From the middle of my college
career and for 14 years thereafter, I was a devout Christian, part of a
fundamentalist, Bible-thumping church in Chicago. During that whole
time, my understanding of the Christian faith compelled me to remain
largely apolitical. I considered politics to be one of those “civilian
affairs” of which the apostle Paul warned Christians to steer clear.
Could I vote and have opinions on politics as a Christian? Sure.
Should I have been a political activist based on my religious beliefs,
trying to push my religion into civil legislation? I believed that to
be a line I should not cross. Having left the Christian religion 15
years ago, I still believe that.
It seems that not a day goes by anymore that we don’t see a dangerous mix of politics and religion being presented by the Christian right in America. I would like to present some ideas to my friends who are presently members of the Christian right, some food for thought that I hope may be influential in obliterating the “war hawk” stance that has strangely found a foothold among those who should be among the most peaceful and peace-loving groups in this country.
First of all, my friends, I think you would do well to consider that the men who lived during the Crusades were utterly wrong to take Paul’s “soldier of Christ” metaphor and use it as justification to actually militarize, and then to go among the nations causing death, mutilation, and general destruction in the name of God. These men were the jihadists of their day. Their beliefs about Christianity were twisted and extremely harmful.
I noticed during my Christian days a distinct tendency among fundamentalist Christians (especially the men) to emphasize and celebrate the maleness of Jesus. “He was a man. He was a carpenter – there was a lot of hard, physical labor in those days for your average carpenter. He must have been pretty well cut [this is where we picture a shirtless, sweaty Jesus with a nice six-pack, chiseled pecs, and big biceps]. He walked through an angry crowd and no one dared touch him. He must have had an intimidating physical presence. He drove the money changers out of the temple with a whip he made himself. Jesus was no wimp!”
These are things I heard discussed by Christians (who seemed almost on the verge of touching themselves) as if there were a deep desire for Jesus to be Rambo, as if the Great Commission were for the disciples to go into all nations to intimidate (and yet attract) others with their macho physique. Take literally the “soldier” in “soldier of Christ” and add Rambo-Jesus and what do you get? A Christian war hawk, a Christian who has lost all perspective on the purpose and mission of his Savior. Congratulations! You get to beat the crap out of the rest of the world and go to Heaven! (Sound familiar?)
My friends, how can you possibly reconcile your joy at watching missiles being fired at ISIS militants with your commission by Jesus himself to go and share the gospel with all nations? You’re actually watching footage of missile launches that will kill and, according to your beliefs, send unbelieving Islamic militants to Hell for eternity. And you’re cheering??
“I take no pleasure in the death of anyone.” -God
And you’re cheering.
I don’t think I will ever understand those Christians who look at pictures of aircraft carriers and American flags and all but start masturbating. Read the Gospels a little more closely. Jesus was not a political activist. He was not a politician. He was not a general. He was not a literal soldier. He was male, but he was not macho. He wasn’t juvenile in his thinking or his actions. “As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he pulled out his awesome .57 mag and let it do the talking!”
My friends, if there is any shooting going on, it is you shooting your cause (Jesus’ cause) in the foot by aligning yourselves with America’s military-industrial complex, and your fervent wish to have America known as a “Christian nation.” How do you expect to go out and make disciples of all nations when the great Christian nation of the world has been killing militants and civilians in those nations and sealing their fate – separation from God for eternity – before they’ve had a chance to hear the “good news” proclaimed from our holy shores? The great Christian nation is killing your potential converts before you have a chance to invite them to Thursday night Bible study! And those who are left, who have lost family members or have themselves been maimed – how open to the message will they be? “Prince of Peace, my ass!” they’ll say, and who could blame them? More like “Prince of Piece” (where piece = pistol).
If you, as you claim, really have something better to offer this lost world than bullets and bombs and so-called patriotism, then you would do well to distance yourself as much as you can from American politics, especially when it comes to current foreign policy. Jesus has already given you a foreign policy to which I have alluded, a policy which should make you doves, not hawks. If you want to honor your Savior and stop sullying his name, cut your ties to militarism and false patriotism.
