Jesus: we talk about Him, hear about Him, and commonly take His name in vain, but what do we even really know about Him? As of late, Christians are often associated with the Political Right, but would Jesus Himself be a Republican? The answer is a resounding no, as Christ was in fact a socialist, no if, ands or buts about it. But the bigger question still is this, would Jesus Himself even be willing to come to America, let alone be willing to call Himself an American?
If you've ever actually picked up the Bible, it's clear that the gun-toting charlatan members of the Tea Party may or may not be the exact opposite of what Jesus Himself professed. The Golden Rule of Christianity: do unto others as you would have others do unto you; simple right? The fact that this spiritual teacher's works have been twisted into what we too often see in the media at large is not only disgraceful, it's downright blasphemy.
One of His most famous parables, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, perfectly summarizes the practice of truly following Christ.
“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Luke 18:9-14 ESV
That final line, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted," epitomizes Christianity as Christ himself would have it. Hear that? Being a Christian isn't, in fact, the behavior of putting other people down because you feel entitled. In fact, it's the opposite. This may come as a surprise to some of those who label themselves as being staunch Christians, who then turn around and enact legislative and judicial policies that not only limit personal freedom but also spiritual freedom.
America, here's the thing: it's one thing to claim to be "One Nation Under God," but it's another to live up to that. Are you really insane enough to believe that Jesus Himself would choose our country as being righteously sovereign over any other? Right now, the political right is being spearheaded by someone whose immigration policy is to deport 11-13 million people, without any legitimate plans or means of doing so. Having said that, the left isn't much better. I would be thrilled to see Bernie win, but the U.S. media and all the corporate conglomerates that control them can't afford to have a candidate as authentic as Sanders. Not to mention the fact that the Military Industrial Complex and the affiliated companies and contractors are so intertwined with our government that the two are growingly synonymous with one another.
So you tell me, would Jesus Himself really praise America as it is? Would the man who said, "You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6:24) really be a fan of the most vain and money whoring Nation the world has ever seen? It's ludicrous to witness the madness that goes on in this world of ours, but even more ludicrous still to see just how little people understand about the founder of the religion they claim to profess.
