Sunday, July 19, 2015

Both Liberal and Christian? What gives?

     Recently, on one of the liberal groups I follow on Facebook, I saw a post that had three symbols. The first was the Nazi swastika. The second was the Soviet hammer and sickle. The third was the Christian cross. The caption read something like "Which of these Three Symbols has Caused the Most Hate" I was dismayed that the Cross won hands down. Dismayed, but not surprised. Christianity has almost no credibility with American liberals today. I cannot say I'm surprised. After all, I hear all the hatred that so called "Christians" like Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, the Duggars, and an army of hate filled politicians and preachers sprew out. So how can one be liberal and Christian?

     First up, how did I become a liberal, because that's what came first for me. Like most liberals, I became one because, you know, I was nice. I didn't beat up other kids. I didn't make fun of other kids, at least not as much as they made fun of me. I never gave some poor kid a wedgie in the locker room. Never called anybody "faggot", "sissy", "pussy" or engage in all that charming behavior. I thought my parents sounded stupid when they used the word "nigger". I thought war was stupid. I hated it when Mom had to wait in a gas line because of greedy oil companies. I saw nothing wrong with helping someone when they were down. I never thought this was anything special, it was just what good, decent people believed and how they acted. Imagine my shock when some people called this behavior "liberal" and then saying "liberal" was bad. Imagine my shock when I found out that  most people were not liberal, but they actually thought being mean, cruel, and ignorant was good. Imagine my disgust when I saw the same type of creep that terrorized the locker room at Ridgewood High suddenly become the majority of the US Government. Look, I never wanted the tag "liberal", I never wanted to spread Communism. I never wanted to use the government to boss people around. I just wanted people to be nice.

No, I make absolutely no apologies for being a liberal. Nor do I apologize for being a Christian. For two reasons. First, Jesus is a friend of liberals. Second, secular liberals have been totally ineffective since they abandoned Christianity.

Abandon Christianity and you abandon the strongest tool that you have against the excesses of capitalism. After all, human beings are made by their Creator to be social animals. In our natural state we need each other. Capitalism tells us to compete against one another. Jesus mandates that we live for other people and love our neighbor. Capitalism mandates that you look out for number one, and the penalty for doing this ineffectively is poverty. Or unemployment. Or homelessness. Or death. Jesus rules by love. Capitalism rules by terror. Jesus tells us that all you need is His love and you will always get what you need, so don't worry. Capitalism says that you don't have what you need, that you must always have more, and since you never get enough, you must always be unsatisfied. and since you are always unsatisfied, you must always be anxious and fearful.. Jesus teaches that everyone, even the lowest, has value, because all of us will be given Eternal Life if we follow Him. Capitalism teaches that people who have no money are the worst kind of scum. If you don't believe this, ask any conservative politician. Why am I a Christian you ask me, Fellow Liberal? I ask you back how can you not be? Yes, many self described "Christians" have gone over the deep end. But, they did not take Jesus with them.

The political problem with us liberals is that without access to a Higher Power, we will always lose in the long run. Our problem is that human beings have two types of brains. One is a quick trigger, fight or flight brain that is always on duty to protect us against danger. This helped us in prehistoric times. When we saw that saber-toothed tiger, we did not think about it. We got the hell out of Bedrock. This helped us to survive as a species. We still have and need this brain now. The second type. of brain is the one that helps us to think and feel. This is the brain that gives us our humanity. This is the part of the brain that enables humans to do beautiful things. The problem is that when the flight or flight brain is on, the thinking brain gets turned off. This is not necessarily bad. It is necessary for our survival. But it makes for bad politics.

You see, it is impossible for people to be compassionate if they are ruled by fear. Inflame the first brain with fear and you will never get the second brain to feel compassionate. We liberals try to appeal to the second brain by appealing to people's better nature. But the conservatives beat us to the punch by stoking fear, especially fear of the Other. Muslims! Blacks! Mexskins! Queers! The Great Kenyon Usurper who is spending all your hard earned money on those Other People! Conservatives know that if you keep the people in fear, they will always win in the long run. Lose to Obama? make people terrified of him so they can't think straight. Secular Liberals even lose when they win. Do you really think Hillary or even Bernie can overcome human nature without access to the Higher Power of God?

So Fellow Liberal, what are we going to do next? Its getting very late in the game. The wingnuts are heading the great ship of state into the iceberg. What to do? You already know what my solution is. Yeah, Him again. Give Him a shot. Jesus is our best hope. He is our only hope.        

  

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