I woke this morning to a lot of comments on social media about the debate last night. Some people were scared. Some wished we had better candidates.
One person posted a meme that said they were voting for Jesus, the only thing that can save us, and because I grew up Christian in the rural South, my first thought was “Which Jesus?”
This is because I believe there are two Jesuses in America. One is what I’ll call Actual Jesus. You might know him from the Bible. Carpenter, performed a few miracles, died for lowly people like you and me.
This isn’t really a new idea, but the second is Republican Jesus. RJ (Republican Jesus) is very different from AJ (Actual Jesus). RJ believes in putting kids in cages if they come from countries we don’t care for. RJ believes homelessness is a crime, and passes laws to make it harder for homeless people to exist.
RJ believes women shouldn’t be allowed an abortion, EVEN IF THEY MIGHT DIE WITHOUT ONE. Even if they are raped. Even if they are children and are raped.
RJ believes that the more pious you are, the more money you’ll get. It’s called “prosperity gospel,” an idea started by televangelists trying to coax more money out of you by telling you that if you give to them, you will be paid back tenfold. It’s the belief that you are rewarded monetarily for spiritual achievements. The more you believe in the rightness and mightness of Jesus, the more fricking money you’ll make. Hallejulah, and not the Leonard Cohen one. RJ also believes money can and should trickle down, despite the number of times we’ve seen that it doesn’t, despite the number of times Jesus spoke about giving money up.
At least, I am assuming RJ wants these things, because I keep seeing them. The Republicans I know in actual life don’t want these things, or at least not all of them, but I didn’t make these up. And maybe it’s a miniscule number of people who believe these ideas and have these attitudes, but if so I don’t hear them being denounced. Instead, Republicans across the country continue introducing ideas like these into law. Into culture. Into our society.
But friends, Actual Jesus was a brown-skinned hippie who hated capitalism. Who threw the money-changers from the temple. Who served the despairing and downtrodden. Loaves and Fishes! Feeding the multitudes! Hanging out with a sex worker! Very few showers!
I am writing this today because a sizable portion of this country believes Donald J Trump is a Christian. I see it every day on social media. I see it on bumper stickers, and people who commit to bumper stickers are unlikely to change their minds, so I’m not going to argue with you.
But I do want to ask a couple of questions:
Remember when Trump mocked the disabled reporter?
Did Jesus ever say “Grab em by the pussy?”
Is it Christian-like to cheat on your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd wife with your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wife?
Is lying a Christian activity? What about suggesting immigrants be forced to fight each other in a cage? Where do you stand on forced cage-fighting, my Christian friends?
How about turning away the hungry, the needy, the lost?
Which church did you go to?
Which Jesus are you voting for?
To stay with the theme: You are probably teaching to the choir. But thank you for expressing for what so many of us think. I agree that Republican Christianity is its own thing and it’s scary.
RJ has narcisstic personality disorder simple and plain. See how he can’t ignore any comment that doesn’t present him as, well, the messiah?