This article sets a tone a bit angrier and more cynical than makes me completely comfortable, but he manages to say a lot that I agree with.
(The underlines are mine.)"...a few decades ago the leaders of the GOP did something very intelligent. History shows one of the easiest ways to manipulate...people is through their religion. You can get people to do horrific things in the name of 'their god' by convincing them that their actions are acceptable because they are the true believers, and those they oppose are the 'heathens.'
You see this with radicals of every faith. These radical leaders take a handful of excerpts from whatever book they follow and manipulate millions into believing whatever they want.
Republicans knew two key issues could easily control millions--abortion and homosexuality. Once they identified their two key manipulation points, all they needed to do was tie in whatever political ideology they wanted with these two religious-based beliefs and they could create a political party that was worshiped more like a faith than a political idea...
...What they follow is some mix of Ayn Rand economic ideologies and a couple of select passages from the Bible.
Which I always find hilarious considering Ayn Rand thought religious people were stupid and insane...How exactly can someone build an economic platform based on a woman who completely contradicted Christianity, while claiming to be a follower of Christianity?...
...See, the whole point of being a Christian means you follow the teachings of Christ. I've actually seen many of these 'Christians' try and say Jesus would support cuts to welfare and side with the top-down economic policies of the Republican Party.
As I've said before, whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not is not the issue; what he symbolized and his story aren't really debatable. He spent his life helping the poor, sick and needy. He never once spoke about homosexuality or abortion. He embraced those from the lowest rungs of society by saying that those for whom much had been given, much is expected. He taught love, hope, compassion and forgiveness. He warned against those who would manipulate the word of God for their own selfish ambitions. He opposed greed and encouraged giving.
You know, the exact opposite of what Republicans stand for.
But that doesn't matter to these people because they oppose abortion and homosexuality--again, two things Jesus never spoke of.
And honestly, can you name one other 'Christian' value Republicans claim to value? Because I hate to break it to them, but guns weren't invented by Jesus. Saying you have a 'God-given right to bear arms' is just ignorant. God didn't grant anyone the right to bear arms, a bunch of slave owning rich white men did that in the late 1700s...
...These people have hijacked a faith to distort it for their own political gains...
...It's time (to) rise up against these ignorant fake Christians and call them out directly on the truth. They don't follow Christianity.
They follow Republicanity. They worship Reagan, guns and greed--not Jesus Christ.
I agree.
ReplyDeleteWell, I agree to a point. Reagan wouldn't get passed a Republican primary election under the current party mind set. I think I'd replace Reagan's name with Karl Rove. He and his unholy triumvirate, the other two being Rumsfeld & Cheney.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of Rove/Rumsfeld/Cheney this way, I wonder if each one had a birthmark looking like the number 6.
By itself a harmless little number but, according Christian religion, when three of those little 6's get together you got a real antichrist thing goin' on.
No facts as to whether or not they bear these 6's, though.
I'm just sayin'..., is all.