Family Research Council President Tony Perkins has once again attacked the faith of Christians who back President Obama, this time telling a radio show caller yesterday that she should leave her church because her pastor likes the president. After the caller said that, among other issues, her pastor “thinks Obama is the greatest,” Perkins advised her to begin “praying about changing churches and finding another church.”…. Perkins said that the Obama administration has “systematically targeted the Christian faith” and that the president’s policies on abortion rights and marriage equality conflict with Christianity…. “What more evidence is necessary that this president is not in alignment with biblical truth and even historical truth?” he added. “I think it’s time for a new church.”
For reasons that seem based more on arrogance, self-interest, and a raging, hyper-developed sense of self-importance, many Christian believe their God to be a Republican. This belief holds that it’s impossible to consider oneself a Liberal or a Progressive whilst simultaneously claiming to be a Christian. The imperiousness and coarse pretentiousness of such a view is truly breathtaking, based as it is on beliefs that run counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That Tony Perkins would think he has any cause or justification for questioning the faith of others is laughable. There’s nothing remotely “Christian” in the sense of self-righteousness that allows him to judge the faith of others (and find them wanting). Perkins and others in the American Taliban have claimed for years that The Black Guy in the White House © has “systematically targeted the Christian faith.” That they’ve failed to provide a shred of credible evidence is hardly surprising. Perkins and his ilk have convinced themselves of the veracity of this assertion and serve as living proof of Josef Goebbels’ “Big Lie” theory. They’ve repeated a lie for so long and with so much fervor that it’s become accepted as the truth, particularly among those predisposed to assume the worst of The Black Guy in the White House ©.
It’s people like Perkins who’ve ruined the Evangelical brand. Evangelical Christianity is now despised by many Americans who associate it with ignorance, intolerance, and self-righteousness. Turns out that “holier than thou” is a damned poor way to make friends and/or influence enemies.
Though the American Taliban has long claimed Christianity as their domain, there’s nothing in Scripture that could be taken as endorsement of the idea that God’s a Republican. The belief that one can’t credibly claim to be a Christian while voting for Liberal candidates or Progressive ideas is the worst sort of hyper-religious arrogance. Christianity, as anyone who truly understands Scripture can tell you, isn’t about Democrats or Republicans; it’s about human beings. It’s about tolerance, acceptance, charity, and peaceful coexistence. It’s not about using Jesus’ teachings to elevate oneself over others.
Sadly, Christianity has also had a strong following among authoritarian absolutists like Perkins (and Franklin Graham, among many, many others) who are convinced theirs is the One, True, and ONLY Faith ©. They believe that because they’re among those enlightened enough to accept the One, True, and ONLY Faith ©, they have the right to enforce that faith on all.
Fortunately, there are groups out there who refuse to accept the American Taliban’s Far-Right authoritarianism as the definitive statement on the worthiness of their beliefs. The Christian Left, for instance, believes that ascribing to Liberal/Progressive beliefs is not at all inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. (If anything, Liberal/Progressive beliefs are far more compatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ than most anything Conservatism has to offer.) They also believe that no one group or person can credibly claim their faith tradition to be the One, True, and ONLY Faith ©.
No, The Black Guy in the White House © isn’t “committing hate crimes” against Christians. The LGBT community isn’t going to come after Christians “with guns blazing.” President Obama’s immigration policies aren’t a sly plot to encourage terrorists attacks against Christians. Nor was 2015 the most dangerous year for American Christians. Despite the breathless claims of Ted Cruz, the Supreme Court is NOT about to begin jailing religious people. Methinks perhaps some good, God-fearing Christian patriots are taking themselves and their beliefs a wee bit too seriously, knowhutimean?
God, if you believe in him, isn’t the property of Conservative Republicans. To think that He cares about American politics to the degree that he’d OK the GOP being established as The Official Political Party of Christianity © is the height of arrogance. Christianity isn’t an ideology, nor is it compatible with one particular political philosophy. If you believe otherwise, you really are doing it wrong.
As if I need yet another reason to consider myself to be good without God….
