Your Religion is Invalid

 Political "Christianity" isn't Christianity.  It is nothing more than the manipulation of a constituency for political gain and exists to advance an agenda of unmitigated greed.  Billy Graham once said, " It would disturb me if there was a wedding between fundamentalists and the political right.  The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it."  Reverend Graham couldn't have been more correct, the Republican party has manipulated men and women of faith in a very blatant way.  The religion of conservatism bears no resemblance to the Christianity of the Bible.  This isn't the faith of Mother Theresa, it's the outright worship in the First Church of Cash and nothing more.

The conservative right would have us believe that this nation was founded on the principles of Christianity.  This is an outright lie.  The founding fathers, so venerated by the Tea Party movement, were very much in favor of keeping the oil and water of politics and religion far, far away from each other in order to preserve the integrity of both.  Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and collaborator on most of our founding documents, was deeply opposed to state-sponsored religion.  In his home state of Virginia, the Anglican Church was recognized as the official religion, receiving subsidies paid by the collection of taxes.  In order to hold office in Virginia, one had to be a member of the church.  Jefferson drafted a piece of legislation, The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, which was adopted in 1786.  The goal of the legislation was the complete separation of church and state.  So firm was his belief, that he made it part of his epitaph,

"No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."

   

Republicans are big fans of individualism.  They embrace capitalism in the purest sense of the word.  They believe in free and unfettered enterprise without constraint from groups or governments.  Above all--they reject any notion of Socialism.  To them, any policy or program that smacks of Socialism is evil and the enemy of our precious democracy.  Allow me to give you some food for thought:  How democratic is a system in which two corporate entities pre-select two candidates for you to choose from?  Do you really believe that ours is still a country where anyone can be the President?  If you believe that, you better hop in your time machine and leave the 1940's.  Those days are over, friend.  If you want to be president in this country, you better have a stock pile of cash and the right friends and pedigree or it simply isn't happening.  You're being given the illusion of choice.  

The fact of the matter is this--as a country, we embrace certain tenets of socialism.  And socialism isn't a dirty word.  Social Security is one of the most popular programs in the United States, as is Medicare; both are socialistic programs.  So are public schools, libraries, paid fire departments, police departments and so on.  Any service the government provides for the public good is socialistic by nature.  These are good things.  Now come closer, because I've got a secret to tell you...Jesus Christ, the son of God, from the Christian Bible...was a socialist.

He believed that everyone deserved access to healthcare (never once did he send a bill for those miracles of healing).  He believed in food stamps (no charge for those loaves and fishes, and the water to wine trick?  Don't get me started).  In the New Testament, over and over and over again he commanded that the poor be taken care of.  He was opposed to personal wealth.  He was pro-taxes (render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, anyone)?  According to Jesus, Mitt Romney and his wealthy pals are going to have a heckuva time getting into heaven, magic undies or not.  Jesus never once mentioned homosexuality,he supported women's rights and he was opposed to the death penalty (he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone).  He also had a serious issue with big banks--especially when they got into the business of faith.  He tossed 'em right out in a fit of righteous indignation.  

The church of man denies equality to gays and minorities.  The church of greed denies healthcare and a social safety net.  And it's the good-ol'-boys network of wealthy white guys who embraces an empty shell of faith in order to move forward with their continued effort to ensure that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And they're doing it in the name of God and patriotism.  If you disagree, you don't love your country, your mom or apple pie.  They're preying on your faith to line their own pockets.  They're making one party in a two party system the devil.  I've got news for you--there are a lot of Democrats that are men and women of faith.  

Jesus was a liberal.  And Jesus belongs to all people of faith, not just Republicans.  They call us pro-abortion in attempt to whip up an emotional frenzy.  Let's make this clear; there's not a democrat alive that is pro-abortion.  We just happen to believe that the government has no business dictating a woman's decisions regarding her body. We are the party of as few abortions as possible.  They are vilifying a political party by calling us Communists when Christ's views are far more in line with our political ideology.  Republican as the party of Christianity is the biggest bait and switch of all time.  

Jesus Christ was crucified for being a liberal and fighting for the little guy against the interests of what is tantamount to an ancient day Republican party!!  And before you start beating me over the head with passages from Deuteronomy justifying your bigotry?  That story in the Old Testament about Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah?  When the townsfolk came knocking at the door looking for a gay orgy, Lot offered them his wife and his daughters rather than himself.  Not exactly as morally upstanding as you thought.  Furthermore,  the arrival of Jesus on the scene in Bethlehem started a whole new chapter, biblically speaking.  Call Jesus the New Deal of the ancient set, or in Maher Speak; new rules.  

 All of this just serves to reinforce the notion that Jefferson was on to something when he decided that leaving the Bible out of government was a good idea.  It's obvious that both individual and corporate greed has raped faith and corrupted it, cherry picking what works for them and abandoning the rest.  If you're truly a person of faith--real faith--Mother Theresa faith, then you'll recognize that the Republicans don't give a damn about the teachings of Christ and you'll fight to take your faith out of their hands, where it's currently serving as a weapon against your own interests.