Conservative Christian America, I am worried about you. I fear for the state of your soul. Do you have a minute? Can you spare a moment to talk about our Lord, Jesus Christ?
Look, I understand that you’ve fallen in with some bad hombres. It’s not your fault. You’ve been lead astray; but I am here to let you know, it is never too late. God is forgiving, and will welcome you home with open arms. First, though, we have to do something about this…problem…of yours.
You simply cannot continue voting Republican.
I know, I know. They are the party of family values. They are going to protect you from those people with a glorious wall of gold. They are going to make the country great again, by protecting your rights, putting America first, and slaying the unholy beast that is Obamacare. I know that these are things you care about, what with your morality based on in-group loyalty, respect for authority, and purity. But there’s a bigger problem that you seem to be missing or perhaps even ignoring.
The Conservative platform is simply no longer based on Christian ideals. It hasn’t been, for some time. Now, don’t get all defensive. Just hear me out for a second. Jesus, swell guy that he was, taught us to care for one another and particularly for the less fortunate. In Deuteronomy 15:11, it is written, “…You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and the poor, in your land.” Proverbs 19:17 teaches, “whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Matthew 6:3-4 reiterates this admonition.
I know you don’t like to think of your vote as having anything to do with this. After all, you have to give freely of yourself for it to really count, right? Perhaps you believe that you can hardly be commended individually if your taxes help someone eat, or get medical care. These are lies, my friend, and they are exactly what the conservative politicians feed on. When you vote, you cast your vote freely, of your own God-given will. Casting that vote for a person or party that builds its foundation on denying our fellow countrymen and women access to critical programs like WIC, food stamps, and Medicaid is an act of deliberate harm to those the Bible instructs us to help.
Of course, you don’t go to the voting booth with the intention to harm anyone. You probably don’t even like the person you are voting for, very much. It’s a choice between the lesser of two evils, you tell yourself. Sometimes, you may even be right. But when you sacrifice your ideals with regard to helping your fellow Americans, what do you get in return? I can only guess by the carrot your politicians constantly dangle before you…protection for your guns and from the gays, transgendered, and immigrants.
But here’s the thing: mainstream Democratic and progressive politicians don’t want to take away your guns. They may want to make it more difficult for certain people to get them, sure, but why is that a bad thing? Do we want to live in a world where every whacko who wants a gun can obtain one easily and legally, at any time? Democrats also advocate for smarter, more modern gun laws like longer waiting periods, registration and insurance. I understand your aversion to government mandates, but unless you have plans to shoot someone, how would such laws really affect you? Just some food for thought.
Oh, and about those LGBTQ folks? Please do not use the Old Testament to denounce them, if you eat shellfish or pork, or if you wear garments made of two different fabrics. Likewise, do not use the New Testament against them, unless you are willing to speak even louder against those who seek divorce. Because, while there is a debate on whether Jesus actually describes being born gay as “a gift from god,” there is no room for debate regarding his feelings toward divorce.
The point I’m trying to make is that you are being sold a bill of goods. These bogeymen you are being taught to fear are nothing more than phantoms and fairytales. Conservative politicians are charlatans and hypocrites, using fear and the name of the Lord to get into office and then behaving in a way that is utterly contradictory to His teachings. So, be wary of false promises from those who tell you what and whom to fear. Remember, when you freely choose to take dinner off of some poor family’s table, by virtue of your vote for politicians who are actively defunding essential programs, Jesus is watching. When you vote for a party whose leader says that the government has more important things to worry about than your health, you are making a decision—of your own free will—to support people who cause real human suffering. This suffering is borne by those who need our help the most: children, the elderly, the disabled and the poverty-stricken.
I know it seems like any help you give through your taxes is a drop in the bucket when compared to the problems we face. There are so many of our brothers and sisters of all ages, races, and orientations who need our help, it can feel overwhelming. I’m sure that, were he here, the Lord would beg you not to fall victim to such a collapse of compassion. So, when we return to the voting booths in 2018, please consider HWJV: How Would Jesus Vote?