Self-described, so-called “Christians” who follow Republican dogma, are against everything that Jesus taught, yet, somehow manage to convince themselves, that they are the “righteous” followers of “His” will, while looking down on people who actually SUPPORT and ACT on those beliefs.
Jesus taught his followers to help the sick and the poor. Republicans fought against Healthcare Reform. Not a single Republican in Congress voted for Healthcare to help the sick and the poor.
Jesus taught his followers not to covet their neighbor’s property, yet Republicans fought against regulations which would protect people from banking and insurance policies which would unfairly allow corporations from taking advantage of and robbing average, hardworking people.
Jesus taught “give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and give unto the Lord that which is the Lord’s.” Using the name “Caesar” was another way of referring to the government. In other words, the government had a right to collect from its citizens, taxes or a tithe to pay for the needs of the community. Republicans don’t like to pay their fair share of taxes and have used every means at their disposal to evade taxes. 2/3rds of Corporations in Wisconsin and in the United States don’t pay a dime in income taxes, yet they expect to get services from the Government. How are they paying their fair share, when they complain about high tax rates, BUT AREN’T ACTUALLY PAYING THEIR TAXES BASED ON THOSE RATES?
Irresponsible Religious "Faith" vs. Responsible Citizenship
Every campaign season I run into the same types of people who believe that they don’t have to vote, or don’t have to take any form of action, or speak out for something that they believe in or against something they are justifiably opposed to.
Many are apathetic and just don’t care. But some are religious and refuse to get involved in the political process because they believe that their “God will take care of them”, and “whatever happens will happen”.
They are of the belief that just by thinking about something, or praying for it, that it will magically appear. They claim that their faith is enough to guarantee that the proper outcome will result.
They seem to forget that when Jesus walked the Earth, he didn’t just pray. HE TOOK ACTION.
When he came upon the sick, HE HEALED THEM.
When he came upon the poor and starving, HE FED THEM.
When he saw that hucksters were profiteering in the Temples, HE CALLED THEM OUT.
When he saw that people were searching for a reason for living, or explanation for their hardships, HE TAUGHT THEM HOW TO LIVE.
And when it came to saving the souls of us sinners, HE DIED FOR US.
Prayer and Faith are NOTHING without ACTION in support of those BELIEFS.
You can’t complain about the outcome of an election if you didn’t bother to
LEARN about the ISSUES;
DIG for the TRUTH behind CAMPAIGN CLAIMS;
or DON’T BOTHER TO VOTE AT ALL.
You cannot hide behind your “Faith” and claim that because you prayed for the answers, that was enough. It ISN’T.
If you aren’t being properly represented by your elected representatives, then complaining about it isn’t enough. Find out what they are or aren’t doing. Legislative reports on legislation and roll calls are readily available on State http://www.legis.state.wi.us/spotlight/index.htm and Federal Government http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.html websites.
Find out through REAL RESEARCH, what the REAL options are and what the REAL trade-offs will be. Mob rule and hysteria driven by FEAR only result in foolish decisions made and actions being taken. Our government is supposed to be better than that.
Find out the TRUTH behind the issues, rather than listening to campaign sound-bites as if they were facts. (You can Trust someone ONLY if you VERIFY the facts.)
And if you REALLY have RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS, then you should be looking out for the welfare of ALL MANKIND, and not just for the privileged few.
People don’t get the Government they want. They get the Government they DESERVE.
Showing up for just a Presidential election doesn’t get you off the hook and make you a responsible citizen. YOU need to be aware of the facts and elect proper representation ON ALL LEVELS of government if you want one that can actually FUNCTION.
Our Government was created to be “OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE.”
"Conservatives" have perverted that into “OF THE CORPORATION, BY THE CORPORATION AND FOR THE WEALTHY”.
They've created a new "Monarchy". That is exactly what this country was founded to be AGAINST.
Our Government, which is supposed to be representing THE PEOPLE, has been hijacked by CORPORATIONS who want to weaken it and destroy it, so they can do whatever they want, regardless of the risk and the damage they cause, while destroying the lives of THE PEOPLE without any concern or accountability.
YOU decide whether or not it stays that way.
