Intoxicated open letter to the Christian Right, I have read a lot of Facebook posts as of late regarding a lot of issues: the Ten Commandments, immigration, the Affordable Care Act, the challenge of under God in the pledge of allegiance so I wanted to contribute my thoughts in hopes they might shed a little light on my perspectives. You identify as a Christian, an ambassador of Christ. Fortunately, the Establishment Clause protects your right to practice your religion so long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. But because this arbitrary and inconsequential religious label is such a big part of your identity, you want to wear it on your sleeve and vote or support legislation accordingly. But it would behoove you to learn about what your holy writ and supposed teacher taught you. For example, as Obama pointed out, the scripture says Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. How are you treating these immigrants? If you believe this commandment was not for us, but rather for the Israelites regarding the Egyptians then you have just unwittingly conceded your reason for the placement of the Ten Commandments at our public capitol grounds for its introductory clause reads, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. So not only are the Ten Commandments not the foundation of our Earthly form of government (I have written about this before) but they are not applicable to you (unless you were previously an Israelite slave) or even the majority of Oklahomans. Like the above example, you seem to gloss over another introductory clause: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. You seem to skip to the following informed texts which declare that this authority, our constitution, is established by God. Whether contrived by the reason and the senses or established by God, our Constitution forms a governance wherein individual or minority rights are inherently protected from the will of any majority. This includes the oppression of foreigners or even showing respect towards an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Certainly such a clause is in conflict with the First Commandment which necessarily prohibits the latter and seemingly negates the aforementioned belief in the divine nature of our Constitution and its historicity, but I digress. Regarding the pledge, having been resolved on June 14, 1954, Congress [made a] law respecting an establishment of religion. Consequently, many atheists and Christians find the resolution amending the pledge of allegiance as unconstitutional. That you insist on enforcing religiously-motivated laws, why are we pushing to require Biblical curriculums in public schools but not for requiring Christians to sell all they have and distribute it to the poor? Why are you trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act when it requires we look after the sick? Why are we not passing laws requiring Christians to pray in secret? Why are we not passing laws prohibiting the consumption of pork or requiring daily prayers to Allah? (Oh, that is correct. It is the wrong god. I see how this works.) But I suppose you would support a law prohibiting the consumption of shrimp or participation in football since the players handle pigskin since it is the correct god; right? (Oh right. The Old Testament is not applicable. I am glad we can agree that the Ten Commandments need to be moved.) So, why do not we pass religiously-inspired laws legalizing the ownership and regulation of slavery? You are right. We have tried that already. Despite its divine establishment and religious support found in the Christian scripture, we some how figured out that it was wrong. Well, if religion did not inform the change, then that which informed it must have pertained to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious. Or in other words secular. That is all that evil little word means. That is what best works for this government. And that this is a secular or worldly government, again I believe you are doing it wrong. According to your primitive authority, you are to submit yourself to the Constitution, an Earthly form of governance. Do you remember that Jesus is recorded as having said his kingdom is not of this world? Did you know that Paul said you are to be Christs ambassadors? By identifying as a Christian, you are supposed to strive to be the highest ranking person who represents Jesus kingdom while living in this country governed by an earthly source with human authorities. That is what it means to be a Christian. Remember that Jesus rebelled against the religious majorities and government of his time. Do I not sound more Christlike than you? And instead, you and other so-called Christians are unnecessarily entangled in this secular government so established to prevent the religious majority from enforcing religiously-purposed laws…and are doing exactly that. Except, as I stated before. You are doing it wrong. Rather than championing a law which would require all Christians to feed, heal, and clothe the poor, you insist on a slab of marble with inapropos text. Rather than supporting a law which would prohibit the oppression of foreigners, you support the change of our original motto and pledge of allegiance. And sadly, you forget that you are supposed to be the foreigner. I challenge you to be the ambassador for Jesus Kingdom he would want you to be.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:07:56 +0000
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