To the Editor:
Jesus Christ never crammed “the word” down people’s throats. He didn’t fearmonger, lie or steal. He never entertained the devil. Jesus consistently lived by his own ‘Golden Rule’ to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He tolerated, listened, instructed, forgave and healed. Jesus Christ loved.
So, shouldn’t we have known better?
We were supposed to be as “wise as serpents and gentle as doves” as Jesus said in Matthew. Jesus warned: “Take heed that no man deceives you.” We were supposed to be good stewards of our minds most of all, spreading the “good news” by upholding the greatest gift and commandment – love.
Instead, blinded by an enduring self-righteous pursuit of status, millions of believers dogmatically insist “America is a Christian nation,” while clubbing folks over the head with an upside-down Bible and eyeing opportunistically the amalgamation of our lesser selves.
“For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 4
Itching fingers experimented, electrified and enlivened the abomination. The misled faithful enabled its halting breath and corrupted vision. They encouraged the creature’s unstable walk and erratic behavior. And then watched conspiratorially, idly by as the monster snapped the chains of justice to run amok – spewing insult, spreading fear, trampling truth, disparaging decency and destroying democracy with impunity.
And still, they feed the monster, nurture him and give him shelter. His constant childish temper tantrums, plethora of fibs, fallacious finger pointing fits, angry taunts, terrorist threats and dark acts of vengeance are encouraged. The unruly one is patted on his head and told he’s a good little boy – like that monster kid from the original Twilight Zone’s “It’s a Good Life,” as his subjects tiptoe around and bow down before him. As if he were a savior. As if God was content to wrap himself in an American flag and complacently watch his “least of these” suffer.
“‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matt 25: 45-46
Now, like it or not, contrived conservative leaders cloaked in Christianity are stuck with the monster, who amid the din of their silence gave the faith a glaring black eye.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord.” Psalm 1: 1-2
Who will trust you now? Who will be the “salt and light?”
KEVIN MCKINNEY
Court House
