August 9, 2006
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WARNING: I’M ON MY
I listen to three different radio stations. The first is NPR. The second is the “classic” rock station (which has recently started playing crap I’m too old to be familiar with). And finally, I occasionally listen to KXOJ, the contemporary Christian music station in
On my way home this afternoon I was listening to them talk about a review of the movie “
Hold the phone…why would a scene about an ex Marine putting on fatigues be considered “Christian content?” I’ve known some ex Marines who were outstanding examples of the Christian faith but I’ve also know some ex Marines who could cuss, drink, womanize, lie, cheat, and steal most of us under the table. “Marine” has nothing to do with “Christian.”
I can tell you exactly why Christianity Today called a scene about a Marine “Christian content.” In today’s culture, evangelical Christianity has become inexorably tied to conservative politics and to the military in particular.
To many people, being a “Christian” means that you are a card carrying, abortion opposing, flag-burning amendment pushing, war-rallying Republican. In fact, I bet there will be several people who read this and say, “of course that’s what it means.” Those would be the same people who would echo the words of my pastor many years ago who made the following comment when I registered as a Democrat: “Mark, it is completely impossible to be a Christian and be a Democrat.” I made the observation in an earlier post that this statement does prove that it is not impossible to be a pastor and be clinically brain dead.
I happen to think that Jesus was the ultimate liberal, and perhaps someday in another entry I’ll explain why. I also happen to know that there are many people who are becoming fed up with evangelical Christianity’s ties to conservative politics. I ran across a New York Times article recently about a very courageous pastor who is bucking this trend and the impact this has had on his church. The article in entitled: Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock (The New York Times link is now dead, so I’ve pasted the text of the article into an old post – I encourage you to read it. It’s a facinating article)
I applaud this pastor and his efforts to keep the church separate from the state. The church is about things so much more important than politics. So what do you think? Would Jesus have voted for George Bush?
Comments (24)
Great post.
I always though the idea of Jesus voting for GB interesting. I don’t think he would have, obviously. But really I’m pretty sure I don’t think he would have voted for Kerry, either. I think Jesus would have been a non-voter.
This is where one of the interesting parts of the “WWJD” theology kicks in for me. WWJD and WSWD (What should we do) just aren’t always the same thing. We have a responsibility to our world and community that a deity with limited time on the planet just didn’t have. We should vote, and try to bring our nation closer to WJWD, while the J-man himself would have been out actual enacting the things we’re hoping our government will do.
Random aside. But interesting to me nonetheless.
The theocratization (Hey! I just made up a word!) of Republican politics is one of the things that scares me the most about the future of this country. I would imagine the Republicanizing (Two words!) of Christianity is just as scary to many believers.
I think that Christianity and politics should not be in the same room together. One is a practice of spirituality, the other is the practice of managing large groups of people. I also believe that to be Christian does not mean to deny all the aspects that make us human.
i don’t see jesus as a voter . . .
i used to be surprised at how many people in my church assumed my political views just because i’m in the choir and a visible figure. i don’t talk about my politics at church because i don’t believe politics have any place there. i especially do not sign petitions of any sort on church property.
the great irony is that the majority of my republican friends ignore religion completely.
hmmm that’s a tough one. Jesus sees the good in every man, as well as knowing the bad. I would probably say look at his disciples. Now there’s a group of guys that the majority of us wouldn’t have chosen. But Jesus knew something about each of them that we didn’t. He used their weaknesses, their changed hearts.
There’s not one of us here that truly knows the heart of George Bush or Bill Clinton.
“I made the observation in an earlier blog that this statement does prove that it is not impossible to be a pastor and be clinically brain dead.”
Some might argue that is not the exception, but the rule…
I’m not saying I…
I’m just sayin’.
WWJVF? Not Bush.
And I’m a Democrat *and* a Christian.
Amen. I’m so relieved to know that there are religious leaders out there who feel this way.
Mark, my sister sent me that article a week or so ago, and I was so glad to realize that not all religious leaders are like Pat Robertson.
A few weeks ago, I turned on the conservative radio station, just to hear what the “other” side has to say about politics and other newsworthy events (I deleted FOX News off of my tv set, so I figured I should at least listen to a couple of minutes every now and then.) It’s total HATE. Vicious, arrogant hatred. And better yet, it’s all in the name of Christianity. But I can’t help but wonder if any of these people who TALK about Christianity would recognize Christ.
mark, that was greatness
both your post and the article
thank you
What CT had to say:
“The film also has a surprisingly high degree of Christian content. It’s there in the crucifixes that adorn the walls of private homes and hang from rescuers’ necks; it’s there in the Lord’s Prayer that McLoughlin shouts in a moment of peril; it’s there in a startling vision that Jimeno has when he slips into unconsciousness. It is especially there in a subplot involving David Karnes (Michael Shannon), a former marine who abandons his job in Connecticut, gets a haircut, and puts his old fatigues back on—all because he believes that God is calling him to New York. And once he gets there, he plays a key role in finding McLoughlin and Jimeno under all that rubble.”
