PARTY OF GOD COMES UP SHORT WITH JESUS AND BIBLE

by tabonsell

The political right has claimed Christianity only for itself and denies it to others, especially the political left ~ also known as liberal or progressive ~ which right-wingers denounce as the "atheist left". That may be a good thing, and the left must learn how to use such claims to its advantage if it is to save America from the clutches of the destructive right.
When screaming princess of slanderous hatred Ann Coulter claims liberals are "Godless" embrace her lie; if Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Dinesh D'Souza and other right-wing "thinkers" claim only they are real Christians, accept their claim because the Bible certainly does not treat them kindly. While He'she-it God may not take sides in politics ~ in addition to war and football games ~ the Bible and, most importantly, Jesus Christ do, and not on the side of conservatives.

Pandering to religion has reached a sickening crescendo in this presidential election year as candidates in both major parties evoke religion in their campaigns. But it is far worse on the right, going so far as to include religious symbols in television advertising. One tactic is to include a bookcase strategically placed in the background so that it appears to be a "Christian cross" or making certain that staged lighting creates a similar image. Christmas trees are prominately displayed behind candidates of both parties in their advertising and are almost as obscene as dozens of American flags displayed behind a president who has done more damage to the principles of the nation that those flags represent than any other president in history.

It is time to put an end to the centuries-old lies and the defaming of the Jewish people that they killed Christ. Jews didn't kill Christ. Romans did not kill Christ. Christ was crucified by conservatives ~ both Hebrew and Roman ~ for his liberal teachings.

The teachings and sayings of Jesus are most important because they are the only bases of the Christian religion. All things in his teachings and philosophy comprise Christianity. All things not in his teachings and philosophy are adulterations of Christianity, or anti-Christian. And those who embrace the adulterations instead of the real principles of Christ are not following the real Christ, they are following a distorted version of Christ; also known as the Antichrist.

So we must take what Jesus said to understand his positions on matters.

Yet, modern-day conservatives claim that only they are true Christians; only they know, understand and love Christ. To test their claims, we must look to see what the Bible and, especially, what Christ had to say about all that.

Timothy 3:1-7 is a perfect description of the modern Republican Party. It says:

1) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come;

2) for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3) unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than God,

5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

6) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away be various lusts,

7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It's easy to see where this would apply to the modern Republican Party with its, "lovers of themselves" (numerous military deferments while others go to war), "lovers of money" (tax cuts for mostly themselves), "boasters" ('I'm the decider'), "proud" (demeaning those less fortunate), "blasphemers" (Christ depicted as mass murderer in 'Left Behind' books), "unthankful" (enriching themselves because congressional salary and pension aren't enough), "unholy" (opposing everything Christ taught), "unloving" (racism, homophobia, ignoring New Orleans), "unforgiving" (capital punishment), "slanders" (character assassination of political foes and claiming opponents of an illegal war are siding with terrorists and are unpatriotic), "without self-control" (runaway debt that threatens the nation), "brutal" (invading nations for no apparent reason).

Others, such as "disobedient to parents" are not so evident. Timothy 3: 1-7 is addressed to adults, not children, so the reference to parents is puzzling. They could be the "parents" we call our Founding Fathers, whose creation is being dismantled and the democratic principles they encased in the US Constitution are being destroyed. Destroying their national creation is certainly disobedient.

Then "despisers of good" could be referring to all the beneficial programs that have been created to better the lives of all but which Republicans are trying to eliminate or damage; such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, environmental protection, living wages, safe working conditions.

Of course those who "who creep into households and make captives of gullible women" could be the preachers of God's word who haven't the faintest idea of the "knowledge of the truth."

And "lovers of pleasure rather than God" could apply to those very same preachers who have extracted wealth from their uncritical followers to live the live of luxury in their mansions, on their yachts, and traveling the world in their private aircraft.

This can't apply to the Democratic Party because Coulter says Democrats don't study the scriptures.

Matthew 7:13,14 tells of a path leading to destruction as wide and crowded while the way to salvation is narrow and few are finding it. Wide and crowded is a perfect metaphor for those huge conservative mega-churches that meet in athletic venues, old convention halls and other places that seat tens of thousands of people.

Can't apply to liberals because the right says the left isn't looking for a spiritual path to anywhere.

Matthew 7:21-23 says there is no entry into Kingdom of God for many of those who claim to be Christians. Christ said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' "

Can't apply to progressives, because all on the right say progressives aren't claiming to be Christians and aren't prophesying in Jesus's name or casting out demons or doing any wonders in his name. Also couldn't apply to Jews and Muslims because they also are not prophesying in Christ's name nor casting out demons for him.

Luke 21:8; Mark 13:5 and Matthew 24:8 Christ tells his apostles to be wary of people claiming to be Christian. He said, "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ(ian); and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them." Jesus used the word "Christ," not Christian because Christianity or Christians didn't exist at that time and he wouldn't use a word that didn't exist so as not to confuse his followers.

Again, can't apply to the left because Coulter and the other right-wing kooks say liberals and progressives don't acknowledge Christ, don't accept the Bible and are trying to eradicate religion from American life; even are trying to outlaw the Bible and are waging a "war on Christmas." D'Souza labels the Democratic Party the partyof atheism. Those claims are not true, and Christ knows that.

And the right says liberals aren't Christians. Therefore all those warnings about bad religion and renouncing by Christ and the Bible can only apply to the political right because the right is who is claiming to be real Christians. Christ knows that, also.

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Thomas Bonsell is a former newspaper editor (in Oregon, New York and Colorado) United States Air Force cryptanalyst and National Security Agency intelligence agent. He became one of American journalism's leading constitutional experts through years of study at Georgetown University Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C. He is the author of "The Un-Americans: Trashing of the United States Constitution in the American Press", a critique of the mainstream media for ignorance of, or disdain for, our constitutional principles of self-government. He left newspaper work years ago, disgusted at the direction the Fourth Estate -- under the mismanagement of ineffectual, out-of-touch, can't do executives -- was taking away from honest responsible journalism and the observation that there was no place in the mainstream media for a progressive, or liberal, constitutional "expert". Bonsell is an honors graduate of Woodbury College (Los Angeles, California) with a bachelor of business administration degree. He is profiled in Marquis Who's Who in America.

Personal motto: Have brain; will use.

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