The Gospel According to Conventional Wisdom

I don't know how this all started. Somewhere along the way it was pronounced as such and it seems to have stuck. This floors me, because I do not see how you claim Republican politicians as religious.

I can see how you could perceive Liberal/Democratic politicians as not being religious if only because the Liberal/Democratic group has such a large tent. The error of deeming them non-religious comes from the misconception that respecting other beliefs is the same as practicing other beliefs. One doesn't necessarily practice the act of eating lutefisk to respect that other people do eat lutefisk. One doesn't necessarily practice atheism to respect that others do practice atheism.

That and the fact that a significant portion of them probably describe themselves as something other than religious (atheist, agnostic, sun-worshipers, etc.).

I don't know what the stereotypes are for the other political parties, so I'll just stick with Republicans and Democrats. Actually, I'll just stick with my confusion regarding the Republicans. That's always more fun.

On third thought, I'll stick with the Conservative Republican figureheads. That's enough of a stretch for a generalization without concatenating rank-and-file (is using that term against Republican anti-labor ettiquette?) party members and folks who don't formally belong to the party but consider themselves Republican--the vast majority of whom, I assume, are voting for Republicans not out of personal gain but because they believe it is the right thing to do. (Which may have something to do with my belief that there is no personal gain for the average person in voting for a Republican.) So, when I say Conservative Republican, I'm speaking of party leaders and the figure heads you see and hear on talk shows and "news" programs.

Conservative Republicans are quick to point out it clearly states in the Bible (somewhere) that homosexuality is bad. So these people need not be homosexual. And this whole same-gender marriage position is strange. What does it matter to a heterosexual that two consenting adults live happily ever after together? What kind of hatred does it take to be against that? It seems like a marriage should be uplifting to both parties. If all concerned are uplifted by an action, how could it be harmful to anyone?

Then there is abortion. Bad, bad abortion. Actually, that rings true in my mind. I would rather people didn't deem it necessary have abortions. There exists more than one way to reduce the number of abortions. One is to create an environment where the baby is welcomed into a society supportive and nurturing to both child and parent: birth or adoptive. Or we can just rob women of their privacy over their bodies and have the abortion police make sure the baby is born so they can tell the baby and the mother "Our job is done; you're on your own now, you evil single mother." If you have a Bible passage that supports that attitude, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Not to mention that the same legislators who sponsor anti-abortion legislation tend to be the same folks who favor business deregulation. With the news lately about Bush administration's plans to change environmental regulations, is the best action for a pro-abortion activist to take to vote for Bush? Sure, you won't be able to go to a doctor for an abortion, but the toxins in the air, food, and water should do the trick. Just what do "Pro-lifers" think is going to happen to unborn humans with higher amounts of mercury or Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in their bloodstreams?

Of course, the Republican party has had a rough go of it with family issues. Remember back in the 1990s when Conservative Republicans blamed welfare mothers for the country's ills because they didn't get jobs. Then Conservative Republicans started blaming working mothers for having careers and not staying home to teach family values. So Conservative Republicans were condemning moms for not working and for working. If you're a woman trying to also be a good Conservative/Republican, good luck. My suggestion is for women to be home working on getting Republicans out of office.

Then we have the tough-on-crime side of Conservative Republican politicians. Did Jesus really suggest the way to deal with people who have wronged you is to lock them in prison and throw away the key? Or kill them? Er...rather...execute them. Is the Bible and organized religion really about condemnation and hatred? Whatever happened to love and forgiveness? I don't see a lot of that from the conservative talking heads. Certainly we cannot let serial killers roam free, but what does it say about society when a "compassionate conservative" leader presided over 150 executions as governor of Texas?

Then we have the tax issues. Conservative Republican politicians seem to always be offended that wealthier folks pay higher taxes. Please allow me to share a Bible passage:

He [Jesus] sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." - Mark Chapter 12

Also, when it comes to the disadvantaged, Conservative Republican politicians seem to be penny-pinchers. Funding is cut for schools, lunch programs, rehabilitation programs, housing programs, social services, charitable foundations, etc.--things needed for disadvantaged people to contribute to society, to pull themselves out of their disadvantaged situation, or simply survive. Certainly, it does no one any good for people to abuse these programs, but the rope needs to be there for people to pull themselves from the abyss. Here's another Bible passage:

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." - Matthew, Chapter 25

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. . . . And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. - Genesis Chapter 1

So I say to those who vote based on the Bible, consider the whole. Please consider the whole of the politician, not just one or two issues. Please consider the whole of the Bible, not just one or two verses. Or, at least, acknowledge that those of us voting non-Republican perhaps are doing so, as do you, with respect to our religious beliefs.

And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

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The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer and do not neccessarily reflect those of the rest of the family.

mark@wentzmania.com.

© 2004, Mark Wentz