The Right Cross (Mary Lyon)

[Tace]

By Mary Lyon, From The Left -- World News Trust

Oct. 16, 2006 -- The cynic in me has long suspected that conservative, indeed regressive, reactionary politicians have viewed people with strong religious convictions as just so many sheep. Sheep to be used and exploited for whatever might be taken from them. Sheep to be shorn at regular intervals, and to be herded off to market, either to sell wholesale, or to funnel into slaughterhouses to be bludgeoned, carved up, and consumed outright. I never saw the politicians involved as having much interest in any of the core beliefs that moved the legions of the faithful. It always seemed to me that you should get into politics to help people, to better the system, to serve the common good -- rather than to target large groups, carnivorously and ruthlessly, to be manipulated for the self-interest of greedy individuals.

The Bush Administration has brought out the cynic in me. And the beast in me. Not that I have a “666” tattoo on my skin (you may, however, find one on Dick Cheney’s chest above where a normal person’s heart would be, beneath one of Karl Rove’s double chins, or behind that signature shock of long blond hair pulled around to the front to conceal one side of Ann Coulter’s scrawny neck). I’ve never once felt any temptation to take anything from the Bush people at face value without suspecting some ulterior motive. They’ve always been alert for crowds of easy marks that can be fleeced for political advantage. Not very Christian, at least as far as I’ve always understood it.

I’m 53 years old now, which means I’ve been a Catholic for 53 years. I did more than my share of time in Catholic school, from preschool through my high school graduation day. My youth was thoroughly marinated in Christian thought, study, and on good days, deeds. And if you’ve steeped in it for that long, the flavorings tend to stay with you -– perhaps even for a lifetime if your superiors have done their jobs.

Part of what stuck with me, besides the cyclical observances of Christ-centered special events, was an overriding belief system –- belief in stuff that still seems rather pure and legitimate, genuinely good. You were supposed to be a humble believer. God was supposed to use you –- it wasn’t the other way around. You didn’t swagger and strut down the center aisle at church to make sure everybody’d see the pile of money you were about to dump into the collection plate. Heaven forbid anyone be encouraged to worship you or anoint you as God’s Chosen. You weren’t supposed to be in it for power or show. Heck, the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6, even said you’re supposed to go pray in the closet (good Lord, what would the “religious” “right” make of THAT?). While I don’t presume to know the mind of God, it strikes me that Jesus would have cringed over the wealth, power, and media razzmatazz of the Falwell or Swaggert ministries, the “700 Club,” and the “Focus on the Pharisees” machinery. St. Paul once dissed such Barnums & Baileys while writing to the Corinthians about the evils of noisy gongs and clanging cymbals.

more

http://www.worldnewstrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=380

[ClassWarrior]

1. Amen. K&R.

NGU.

[calimary]

2. Indeed.

Thanks - God bless!

:hi:

[ClassWarrior]

15. Bless you, mar...

:hi:

NGU.

[calimary]

21. Cheers, bro!

:toast:

[calimary]

3. I'm kicking myself.

But then again, when DON'T I? :evilgrin:

[nam78_two]

4. Good stuff-k&r/nt

[calimary]

12. Thanks!

Just another fart from some gas bag. :D

[BoneDaddy]

5. Excellent

I love it.

[calimary]

13. Love YOU!

Thanks!

[Tigress DEM]

6. Agree that *ush administration shows us "how NOT to live our faith"

But what can you say, they're a bunch of publicans anyway.

And the gems that people take from the real faith experience like:

Humility
Service to God's Will
The Widow and the Penny


Still, much of the ministries that you mentioned began with faithful people and a JOY of the Lord that made the experience of Community of like believers very powerful. Yet when politicians saw 40,000+ people gathered, I guess they had to find a way to get in on that action.


Faith in something more than oneself is necessary to healthy functional living, but the container of Religion always has the potential to abuse the believers and misuse their faith.

[calimary]

10. Great point - many, many ministries start up with truly sincere,

Christ-like intentions. But then power, money, and the wish for more just tend to pervert all the original good. Such a shame. Because, frankly, I can see value in faith-based efforts. But when they're government sanctioned and misappropriated, that's where the Serpent slithers in. As I always understood it, Christ wanted us to find Him. It was an invitation. Free will. Voluntary. A loosely-bound collective. Not a dictatorship. Not a mandate. It's all been perverted in the name of the false gods of power, influence/manipulation, and greed. AND money. The kind of stuff Jesus once took a whip to and drove out of the Temple. Sad.

Thanks for the kick! And YES, I earnestly DO want to delete the entire bush administration!

[bigtree]

7. whatever God there is has to be completely disgusted

with bobblehead worshiping republicans

[Tigress DEM]

9. Not exactly. The way I understand God He knows the difference.

There are those who are following what they think is the right path and they are disgusting to us because we don't know their hearts, but God still puts people like us in their path to remove the veil and help them to see the truth so they can make better choices of how to live their faith.

