When you embark on any dialogue concerning God and politics, you can be certain of raising the ire of the most religious. I came to the decision to write a disclaimer at the beginning of this post not because I’m worried about “raising the ire of the most religious”, but instead for more selfish reasons. I am fully aware when I meet my maker I’ve already got a lot of explaining to do. I certainly don’t want to add “blasphemy” to my already sordid record. Naturally, it makes many of us Democrats fighting-mad when we see one of those bumper strips that say “GOP….God’s Only Party”. However, it is my personal belief that God is not a fan of partisan politics. Partisan politics are about man’s will, while God is about his will. He is neither Republican nor Democrat. It is my strong belief that God cares about one thing, and one thing only, and that is the individual’s heart, Republican or Democrat.
Blasphemy is the act of using God to promote a personal goal—financial or political, and the GOP is now filled with world-class blasphemists. A great example of GOP political blasphemy is Tom DeLay. When he was busted, he immediately started the “this is nothing but an attack on Christians” defense. When he gave his farewell speech, I have never heard the words “Jesus”, “God”, “Prayer”, etc., invoked more since Jim Baker tried to explain away Jessica Hahn. This obviously did not work. Crook, not Christian, will be Tom DeLay’s legacy.
Blasphemy is also the act of using God to divide his children. God is about uniting people, not dividing them. The best examples would be all the GOP/TV preacher attacks on gays and upon those of us who believe in choice. Republicans are very talented at using blasphemy and try to escape the clutches of the “unforgivable sin” by saying, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” But I believe their maker only hears the “hate” part. That’s all I can hear.
I think it is fair for Democratic candidates to talk openly about their faith when questions arise. However, I don’t approve of any candidate (Republican or Democrat) who wears “God” on their uniform. We are now seeing the importance of separation of church and state with what’s going on in the Middle East. I say we attack the “Jesus on their sleeve” Republicans and call them exactly what they are—blasphemists. There are many more moderate Christians than there are radical Christians. I believe if we make a serious effort to tell them the whole Democratic story instead of a Bible story, they will see the “righteousness” in our message and respond accordingly. As far as the TV preachers go. I think if they are going to shout “GOP” from the pulpit, then they are nothing more than an unregistered PAC. Their contributions should not be tax-deductible.