I agree with a lot of your rant and with Bad Dogma that the “The theocratization of Republican politics is one of the things that scares me the most about the future of this country.” I am very pessimistic about it, and feel the apathy coming on that there is nothing I can do about it. However, posts like yours give me a glimmer of hope for a change.
Awesome post! I agree–I don’t think Jesus would have voted. It would take someone really amazing to get Him to the polls.
First of all, I agree wholeheartedly. Ideologies that try to ‘own’ a particular position, such as conservatives or ‘pro-war’ proponents who state that anyone apposing the war are ‘traitors, are examples of flexibility akin to a brick wall.
As for Jesus (a question I’ll take up, also being a liberal Christian), while I’d personally like to think he’d have voted Democrat, I doubt he would’ve shared such a political preference, regardless (the ol’ “Give unto Caesar…” thing).
I look forward to reading your views on Jesus being the ultimate liberal. I have definite thoughts on that too. Blog it, man!
I feel Jesus would be a liberal Democrat. Good post, Mark, and thanks for making your readers think!
Kathi
thank you for this very important entry
Very good post, Mark. IMHO, Jesus would have voted for the first George Bush but not the second. Even though I have been a Democrat since the age of 10, I thought George H.W. Bush was a really good man. George W. is just somebody’s kid. I think the only reason he ran was for family honor. He was a cheerleader, for Chrissake. I learned a lot about this family when I read Barbara Bush’s autobiography — interestingly it was written after her husband left office and before she even had an inkling that her son would run for president. There is one picture in there with Geroge W., about age 21 or so, looking real preppy and holding a cigarette. I do give him credit, however, for not ending up like most presidental sons. Really great book: All the President’s Children.
I don’t know that Jesus would have even voted. I don’t know what he would have done, but the other alternative to Bush? CRAZY……He just plain creeped me out!
I should suppose, were Jesus a citizen of this country, he would most likely vote only in that he is reputed to give a damn about outcomes that matter~~unlike the slumbering and abdicating drones who voted in greater numbers for American Idol finalists than who governs the very fabric of their lives.
I cannot speak for this Jesus~the rooms are already too crowded for those that do. All I know is that those sworn to uphold justice have allowed to sit in high office an inarticulate, dangerously incompetent and corrupt individual with a suspicious evidence of cognitive impairment, and that if such corruption/ineptitude is left unchecked, this country as we know it will no longer be a nation of We the People. Then again, if Dieties reflect the agendas of our own egos, then I imagine our government would too.
I admire the Pastor for the courage of his convictions.
Peace~Great post as ever
Well I’ll tell you what Jesus wouldn’t be doing. Strapping on some military garb and heading off to Iraq. Nope…I don’t think he was very fond of that whole “killing” bit.
And while on the list of imposing Jesus questions…let us ask…did Jesus commit suicide via crucifixion? ( I heard he could have called forth a lot of angels to save his arse)
…( I get entirely too fired up over politics and religion at times…so I have to try and lighten some situations with philosophical toying )
All in all I have thought in detail on a variety of ideas that you’ve raised throughout several of you blogs.
I consider myself to be a spiritual (not religious) person and a liberal person (understanding need for being a bit cautious before swan diving into major changes). I think we place entirely too much emphasis on catagorizing and stress far too much over coming up with streamlined definitions as to what falls within the catagories.
People are lazy and therefore want clear cut, black and white choices. Good vs bad, up vs down, heaven vs hell, etc. Yet any true prompting of thought lets us know that life just doesn’t come by us that easily.
Burden of choice vs group think.
Some burdens I will gladly bear and pray for others to have the strength and sense to bear their own.
There was a lot of praying going on September 11, 2001. I think anyone who comes face to face with their own mortality being buried alive under a skyscraper would be praying their butts off.
He would have done whatever he needed to do to create change – positive change. Didn’t he cast out the money changers in the temple. Didn’t he stand up for the adulterer. Didn’t he associate with Samaritans?
I have a profound admiration for the work Jesus did on this earth, and I am a pagan.
I highly doubt Jesus would have voted for Bush. Unless he was maybe trying to bring about his own Second Coming. Evangelical Christianity and conservative politics make for a weird mix…
I can’t see Jesus being a member of any political party. I don’t see him voting and I do think he would look on our government as Cesar. I am so glad I’m not the only one who is a liberal christian. I have been going to Church off and on for years, but in the last 4 years I’ve only gone a handful of times. The chruch I was going to was pushing Bush, the Pastor actually went to Washington as a consultant to the pres. I was confused. I can see Jesus advising the President if he asked. But I don’t see Jesus coming back and preaching that the President should be supported and voted for afterwards. I feel that too many pastors and congregations were so excited that there was finally a president that prayed to the masses and claimed to be a christian that they got caught up in it all.
I have no political affiliations. I don’t feel that Republican and Democrat should be the only options. I am definitely not a Republican and I’m not liberal enough to be a Democrat. I vote when I see someone who I think might do a good job, but if there’s nobody I trust, I don’t vote at all.
I think that your blog was inspired. Thank you for sharing, and helping us non Republican Christians to feel less alone. I feel that faith should be personal and politics is very public and impersonal.I also feel that Politics should stay away from religion. It goes both ways.