So You Think You Know Christianity

Christianity is a topic, like interior decorating, that most of us think we know well enough to judge, yet suffer no detectable curiosity to learn what we do not know.  With interior decorating, expertise is a matter of cushions, plaids and wall coverings.  With Christianity, the obvious is not so plain to see.  The library has yet to be built large enough to house the definitive debate on the nature and reality of 'true' Christianity.  Armies of Christian theologians might never have ink enough among them to resolve that.  This splatter of words is but a drop in that sea.  Instead, this thimble-full examines the confusions between the Christianity of Bush and bumper stickers to the Christianity of the Bible (or, more specifically, the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, found in the first four books of the New Testament, often called the Gospels).

When U.S. President Harry Truman said, "This is a Christian nation," he was speaking of the United States of America.  Whatever merit the quote might have in terms of demographics (The number of Americans identifying themselves as Christians as opposed to the number of Americans identifying themselves as, oh, Scientologists, for example), the assertion leads to an immediate, obvious and flawed conclusion:  'You can learn something about 'Christians' by observing the U.S.A. and its people.'  Though President Truman cannot be held entirely responsible for causing the resulting confusions (in the way he might be held responsible for, say, the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan), it seems obvious that his observation is, at minimum, a product of such confusion.

If no less authority than Harry Truman declares this mystery with such confidence, then little wonder that Joe Citizen lives in a state of confident confusion.  For his part, Jesus of Nazareth said, "My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36)", but then Jesus was not an American and he was certainly never President, so what could he know about it?

Many people know nothing more about Christianity than what they have learned from observations by and about the current resident of the White House:  George W. Bush (as diverting as speculations about Truman spinning in his grave might be, they remain beyond the scope of this paper).  "W" (as his supporters seem to prefer) has made much of his personal, 'Christian' faith and its role in his life and his time occupying the White House.  In the context of and in alliance with what is deemed the 'evangelical Christian' political right wing of his Republican party; "W" presents a cluster of examples of his (and by extension, 'their') brand of 'Christianity'.  Some examples follow:

1.      God is on 'our' side in the war in Iraq… and Afghanistan… and (fill in the blank).

2.      God is just (meaning "pro-death" penalty in 'capital' cases).

3.      God is anti-gay.

4.      GOP stands for God's Own Party.

5.      Bush is God's co-pilot and/or Quarterback.

In an interview during the NBC-TV talk show "Meet the Press" on February 8, 2004,

"W" said, "I'm a war president….  I make decisions here in the Oval Office on foreign policy matters with war on my mind."  Contrast "war president" with the honorary title frequently attributed to Jesus of Nazareth: "Prince of Peace."  The phrase comes from a description of the anticipated Messiah (or Christ) found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, which Christians commonly ascribe to Jesus.  In the book of John in the New Testament, Jesus tells his closest associates ("W" might think of them as a 'Cabinet'… or cronies) "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  (John 14:27 [emphasis added])."  War.  Peace.  H'm…one of these things is not like the other.  Alas, no TV cameras were present to record Jesus when he made his remarks.

            The so-called 'pro-life' position of "W" and his so-called 'Christian' allies bumps into an extravagantly self-contradictory brick wall when it comes to state executions of prisoners:  During his 6-year tenure as the Governor of Texas, "W" commuted one (1) death penalty and permitted 152 executions.  If death by execution is 'pro-life' and 'pro-life' is 'Christian,' then Texas is the most 'Christian' state of all; Texas has been home to more executions than any other state.  By way of perspective, in the interval between 1976 (when the death penalty was re-instituted in the United States) and 2005, the Commonwealth of Virginia (second in the nation in the state-by-state execution derby) committed a paltry 94 executions.  In six years, "W" condoned 58 executions more than Virginia could muster in 19 years of trying.

            In this, as in so many, many, many things, "W" remains adamant, unwavering and obstinate:  On the occasion of the 1,000^th (yes, one thousand human beings dead) execution in the United States since 1976, "White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Mr. Bush (sic) "Strongly supports" the death penalty."  By contrast, Jesus, speaking for himself, said, "I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.  (John 12:47)"  Jesus also said, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  (Luke 6:37)"  "W" seems to be a macho, manly, deadly orange to the applesauce of Jesus.  To be fair and balanced, of course, it must be acknowledged that Jesus himself is said to have been executed by the state.  That might color his judgment…er, opinion.  The Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, might have been more inclined to agree with the former governor of Texas.

            One point on which "W" and Bible-thumping right wing 'Christian' 'evangelicals' among Republicans seem to take pride in making a 'Christian' slam dunk is Divine animosity toward homosexuals, homosexuality and, to borrow a phrase from Republican governator of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 'girly men'.  The Old Testament gives voice to this idea:  As Moses announces the Law in the book of Leviticus, he warns, "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable "Now we are talking a "W" brand of 'Christianity'!  Needless to say, this goes hand in glove with his death penalty tally in Texas.  Sure, Leviticus also characterizes eating shellfish as an "abomination (Leviticus 11:10)" and the Old Testament generally is rife with admonitions, prohibitions and abominations; and, it's fair to say that Reformed Judaism rejects the various 'lifestyle' strictures as confined to the Judaism of Old Testament times, but here the Bible, the bumper stickers and the 'no gay-marriage' politics of the Republicans seem to have found a measure of convergence.

They must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:13

            This is what Jesus says about homosexuality and homosexual relations: nothing.  Not a word on men-with-men or women-with-women; no abominations – pure, divine, holy nothing.  So, is nothing holy?  In the book of Matthew, Jesus does say that the second greatest commandment is, "Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)"  No footnote excludes homosexuals…or Iraqis…or death row inmates.  (In a curious omission, a 'Thou Shalt Not' against homosexuality is noticeable by its absence among the original Top Ten Commandments – though adultery does make that list.)  Whether or not Jesus Christ makes a model Christian remains open to dispute, but it seems clear enough, by virtue of his very silence, that on the issue of homosexuality, Jesus would make a very poor Republican.  (Once again, to be fair and balanced, Jesus is reported to have spent most of his time in the company of twelve [ahem] men.)

            Maybe all of the seeming differences between Jesus Christ and the 'Christianity' of "W" boils down to an idea best expressed by G.K. Chesterton:  "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

 (I know this is dated, "W" is no longer in office, but right-wing nut jobs still, and will always feel this way)