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One major problem with the alignment of religion and
politics in this country is that we have a Christian
Right,
but we don't have a Christian Left.
Consequently, we must endure proposals to post the Ten Commandments in every classroom, while biology teachers try to avoid saying the e-word. We hear plenty about one abomination mentioned in Leviticus, but never are there denunciations of other abominations listed there, like eating shellfish or wearing shirts made of two or more varieties of cloth.
But we don't hear much from the other side. This came to mind when I read about a presidential candidate forum in Iowa.
The participants were asked to name a political
philosopher or thinker
with whom they most identified.
Our country has produced an abundance of them; one might
reasonably expect answers like James Madison, Thomas
Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln or Benjamin
Franklin.
But Texas Gov. George W. Bush responded with Christ,
because he changed my life.
Let's take Bush at his word about his life being changed. But if we do that, we should examine the Gospels to find out just what sort of political philosophy Jesus advocated, and from what I can gather, it's not exactly the polity envisioned by any Republican platform I've ever read.
For instance, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
that thou hast, and give to poor.
This doesn't sound
like an argument to repeal the capital-gains tax.
A few verses later, we read that ... a rich man shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven ... It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
If Bush has quoted Matthew 19:24 in one of his vapid
speeches, I missed it. Nor have I heard him, or any
Republican candidate for that matter, address whether one
can have a 401K plan and still obey the divine instruction,
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where
moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through
and steal.
When he's soliciting his record amounts of campaign
contributions -- some of which must come from wealthy
people who profess Christianity -- has Bush pointed out
that Ye cannot serve God and mammon
?
This could go on indefinitely, but the point should be clear by now. It's pretty hard to find a favorable reference to the wealthy and powerful in the New Testament. Jesus chased the money-changers out of the temple; he didn't praise them as the first step in a long-overdue privatization program that would result in lower costs and increased efficiency.
Jesus was homeless. There's no record that Jesus ever held a job. He didn't charge for healing lepers or feeding the multitudes.
And even though Jesus was innocent, he was executed. That should give Bush a few second thoughts about supervising the lethal-injection assembly line in Texas -- but if it has, that fact has escaped public notice.
The truth is that Jesus addressed personal conduct, not
the organization of society. He wasn't a political
philosopher.
His advice along that line was merely to
render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's,
and he
said that my kingdom is not of this earth
-- which
seems to indicate that he wasn't political philosopher
or thinker,
no matter what Bush wants to profess.
After all, the United States is a republic with some democratic elements -- a form of government not mentioned in the Bible, with its judgeships, kingdoms and empires.
So why did Bush give such an irrelevant answer? Why, when asked for a political philosopher, did he name a moral philosopher?
To placate the Christian Right, of course, even though our economy would collapse if everyone quit taking thought of the morrow.
In our political system, pressure groups like the Christian Right have to be placated by Republican candidates, just as Democrats must genuflect before the teachers' unions.
But just think how much more interesting and diverse our system would be if America had a Christian Left, and candidates felt obliged to state their views on whether billionaires could enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
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