It wasn’t such a great day for the government missionaries–i.e., those who would use government in to promote their religion.
First, Justice Moore got axed for refusing to obey a federal court and remove his graven image.
Then, this evening I saw Greene County, TN Mayor Roger Jones appearing on “O’Reilly Factor.” Anyone familiar with the views of Mr. “Looking Out for Us” knows he fully supports government promoting its “Judeo-Christian” heritage. But even he wasn’t far enough out there to go along with Jones’ call for a government proclamations on how our nation believes in the Christian God.
As if Jones didn’t do enough damage during the course of a five-minute interview, he closed with this blast:
“We don’t want God taken away from us.”
Really? Where’s God being taken?
Just to put my remarks in context, I’m a Christian who goes to church every week. It rubs me the wrong way when:
(1) I hear someone complaining about some imagined persecution of American Christians; or
(2) A politician uses religion to pander to voters.
In the unfortunate case of Mayor Jones we have both.
Anyone who needs the government to promote their religion doesn’t have a belief system worth promoting.
Amen to that. Tax dollars for God, state-sponsored evangelizing or govenrment missionaries, whatever you call it, it all goes against the principles this country was founded on. This is not a Christian nation, it is a nation with a secular government which guarantees the free exercise of religion. Christianity and all other religions must compete in the marketplace of ideas and if Christianity ceases to be relevant, then it too must pass. Those of the Christian right understand that many of their long held beliefs as traditionally conceived are being undermined and instead of adapting to stay relevant, or focusing their energy on living Christ-like lives and practicing compassion and helping others, they are looking to protect their grip on power through the government. Christianity can be a beautiful thing when it isn’t defensive or grasping for power and control.
Your denomination is one of the few that has been able to keep its faith strong and continue to promote the importance of church and state separation. It puts out a good magazine, but often it is too passive in promoting its message. This is one church that could really put James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, John Ashcroft, and Rick Santorum in their place, but it doesn’t.
Right wing pandering and the classic “us verses them” tactic. All the Republicans need to do now is further using the “race card” and they’ll have a trifecta.