On the other hand the ones who just say the right words and bobble head along while their hearts are black and their hands hidden in their robes covered with filth and misdeeds, THOSE ones are moving their bobble head butts closer to Hades with every foul deed.

THOSE ones don't get even as much as "digust" from God. He simply says, "I know you not."

AND THOSE people are flabbergasted because they think they can manipulate EVERY person, place or thing.

God tells them "When I was hungry, you fed me not. When I was alone in prison, you did not come and comfort me. I was naked and you left me that way. I was homeless and you did not shelter me."

Publicans answer, "That wasn't ME!"

God says, "You blame Clinton one more time and YOU will go to Hell."

Publican, "But.."

God says, "Do I LOOK like I watch FAUX News?"

When these people have to answer for their actions no amount of Rovian tactics will help them.

At least that's my vison of comfort in dark hours.

[calimary]

14. Hey, bigtree -

I said it before, but it's worth repeating - I've appreciated your posts ever since you issued that superb media contact list - that launched the Five Star thread.

:thumbsup: to ya!

:toast:

[Tigress DEM]

8. As a recovering Catholic myself...

I think I need to do a new set of 12 Steps... 12 Steps to Religious Freedom.

I'll work on that over vacation. Meanwhile here is another set that will lead to the environment where I can practice my Religious Freedom.


12 Steps to US Political Freedom


1
Admit that there is a drunken enraged elephant in the White House.

2
Come to believe in Democracy as a power greater than individuals acting alone.

3
Make a decision to invest in the Democratic process to the best of our ability.

4
Take an honest, yet compassionate look at our nation, as is, and evaluate which parts are helpful and which will need to be changed to bring US back to the kind of world leader our Founding Father's legacy of sacrifice demands of US.

5
Embrace Truth and our responsibilities to it, dwell upon truthful thoughts, speak our Truth to one another and together speak Truth to the powers who obscure it.

6
Brace for the impact of our actions to Take Our Country Back stir up and prepare to make any changes needed to return US to a solidarity of commitment to stand up for Liberty and Justice for ALL.

7
Humbly ask for help in these endeavors, whether it means praying like Romans with our eyes on fire or simply acknowledging that none of US can accomplish this alone.

8
Make 3 lists. First, people who can be trusted to champion Democracy regardless of political party dictates. Second, people who have trashed the Constitution and stripped US of our Civil Liberties. Third, those who must prove to US which list they will be placed on based on actions.

9
Do 3 things. First, support our champions. Second, impeach or otherwise politically hold accountable those who have done damage to US. Third, monitor the others and put the fire under their feet to push them onto the first list whenever possible.

10
Honestly evaluate our daily actions and determine to which list we belong and why.

11
Go within to thoughtfully, soulfully reach our deepest reserves of strength and seek out what is the right thing for US to do at this time with a faith that the momentum of all that has gone before will support us in all we do.

12
Having become Democracy in action, rejoice in the process, bring others onto the path, get out the vote, cast your vote and monitor those counting the votes and teach others to do the same so Democracy is alive in thought, word and deed for every successive generation.
(short version, lather, rinse, repeat)

[calimary]

11. Boy, this one's a keeper! Great thinking!

:yourock:

[bobbolink]

16. "God was supposed to use you -- it wasn't the other way around"

Ohhhh, calimary... that's GOOOOOOD! :evilgrin:

I just came from hearing Jim Wallis speak, so I'm actually feeling a teensy bit more hopeful on all this than I usually do.

"The times they are a-changin'.."

Thanks for your post!

[calimary]

17. Thanks, dahlink!

How'd you like Jim Wallis?

[bobbolink]

19. Muchly welcome! Jim Wallis was great, of course!

Here's my hastily written post about him..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2417529

:pals:

[blm]

18. I was a Catholic in the Kucinich mode - heavy on charity work,

and my mother was, too. Then she changed in the early 70s and became a fundie Catholic tha was uber-political. She went from clothing the poor (even though we were poor, as well) to blaming the poor - it was very sad.

Years later I discovered the group she initially joined came to the US from South America and was originally funded by RevMoon and other RW operators working to use religion to peel away Democrats to the Republican party.


The group she was involved with is the same one David Brock's father was in.

[calimary]

20. I don't think Our Lord would approve of the mixing of church and state.

Not that I have any great claim to the thinking of Jesus, nor do I have His private phone number or email address. But did He or did He not tell somebody in the Gospel to "render therefore to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's"? Sounds to me as though He didn't mishmosh either thing together into one unit, or in any way attempt to blend the two, but instead made it clear that these were two distinctly separate things. My husband quotes that passage, too, whenever the argument about the validity of church/state separation comes up.