When Sir Arthur Sullivan (yes, the Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan) wrote what is arguably Christianity's most famous hymn, he must have been thinking of some other religion.
As I have read scripture, Jesus seemed to have been a rather peaceful man - except when he was throwing the money changers out of the temple, which is sort of like us occupying the nearest B of A branch. As a matter of fact, Jesus might have been at home carrying a sign.
The whole message of Christianity is love for your fellow man. You may remember the Sermon on the Mount - things like loving your enemies, doing good to them that persecute you, turning the other cheek - stuff like that.
Now, however, Jesus has put aside the olive branch and taken up the AK-47. Instead of turning the other cheek, we're now told it's the Christian thing to kick it instead. Listen to ex-president George H.W. Bush on Saddam Hussein: "If he's going to get into an armed situation, he's going to get his ass kicked." In fact, kicking ass is becoming the American way of dealing with people, or countries, we don't like. And, if the leaders are particularly obnoxious, we kill 'em. Onward Christian soldiers.
The right wing in particular has been active in turning Jesus into Sgt. Christ. Love is conspicuously missing from the G.O.P. platform. For instance, the recent interminable series of Republican debates has featured a laundry list of all the things "good Americans" should hate. Muslims. Freeloaders. Democrats. Illegal aliens. Regulations. Whatever. They also insist that the government (boo) should quite throwing all that money away on helping the poor or the homeless and concentrate on spending on things that matter, like military aid to whomever claims they hate terrorism, like Pakistan, or anyone who commands a large voting block in the U.S., like Israel. Is this what Jesus would teach?
We sell arms to 'most anybody who has the money. We are, in fact, the world's biggest arms exporter and account for almost half of the world's total defense budget. Lately, we've also taken the lead in the number of major wars we're participating in, although the one we started in Iraq may finally be coming to an end.
Is this wrong? I understand that there's room for debate, but to call it Christian is an insult to the religion. The Tea Party to the contrary, if we were a "Christian country," we'd probably be trying to act more like the Founder, right?
Now might be the time to examine exactly what we are as a country. It's pretty silly to try to go by the rules of the 21st century and also try to maintain the fiction that we're too special to play in the dirt like the rest of the guys.
Or to "march as to war" in the name of the Prince of Peace.