Proclaiming Jesus as Lord and being a war hawk has to be one of the biggest oxymorons out there. I think the Christian right could learn a lot from the example of the Quakers and the Amish, as opposed to Patton, MacArthur, and the high-profile right-wing politicians of our day. And, I have to say, it bothers me a little that I have put more time here into defending the character, reputation, and mission of Jesus Christ than any member of the Christian right that I know today, and I’m no longer even a believer. Let that sink in, brothers and sisters.
It seems that not a day goes by anymore that we don’t see a dangerous mix of politics and religion being presented by the Christian right in America. I would like to present some ideas to my friends who are presently members of the Christian right, some food for thought that I hope may be influential in obliterating the “war hawk” stance that has strangely found a foothold among those who should be among the most peaceful and peace-loving groups in this country.
First of all, my friends, I think you would do well to consider that the men who lived during the Crusades were utterly wrong to take Paul’s “soldier of Christ” metaphor and use it as justification to actually militarize, and then to go among the nations causing death, mutilation, and general destruction in the name of God. These men were the jihadists of their day. Their beliefs about Christianity were twisted and extremely harmful.
I noticed during my Christian days a distinct tendency among fundamentalist Christians (especially the men) to emphasize and celebrate the maleness of Jesus. “He was a man. He was a carpenter – there was a lot of hard, physical labor in those days for your average carpenter. He must have been pretty well cut [this is where we picture a shirtless, sweaty Jesus with a nice six-pack, chiseled pecs, and big biceps]. He walked through an angry crowd and no one dared touch him. He must have had an intimidating physical presence. He drove the money changers out of the temple with a whip he made himself. Jesus was no wimp!”
These are things I heard discussed by Christians (who seemed almost on the verge of touching themselves) as if there were a deep desire for Jesus to be Rambo, as if the Great Commission were for the disciples to go into all nations to intimidate (and yet attract) others with their macho physique. Take literally the “soldier” in “soldier of Christ” and add Rambo-Jesus and what do you get? A Christian war hawk, a Christian who has lost all perspective on the purpose and mission of his Savior. Congratulations! You get to beat the crap out of the rest of the world and go to Heaven! (Sound familiar?)
My friends, how can you possibly reconcile your joy at watching missiles being fired at ISIS militants with your commission by Jesus himself to go and share the gospel with all nations? You’re actually watching footage of missile launches that will kill and, according to your beliefs, send unbelieving Islamic militants to Hell for eternity. And you’re cheering??
“I take no pleasure in the death of anyone.” -God
And you’re cheering.
I don’t think I will ever understand those Christians who look at pictures of aircraft carriers and American flags and all but start masturbating. Read the Gospels a little more closely. Jesus was not a political activist. He was not a politician. He was not a general. He was not a literal soldier. He was male, but he was not macho. He wasn’t juvenile in his thinking or his actions. “As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he pulled out his awesome .57 mag and let it do the talking!”
My friends, if there is any shooting going on, it is you shooting your cause (Jesus’ cause) in the foot by aligning yourselves with America’s military-industrial complex, and your fervent wish to have America known as a “Christian nation.” How do you expect to go out and make disciples of all nations when the great Christian nation of the world has been killing militants and civilians in those nations and sealing their fate – separation from God for eternity – before they’ve had a chance to hear the “good news” proclaimed from our holy shores? The great Christian nation is killing your potential converts before you have a chance to invite them to Thursday night Bible study! And those who are left, who have lost family members or have themselves been maimed – how open to the message will they be? “Prince of Peace, my ass!” they’ll say, and who could blame them? More like “Prince of Piece” (where piece = pistol).
If you, as you claim, really have something better to offer this lost world than bullets and bombs and so-called patriotism, then you would do well to distance yourself as much as you can from American politics, especially when it comes to current foreign policy. Jesus has already given you a foreign policy to which I have alluded, a policy which should make you doves, not hawks. If you want to honor your Savior and stop sullying his name, cut your ties to militarism and false patriotism.
Proclaiming Jesus as Lord and being a war hawk has to be one of the biggest oxymorons out there. I think the Christian right could learn a lot from the example of the Quakers and the Amish, as opposed to Patton, MacArthur, and the high-profile right-wing politicians of our day. And, I have to say, it bothers me a little that I have put more time here into defending the character, reputation, and mission of Jesus Christ than any member of the Christian right that I know today, and I’m no longer even a believer. Let that sink in, brothers and sisters.
