What In The Name Of God …?
BY TONEY ATKINS
www.toneyatkins.comMinisters of the Christian church should be preaching the Gospel, not politics.
Using common sense, just look around at what’s happening in the United States and the rest of the world. Since the start of the 21st century, we’ve not only seen chaos in government; an increase in the number of unwed mothers bringing many new “fatherless” children into an uncertain world; divorce on the rise (whatever happened to “until death do us part”?); increasing terrorist attacks on this nation and around the world; wars and rumors of more wars; but also the fury of Mother Nature, which has impacted the lives of millions with destructive hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and flooding.
On the latter subject, I recently read several letters to the editors of various newspapers in which the writers proclaimed that God was punishing us for our sins, usually making unspoken references to Sodom and Gomorrah.
I would take that premise a step farther by asserting that, if indeed that is the case, could God not be punishing us for allowing corrupt governments to exercise power over our lives, sometimes in the very name of Christianity?
For several years, I was involved in organized religion. Beyond getting spiritually uplifted, I was invited to be a part of church politics -- and that disturbed and, yes, even disillusioned me. I came to see that political structure extended far beyond the walls of that small town church. While innocent and uninformed congregations filled the pews to be fed the truth of peace, love, salvation and heaven, the behind-the-scenes politics seemed to border on hypocrisy in the name of Jesus.
While retaining my Christian beliefs, I separated myself from that church as well as from those of other denominations I attended.
There were good Christians in those buildings who came only to be given the Good News of the Gospel, and they were sincere in their practices and principles.
Somewhere along the line, the lines between church and state blurred. Ministers started to insert their political beliefs into their spiritual teachings, some of which deviated from those imparted by Jesus Christ in the four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Those attending a particular church were expected to abide by the pastor’s teachings and the church’s rules and regulations. Free and independent thinking and faith were out of the question if an individual did not want to be frowned upon by fellow members in the congregation. Members were programmed to believe that they were right in their “Christian” beliefs and practices and everybody else was wrong.
I learned that early, but the experience really didn’t register until much later. After my grandmother’s tragic death in an auto accident, an aunt, who happened to be a die-hard member of the Church of Christ, announced piously that it was sad that Granny would not be going to heaven because she was not a member of the Church of Christ. Granny, whose health prevented her from attending any church regularly, was of the Baptist faith. My mother practically exploded with anger. How dare my aunt say such a thing?
I was to discover later on that many denominations, with varying beliefs and practices, felt the same way about “rival” churches. Members of many churches believed they were right and other churches were misinformed and, therefore, wrong in their interpretations of Jesus and His teachings.
But who was and is totally right? Pass through small towns and large cities and count the number of churches. For more of a culture shock, go into a black community and check off the multitude of churches in their own structures or in storefront buildings. Which of these is absolutely right and which is absolutely wrong, or are each of them somewhere in between?
Asserting their own notions of sin and which national political party could best benefit and cater to them, the ministers became politicians themselves, urging their congregations to vote a particular way, in effect, taking away a member’s individual spiritual freedom of thought.
I have a cousin who is a devout church member and a devoted Republican who sneers at all Democrats and considers those who don’t share her political beliefs to be fools. I recall that she devoutly adored one politician who went on to win election and, at this writing, is embroiled in questions of personal ethics.
But then again, some denominations teach “one saved, always saved,” implying that once a person accepts Jesus Christ as his or her personal savior can go on sinning and still be assured of a place in heaven.
It is not for me to judge, because I know of no human, especially myself, who has not sinned in some form orfashion, but, as you have probably already guessed, I have a sack full of stones that I’ve been dying to throw. (Some Christians have already said I am condemned to hell anyway.)
Where is Jesus in our political structure today? Jesus loved everyone. He especially cared for the poor. Does the government? Hardly. He healed the sick. Our government is far from having a decent health care system to benefit all classes, choosing instead to let drug corporations rule. Jesus recognized the poor. Our government allows Big Business to dole out jobs to overseas workers while potential workers in our own country go jobless and hungry. (How many times do you hear a truly American voice when you call a company for customer service? Many of those calls are being answered overseas, where our personal information is on their computers for them to peruse and answer our questions and promise to resolve our issues. And where are all the American mom-and-pop businesses within our communities? Most are being run by folks from other countries who love taking our American dollars.)
And -- of course you knew I would get to this -- there’s the war in Iraq. All evidence points to the fact that we were misled by our possibly misled government into initiating our “war against terror” in a country where the evil Iraqi leader himself was lying in his boasting about having weapons of mass destruction and possible nuclear capabilities. Meanwhile, dictators of smaller nations were and are committing even more dastardly acts against their people, yet we don’t get involved.
How many of our brave and heroic young men and women in the armed forces died in a war based on fabrications, and how long will they have to remain in that country to try to clean up the mess?
The U.S. was like a dog chasing a car. When the dog caught the car, it didn’t know what to do with it.
I admire our troops and pray for their safety and security. But some of those who have returned home have acknowledged to me that they were proud to have served their country, but they still don’t know exactly what they were fighting for.
At least half of all American citizens who went to the polls voted to put these men and women in harm’s way. The politicians point to the religious right and essentially say they are doing what their constituents wanted.
I believed in the Afghanistan conflict. Those who attacked the U.S. had their orders issued from there. But Iraq? What would Jesus have done? We certainly aren’t trying to convert the Iraqis to Christianity, and people are still dying violent deaths on a daily basis there. And doesn’t the Bible say something like, “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord”?
But now, I’m beginning to ramble even more than usual.
Good Christians can and should think for themselves. Pastors are teachers who can and should be leading us to heaven with the truth of the Gospels, not into a living hell of death and destruction based on fallacies.
Lest you are not really hearing what I’m saying here, organized churches are good in some respects. Their members can fellowship and grow spiritually, spreading the true message of Christ through actions and deeds and not words alone. In our free country, they can love the Lord and live and vote their own conscience -- not follow the will of someone else. Their single denomination alone does not hold the sole key to heaven, and I believe many may be surprised who all they will meet when they get there.
So, ministers. I urge you. Stick to the gospel and leave politics along, because dirty politics are giving you a bad name. Spiritually feel those who so desperately need the Word in these troubled times.
Then, and only then, can love and truth prevail and hate, evil, war, prejudice and inequality subside.--- This commentary reflects only the opinions of veteran journalist Toney Atkins.
(c) 2005 By Toney Atkins
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