I’m weary of family values. Sanctimonious yammering about abortion and homosexuality – upheld by demands for tax cuts and guns – is tedious. Judgment and condemnation spewed from podiums and pulpits – preferably with a TV camera rolling – is monotonous. And, unfurling the banner of god’s forgiveness - for select family values - is insufficient.
Forgiveness is certainly a hallmark of Christianity. But forgiveness isn’t an excuse to set aside personal responsibility or ignore legal ramifications. Forgiveness doesn’t suggest that secretive misdeeds or crimes should be attributed to others.
Family values declare that child molestation and adultery (straight or gay) are sins that require severe penalties. However, for family values’ insiders (from churches to congress) the only penalties seem to be tearful repentance and a new job. Apparently, sin coupled with righteousness is merely a mistake, unlike those who are harshly judged unrighteous and unworthy.
Perhaps some Christians who are waving their Bibles missed the message. Christ consistently taught lessons about loving others (including women, children, and enemies), not judging others, taking care of the poor, sick, and incarcerated, and even paying taxes.
Somehow though, family values seem to find exceptions in Christian teachings. For example: Love your neighbor, except people with brown skin, LGBTs, addicts, Muslims, socialists, the homeless, scientists, women who weren’t legitimately raped, and so on.
Invisible exceptions appear to be available for anything:
Thou shall not kill
unless you have a basement arsenal or approve of the death penalty.
Give unto Caesar
unless you can exploit tax loop-holes or hide money off-shore.
Blessed are the poor
unless they own a refrigerator or they're obviously not disabled.
Judge not lest ye be judged
except when you know exactly who and what god hates.
Christ clearly commanded love, and he declared that a whole lot of challenged people are blessed, not judged. He also said whatever we do to the least, we do to him. So whether Christ is god, or whether Christ spoke for god, or whether Christ was a sage, his teachings clearly aren’t embraced by family values.
It’s time to call judgment, control, hypocrisy, avoidance, deception, and denial something other than family values.