“The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Psalms 37:11). “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). And of course, “Thou shall not lie” (Exodus 20:16). These are the basic tenets of Christianity: Tell the truth, take care of the poor and keep the peace.
For all of its grand talk of The Almighty, does the Christian Right and the Conservative wing of the Republican Party truly embody these beliefs? Thou shall not lie: Obviously, telling the truth is a religious issue. Despite his self-proclaimed strong faith, President Bush seems to have no problem distorting the truth. Among “we’ve found the weapons of mass destruction,” “mission accomplished,” “no one could have anticipated the levees would break” and “we aren’t trolling through phone records,” it’s hard for me to pick the most disturbing misrepresentation made by this President. Clearly it seems that the president’s Christian values get checked at the door when discussing national security.
Most egregious, however, is the complete lack of concern this President has shown for middle and lower class Americans. During the last six years, Bush has taken a $2.5 trillion surplus and squandered it by giving enormous tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans while cutting programs that aid our most vulnerable citizens. This year alone there has been a $12 billion cut to student loans, $60 billion to Medicare and Medicaid, $1 billion from food stamps and an increase in Head Start funding so small that the program can’t even keep up with inflation. While Bush speaks so frequently about his religious faith as a guiding force, the resulting legislation seems blatantly contradictory.
For years, when asked to speak about the role of religion in politics, Democrats have feebly tried to hide behind the separation of church and state. In my opinion, this is the largest tactical mistake the Democratic Party has ever made. By deferring on this question, Democrats allowed the Republicans to frame how religion (specifically Christianity) should influence politics. Rather than using their power to implement a government that embraces the true tenets of Christianity, the Republicans party has chosen to define Christianity’s influence in politics as solely pertaining to gay marriage, reproductive health services, prayer in school, evolution, stem cell research and public displays of the Ten Commandments.
However, a government that truly embraced the tenets of Christianity would be appalled that in the U.S., the richest country in the history of the modern world, only the wealthiest can afford health care. If Bush practiced the Christianity he so frequently brings up, he’d have employed every diplomatic tactic before using military force in Iraq. What could be less Christ-like than starting a war of choice without provocation? Further, a Christian government (as well as any other respectful government) should be horrified that we are standing by idly while genocide rages in Darfur.
In Matthew 25, all people who see themselves as followers of Christ are assembled at the throne of Heaven. Jesus proceeds to divide those who will proceed to heaven from those banished to hell. The followers are judged solely on how they treated the poor. Those who took care of the poor or “saw (them) hungry and gave (them) food or thirsty and gave (them) something to drink” go on to heaven. This is the sole qualification by which Christ judges. It is not about embracing a certain view of the earth’s creation, having the right sexual orientation, or subscribing to the correct ideology. It’s about how you treat those around us who are most vulnerable.
I am Jewish. As a member of a minority religion, advancement of religion’s role in our political system often makes me nervous. But what makes me nervous is not that religion itself is seeping into politics, but that the religion the Christian Right chooses to invoke completely ignores the major tenets of the Christian faith. A government that honestly embraced the true pillars of any religion would be one of great tolerance and aid to all citizens, especially those who are in the greatest need. Christianity, like all major religions, stresses compassion, understanding and helping your neighbor.
I am disappointed that the Christian Right uses religion as a means to denounce gay marriage yet says nothing about the fact that approximately 20 percent of children in this country live in poverty. But I am no less disappointed in the left’s inability to articulate how our faith influences our politics.
The problem for the left is not that it’s Godless. It’s that it’s voiceless. It’s time for Democrats and those who are fed up with misuse of religion to the stand up and explain that we do have faith. We, however, choose to use that faith to guide us in helping those less fortunate.
Because in the end, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14).