Why the Christian Right is Wrong

First a disclaimer; I am myself a practicing Christian believer so I'm not attacking from the left, right or center. I'm rebuking sadly in Christian love.

In anticipation of the criticism I will receive for not including the so-called "Christian" Left in this piece I can say only that most Christian leftists have long ago abandoned normative Christian practices. There is therefore, no common ground from which I can say anything to them – they make it up as they go along and answer to a political, rather than a Biblical calling and so I must leave them to their own devices.

President George Bush and his Republican yes men find their largest and most gullible group of constituents among the Christian Right – a loosely defined amalgamation of churches and denominations that typically includes most fundamentalist Christians, particularly in the South.

I say "gullible" because few other groups are so easily led by slogans, so regularly ignore substance, and receive so little in return. I say "fundamentalist" in the strictest sense meaning those who believe that scripture is God's Word and useful for teaching, correcting and instructing. Note that "fundamentalist" is not a pejorative!

Since I believe much as they do why then am I critical of Christians who support the War on Drugs and the Invasion of Iraq? Who often support government schools and line up for government monies to use in "Christian" causes. There is a simple and compelling answer to that.

The US government as it now exists is a government of scofflaws and Christians are required to uphold the actual law of the land – not merely nod their heads in passive acceptance of what to all intents and purposes is anarchy. The US constitution, imperfect document that it is, remains the law governing our Republic just as scripture governs our theology.

When Christians support extra-constitutional actions by government, even for what they rationalize as "good reasons," they themselves become outlaws, taking it upon themselves to write law rather than obey it.

Has not the left used the same tactics and worked around rather than with the constitution to justify their attacks on Christ and decency? When you opened that door, and got away from strict rule of law, did you not think the other side would use the same tactic?

A quick review of the Constitution to which our Republic is bound gives us no hint of any allocation of power to the central government under which it can create massive police agencies and prosecute a war against selected drugs. It is simply not possible under law for this to happen at the national level.

Yet the Christian Right routinely barks happily when President or Senator Pavlov rings that particular bell. So it is all right to violate the law for the greater good as we see it? Show me in scripture or in the constitution where that is so!

Out-of-control government is given a pass for not doing one of its few prescribed missions, which is to defend our borders. Government ignores the law and Christians, who are admonished by scripture to be good citizens, refuse to hold them accountable. As a result we see our culture in decline. But that's okay – after all, President Bush thinks Christ was a great philosopher so we dare not question him.

The Christian Right has routinely supported the Republican Party because of its avowed support of a pro-life agenda. How many dead babies does it take to get through to you folks? If the Republicans cared about that it would be done. It has not been done.

Do you honestly believe there is a constitutional right to kill unborn babies that is frustrating attempts to stop this holocaust? Perhaps it is just easier to shrug and hope that the Republicans will one day keep a promise or two. Examine yourselves and consider if you are making a sound judgment.

That Christians should support government welfare programs that funnel money into Christian coffers for "good works" is frankly, an outright abomination. Christians are co-opted into illegal conduct and do it joyfully, claiming it is for the greater good. Yet how good is it to have government thugs using the sword of the state to extort money from your fellow citizens to use as you wish? I wonder where the constitution gives them the legal right to do that?

Christians have widely supported the war of aggression against Iraq, which was waged without a declaration of war, and was waged against a country that "might" be a threat to us at some time. Under that rubric we could justify invading Bolivia or Australia. Many Christians say this is fine since Sadaam Hussein is a wicked man and so what if it had nothing to do with national defense or those elusive WMDs.

Sadaam Hussein was and is answerable to God Almighty and the Iraqi people, but he is most definitely not answerable to the United States of America. Unless of course we were suddenly to admit our culpability in creating him and announce that we were shooting our own dog.

The body of writings left for us by the founders of this nation declares vehemently that aggressive war and large standing armies are not in our interests and are not part of the intent of this Republic. We are to be defended by a militia of male citizens yet the Christian Right joins with the usurper government in declaring this an "extremist" position. Thus we see Christians lobbying for more military intervention in the world as if somehow there was not enough war and violence already.

There has been little or no discussion of the long held tradition of the Just War – Christian spokesmen seem to support any war that comes along.