The purpose of a Democratic Government is to insure that everyone in the country benefits from the decisions of the government, not just a handful who pay off elected officials to look the other way, while they rob everyone blind and rape the earth. (As Republican talking-head Ann Coulter likes to crow:
( “God said so: go forth, be fruitful, multiply. And Rape the planet - it’s yours.”) She said something very similar again on FOX Hannity and Colmes, June 22, 2001
Coulter: I take the biblical idea. God gave us the earth.
Peter Fenn (Democratic strategist): Oh, OK.
Coulter: We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees.
Fenn: This is a great idea.
Coulter: “God says: ‘Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It’s yours.”
Fenn: Terrific. We’re Americans, so we should consume as much of the earth’s resources…
Coulter: Yes! Yes!
Fenn: …as fast as we possibly can.
Coulter: As opposed to living like the Indians.
Curtis C. commented on this exchange on http://users.rcn.com/skutsch/anticoulter/quotes.html
This is just misuse of the bible. The bible is full of information on proper stewardship of the planet. Leviticus has ideas for proper land management in it. There is a strong environmental Christian movement based on the teachings in the bible.
I'll give you one very big, good example from the bible. This is the story of Noah and Ark. God makes certain that we include the animals on the ark, because we hold dominion over them, yes, but also because this gives us responsibility for their welfare. Clearly god wants us to take care of the animals on the planet. If we make an animal extinct then we are clearly violating the spirit of the story of Noah and the Ark where god instructed Noah to gather all of the animals and keep them alive. ( I have included the quote below.)
God can't make it much clearer than that.
Genesis Chapter 6.18: But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
19: And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
20: Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive.
I'm no biblical expert, but this sure makes sense to me. A lot more sense than Coulter (who strikes me as one of those Christians who hasn't really bothered to read what Christ actually said).
What we should be doing is changing the way corporations operate, to make them more responsible to the people and more environmentally responsible, for proper conservation and to create sustainable food sources and natural resources, instead of wiping them out and leaving nothing but devastation behind.
It is a very simple concept which corporations and some politicians still don’t understand. The old timers call it “Don’t sh*t where you eat.” It is a very practical concept that goes way back when primitive man started recognizing that it wasn’t only the foul smell that they could avoid, but the sickness and disease which came along with ingesting human and farm animal waste.
If corporations and politicians can’t follow that simple rule, they shouldn’t be allowed to sit and eat at the same table with people who are more civilized. The same should hold true for having a say in national policies.
Republican politicians have admitted that their constituents have hidden anywhere from $12 Trillion to $20 Trillion in illegal, secret bank accounts in banks overseas. So, how do these Republican politicians know HOW MUCH TOTAL is hidden in secret, overseas banks, UNLESS THEY HAVE SOME INSIDE INFORMATION ON WHO IS HIDING THE FINDS, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE IN EACH ACCOUNT, AND CAN ACCESS ALL THEIR INFORMATION TO COME UP WITH A TOTAL? (Remember that illegal bank accounts were promoted by UBS. The U.S. Division was headed up by former Senator Phil Gramm, Senator John McCain’s Chief Campaign Advisor. And Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner makes annual trips to Liechtenstein, another illegal tax haven. He has claimed it was for a communications industry conference, but those “conferences” were cancelled when Democrats made taking travel compensation by corporations to members of Congress on expensive trips for these “conferences” illegal for the corporations, and an ethics violation for Congressmen. The year after this was made illegal, the “conference” was cancelled by the “organizers” of the “conference”, but Sensenbrenner threw a hissy fit and got his free trip for himself, once again, even though he was the only “attendee” at this “conference”). How are they paying their fair share, when they complain about high tax rates, BUT AREN’T ACTUALLY PAYING THEIR TAXES BASED ON THOSE RATES?
And, since Jesus said that “A camel has as much chance of threading a needle as a rich man has to get into the Kingdom of Heaven”, why are Republicans hiding their money, and hoarding it, to maximize the size of their homes, their consumption, and their bank account, rather than USING it to help their fellow man?
If Jesus were to come to earth and make an appearance to his “followers” today, given the verbal abuse and violence people face when they point out the lack of congruence in what these “followers” claim to believe and how they show what they actually believe, would these “believers” actually follow Jesus, or would they stone him and lynch him?