cross posted from The Dream Antilles
Pardon me. I’m not a Christian. Never was, never will be. I don’t believe that Jesus was the messiah, that he died for my sins. I don’t have a personal relationship with him. I haven’t been saved. Or redeemed. I haven’t been re-born. I don’t believe the Bible is the literal word of God. And I was simply and utterly infuriated that both the presumptive presidential nominees decided to attend Rev. Rick Warren’s forum so they could show him and his many co-religionists that they were, well, just like them. That they were all good, moral Christians, and they all believed very much in a particular kind of Christianity, and that they were willing to prove it. I was outraged that they decided to make a spectacle of their “faith.” But I was even more outraged that they would seek to prove they had the right kind of faith to this particular audience.
That’s right, prove it. They weren’t going to refuse the invitation. They weren’t going to say, “I’m sorry, but what I believe is private. It’s between me and my God. I am not willing publicly to discuss theology.” They weren’t going to say, “I’m sorry, I believe in the separation of church and state, and, therefore, I consider this mega church to be an inappropriate setting for a political discussion about secular, political matters.” They weren’t going to say, “I’m sorry, I’m a very good person, but I don’t believe the same things you say I should believe. I’m nevertheless scrupulously honest and moral.” They weren’t going to say, “You’re free to think about these issues any way you wish, but I don’t want to discuss how my religious beliefs might be related to my policy positions. My policy positions stand on their own merit.” No. No chance. The candidates decided to show up, and they blatantly pandered to these right wing evangelicals. To gain their approval, to gain their votes.
Join me below.