You lobby government to support the nation state of Israel with taxpayer monies. Once again you use the sword of state to extort other people's money for your causes. Consider the results and use better judgment. Actions have consequences and when you support a particular action you are responsible for the consequences!

Other Americans are using the same tactics to lobby for support of the Arabs. The net result – your result – is a proliferation of American weapons in an already volatile region, with both sides shooting American bullets. Isn't that akin to pouring gasoline on a fire? Is this really God pleasing?

Christians regularly ignore the law of land in exchange for crumbs from the master's table. While our borders are being overrun and our heritage of freedom destroyed, Christians are shouting their approval for a defense of marriage amendment.

How ridiculous that is when you consider the implications. The Christian Right; co-conspirators with government scofflaws in the overthrow of the constitution, want a constitutional amendment to protect marriage. You cannot have it both ways. What good is an amendment to a document that you have yourselves helped to render superfluous?

What about the last time Christians lobbied for constitutional change – remember the people gunned down in the streets after the moralistic attempt at prohibition and the wide acceptance of bootlegging that resulted. Ask yourself, was banning alcohol actually such a good idea?

That we are once again seeing gun fights in our streets as a result of the latest attempt at prohibition should make you ask yourselves some tough questions but it does not. You simply demand more and more of the same failing programs and pat yourselves proudly on the backs as the body count mounts and the prisons overflow. As if somehow pontificating for morality had actual worth and rejecting sober judgment had some merit.

Shouldn't legal remedies be handled at the state level? That is after all, how this country was set up. In the days when there were fewer laws there were also fewer crimes. Is there not a message in that?

As far as drugs and alcohol go – why not take responsibility for your own families, create your own Christian schools and set an example that would be the envy of unbelievers and leave the sword of state in its sheath. That sword, once drawn, can and does swing both ways. You should have figured that out last Christmas.

The wicked, Marxist teacher's unions find all too much support from the Christian Right who believe government schools are a good thing simply because it feels good to believe that. Is willful stupidity a sin? I think so. It could be that this is a way of pretending that Christians have not failed their children by failing to build and support Christian schools. Let Sam do it. Just don't complain when your children come home mouthing government platitudes about tolerance and diversity.

Aren't the government schools a hotbed of illegal drug activity? Which you say you are so worried about? Why on earth would you send your children to such a place? Just askin'.

Many if not most Christians recognize that the Republicans are not much better than the Democrats but vote for them under the reasoning that they are voting for the imagined "lesser of two evils." I say to you that evil is like virginity. There is no degree of evil, it is simply evil and for a Christian to support evil under any circumstances is a sin. Given the latent power of the Christian Right this seems to me to be even more heinous since that power could be used to press for lawful government.

For those of you who think voting against George Bush is the same as voting for a democrat I can only ask you, would you have voted for Adolph Hitler? There were many in Germany who did not like Hitler one bit but were desperately (and justifiably) afraid of the communists and voted for him as a "lesser of two evils." What they got was evil. It was the only thing they could get with that mindset.

There are men out there who stand for the rule of law. Not many, but they are there. There are enough Christians in this country to give those men a voice. That we are not doing so is a disgrace.

I call upon the Christian Right to stop playing to your own self-righteousness and actually do the right thing. Nowhere is more faux patriotism to be found and less of the real thing, which is so badly needed in this time of crisis for our country. You have the power to turn this country around and return us to rule of law, to decency and order.

I say to you that your claim to the moral high ground is a false one as long as you support any political leader who violates his oath to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States. We are not the subjects of some king – we are part of a Republic that demands of us responsible and committed citizenship. The Republic is in our hands and we have ill-used it.

For us to fulfill the Great Commission we must be always consistent and do that which is pleasing to God for it is with His power, not our own that lives are changed. It is God's will as set forth in Holy Scripture that we follow rule of law and in this country that law is codified in the constitution.

How can Christians justify their role in overturning that constitution?

In a secular court we are reminded that ignorance is no excuse under the law. How much sterner is the court from which there is no appeal? If we in ignorance of the constitution allow scofflaws to rule over us and cheer them on in the name of morality we are no better than hypocrites and we will have scant credibility since God will not strengthen us in our error.

Read your Bible daily. But for goodness sake read the Constitution of the United States once in a while and make your political decisions based upon what is lawful rather than what feels good.

February 13, 2004