and creates a faux-outraged Christian email and sends it out once. He only needs to send it out once because we will oblige and send it to the ends of the earth without so much as checking the facts. My bible says we were to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, in His love, not lying emails smearing someone who was actually praising the Beatitudes. But what do I know? I am alone. I am just a political lunatic.
Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 41-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.
keep trying sir for the end times are comming and some will listen--its in the BIG book on how the true meaning of christs messages as well as the bibles will be torn appart and used for evil means---apparant today--we had 1 true cristian president--jimmy carter and we rejected him for not bombing the heck out of iran--and he warned us about gas and energy--guess what- he was right----reagan even took down the solar hot water panels on the white house he had installed--guess what????-guess what---guess what-------------
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skiidogs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 148 comments)
on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at 8:46:05 AM
These folks may be sincere, but they are deluded. Brian McLaren, in Everything Must Change, likens it to having a jigsaw puzzle with the wrong picture on the top. They are trying to make the Bible fit the picture, but there are all these pieces they have to ignore or force fit because they just don't fit. If you actually look at the picture they do really make, it's a lot different. Jesus challenged all the parties of his day, and showed us a new way.
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Bill Samuel (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 338 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 5:01:28 PM
The very people who may end up begging god to kill then for 5 months are the very people you are talking about. But it will purge purify and refine them so someday we all will learn how to get along, by minding our own business, which so many of them don't.
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Michael Dewey (4 articles, 1 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 203 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 5:23:05 PM
I'v read every one of your posts Anthony. I consider you honest and down to earth. The last thing you are is crazy. I deeply admire and respect you. I always look for your posts every time I go to OpEd news.
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Larry McCombs (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 6:34:32 PM
The Xians in this world are taken with using Christianity much as merchants use Christmas to fill their wallets. They pay little mind to whom the religion is named for and what he taught. The use of ones religion as a weapon and persecution device is akin to using patriotism as threat and conviction. The really sad part is that many of the churches of Christianity are involved in the defamation of the religion of Jesus of Nazareth. This is hardly new as the Catholic church has been using Christianity and Jesus as political hostages almost since the Roman Empire converted. Church's and other groups have been committing crimes against both the religion and humanity for centuries. The Inquisitions, the witchhunts, the KKK, the Aryan nations, the Crusades, et al have been haunting mankind for what seems like forever. I still do not understand how someone can take a religion whose reason for being is peace and love, and use it for some of the most vile and hideous acts in human history. You are hardly a lunatic although the Xians will consider you to be a heretic. Hang in there and keep fighting to save your religion like we are fighting to save our country.
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Hayesml47 (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 502 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 6:38:21 PM
"Mind you, I have actually worked with the impoverished and the disabled for the past 17 years, so maybe I am a little biased in my insanity. In the spirit of full disclosure, John McCain would be better for me personally.>>>>>>>>> Based on my salary, his tax plan is better for me than Obama's<<<<>>>Welfare to Work, so again, McCain is better for me<<<<
So you make more than $250,000???? Barak will LOWER taxes for folks below 250,000. In contrast, McCAin will ELIMINATE employer tax deductions for HEALTHCARE bene', assuing you are lucky enough to have healthcare - this IMHO will discourage EMPLOYERS from offering a healthcare plan, and while the average value of family heath is over 11,000, you would only receive a tax credit of 5k (again for a family) I don't see how ANYONE comes out better in the longrun with McSame, unless you are a millionaire/billonaire
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aaronbav (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 15 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 7:20:33 PM
Your finest writing and a tribute to personal truth, the kind that is today treated as the enemy, when instead it should be set free, nourished and honored.
Through my love of music and community, I have been around and involved with religious folks of various persuasions throughout most of my life. I am an atheist.
But I read the bible Anthony. Often. It is the story of an amazing human being, one of very very few IMHO. I also read the Tao.
We are each on our road and within our personal travels we discover our truths that allow us to decipher what you describe as black and white.
Everything written has a motive. Everything. Corruption of original intent is as old as the earth. Twisting and reshaping, inserting confusion and chaos where there is none are the standards by which these truths are hidden. Fear guides many.
Many recognize the path they are on. Be glad you do.
You are not alone Anthony. I am sure of that.
Again. Your finest piece. IMHO
Thank you.
peace
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mikel paul (11 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 444 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 7:31:59 PM
You are the reason I will defend tooth and nail any Christian Church builidng from demolition. You are the reason I consider Christianity the same kind of human achievement as the wheel.
God bless you, man if He exists.
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Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 7:38:02 PM
my earlier post (not sure how it double posted - hopefully Rob will delete).
My "skepticisim" was about your belief that McSame's tax policy would be better for you, especially since you indicated you work with the poor as typically people who do such good works don't make a lot of money.
We have some freinds who have worked in Social Services and they certainly don't make a lot of money - yet they still feel that Republicans are "better" for them and "will keep their taxes low". I assumed you were in that catagory.
It didn't occur to me that you might have other means and actually do make more that 250k - and your work with the poor is out of a since of giving back, which is awsome!
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aaronbav (1 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 15 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 10:34:08 PM
I wish there were an easy answer, but here are a few observations and ideas that are not being discussed:
Liberal Christianity started dying out in the sixties and seventies with the resurgence of free market capitalism as the memories of the Great Depression faded, and as the New Deal was being systematically dismantled. By the mid eighties, Fundamentalism had taken hold across many Churches in America that were formerly liberal. Liberals left the Church in droves, but not only in opposition to fundamentalism, but also for their own economic benefit. At the same time, conservatives twisted Christianity into something that today can hardly be called Christian at all (for their economic benefit).
The fundamental change happened in American society that is almost never mentioned-the creation and implementation of a supposed merit system through a selective hierarchy of colleges and universities. There is no doubt that usary is antithetical to everything that Jesus ever taught, but what is not even recognized is that Jesus constantly criticized the Scribes, Pharisees, and Teachers of the Law and their merit system. The Pharisees were something akin to the professional middle class of the day-they used their educational status in a formalized system to gain privilege just as we do today. The parallels are striking between now and then.
Today young people are judged from middle school onwards-they’ve got to jump through the hoops in high school to prove their merit so as to have the chance to enter college and to become part of the middle class. My WWII parents’ generation were judge in a much different way-based on how hard they worked. Today, real work means nothing-the people who work the hardest are often paid the least.
By the time I went to school in the seventies and early eighties, all of my teachers had already been thoroughly indoctrinated in the educational merit system (that started in earnest during the Korean War years with the first deferments), and it showed. They really thought they were intellectually and morally superior to everyone else.
Capitalism has always existed in America, yet we have never been until fairly recently (arguably) a fascist country. What’s the difference? Well fascism is the merger of corporations and government, and today government through the educational merit system has a significant role in deciding who will be allowed to participate in what level of capitalism. Universities today are giant personnel departments for corporations, and corporations provide significant funding for university research. One hand washes the other. The “public/private partnership” that my hometown newspaper praises is really just a euphemism for fascism.
Christianity requires selflessness and service. Our supposed meritocracy promotes selfishness and privilege. You can’t serve by taking more. My liberal friends often become angry when I say this. What about Camelot and JFK et al? Sorry. Nope. You can’t do that and be a good Christian-no more than you can serve both God and mammon. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. He that would be first shall be the servant of all. No big house-no expensive cars-no privilege whatsoever. It’s a narrow road.
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Mark Whittington (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 22 comments)
on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 11:12:38 PM
