Storiesinamerica has a diary with some news stories, mostly from the Midwest, that deal with reproductive rights. A common theme in those stories are the thuggish actions of so-called “pro life” Christians including picketing the homes of health care workers. I envisioned them singing the hymn about “my god is an awesome god.” It makes me mutter under my breath, oh just go fuck off.
Even though Jim Wallis doesn’t get it, Jesus is the best spokesperson the Left ever had. He spoke out against Roman imperial political and theological domination and against the Judaean collaborationist upper classes (called by Mark “the high priests, elders, and scribes”). He trashed the temple calling it a den of thieves, not because of the legitimate money changing going on there so that people could make the appropriate sacrifices but because the thieves, the high priests, elders, and scribes, etc., were hiding out in the temple, hiding behind their forms of worship rather than following their God and bringing about justice and righteousness. We have our contemporary den of thieves: Falwell, Dobson, Robertson, Bush, the good, honorable Christians who bash gays and terrorize health care workers and assassinate doctors. Jesus speaks to them as well. He calls them hypocrites, thieves and chases them from the temple all the while quoting a bunch of old Israelite prophets who proclaimed that God hated the worship of the unjust and the posers, of those who take on the form of religion and can’t fathom the greatest commandment. It goes something like this: “Love God with all your heart, your mind, your soul and your strength. And Love Other Human Beings As Yourself.” Christians always get the second part wrong, and therefore don’t have a fucking chance getting the first part right.
Since I didn’t qualify the word Christians in the last sentence, c’mon, let me have it. But remember that Christianity is about how we act in the world, not about how fervently we believe or worship or tell God how cool It is. Christians like to blather about how we shall be known by our fruits. And then continue that blather about fruits being other people they successfully proselytize. The hubris displayed by this is dizzying to me. But then they can avoid the necessity proclaimed by Jesus that we do justice to the least of us, that we embrace the unembracable, and love the unlovable.
