Santimonious rightwing Christians irritate those of us who really understand what the New Testament and the lessons from Jesus truly are attempting to teach us.
There's a relatively radical preacher named Jim Rigby in Austin, Texas, a hotbed of liberal citizens in a sea of conservative Texans.
He published a couple of articles recently about Rick Perry's upcoming Prayer Event- you know, the event that Perry finally realized might alienate so many that he's tried to distance himself from the event?
Well, Jim Rigby has made some sound, relevant observations about the expression of Christianity we'll likely see at this event in a posting he's made at CommonDreams.org, and more importantly what we'll certainly not see there. Please click on the link to read the whole thing, but I'll liberally quote from it below the fold.
The Rev Jim Rigby is pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, and a longtime activist in movements concerned with gender, racial, and economic justice.
As he says in his article on Common Dreams
The use of the governor’s office to promote one religion in a country with such rich religious diversity is obviously unhealthy politics, but -- if one takes the Christian and Jewish scriptures seriously -- it is also unhealthy religion.
He then provides 5 ideas from scripture that, if adhered to, would stop Governor Rick Perry from attending or sponsoring this event in its current form.
1. Don’t make a show of prayer
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray in public places to be seen by others… But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your heavenly parent, who is unseen.” (Matt. 6:5-6)
He explains that its the height of hypocrisy to do what Jesus told us to do in private, quietly, in such a public venue.
2. God doesn’t withhold rain because we’ve done something wrong
“God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45)
Texas sure does need rain. If you haven't seen the latest drought monitor map, you should look to see how bad it is. More than 90% of Texas is in the two very worst categories of drought, and 75% is in the very worst category. But God gives rain to everyone at times and withholds it from the best of us too. Some parts of the driest parts of Chile got more rain in one storm last week than they typically get in multiple years worth of rainfall - does God love them too much?
As Dr Rigby says
Perry recently called Texans to pray for rain, which implies that God steers clouds toward the worthy.... It may be a part of our lower nature to blame disasters on people we don’t like or understand, but Jesus taught that God sends rain on the just and unjust. Furthermore, he said our love should be equally nonselective.
I have chosen Christianity as my life’s religion, but when nonjudgmental love is taken out of its center, it becomes poisonous and predatory.
The American Family Association is a main sponsor of this event - they sure feel no compunction against showing judgmental love. They sure don't demonstrate Jesus' belief that love should be nonselective.
3. God doesn’t have favorites
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.” (Acts 10:34)
God loves the sinner and the person who refrains from sinning equally. He doesn't have a favorite or favored religion either, nor does he despise Muslims, or gays, or any other targeted group. We aren't a Christian nation, because our founding fathers realized that elevating one religion above others was wrong!
As Dr Rigby says
We are to change the world by humble persuasion and good example, not by messianic coercion.
Having a Prayer Event like this is not what God and Jesus intended us to use to show our faith and our humanity.
4. Worship by those who neglect the poor is offensive to God
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me… Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:21-24)
And it's hard to ignore how the rightwingers, especially people like Rick Perry, dislike and neglect the poorest, the least able to stand up for themselves, the people whom spiritual people should most look out for, in fact!
Again, as Rigby points out
Texas leads the nation in citizens who are uninsured, who work for minimum wage, and who die from unsafe working conditions on construction sites. Our state has the widest gap between rich and poor of any in the union. If the governor wants to call us to repentance it should begin with our real sins against the poor not the imaginary sins dreamed up by his friends.
The Republicans in Texas as well as those across our nation elevate and deify other wealthy Republicans as though their ability to wring wealth out of the citizens of Texas is something to be praised and emulated. The rightwing pretends that the problem with the poorest 50% of our citizens not paying any Federal income taxes is that they don't pay income taxes - the problem is that they don't make a living wage that would enable them to support themselves and pay taxes too!
5. The heart of Christian ethics is being a good neighbor
When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) it was to teach humility to a rich young zealot who thought he was approaching moral perfection. The Samaritans were the scapegoats of the day. The rich young ruler would consider Samarians heretics and immoral people. Jesus used a merciful Samaritan as the example of ethical perfection. It is a lesson many Christians have yet to learn.
Jesus had two rules, two new covenents to replace all the rules and laws that Jews had been told to follow in the Old Testament. One rule was that they continue to believe in one God and only one God. The other rule was the Golden Rule. In the Bible, in Christianity, the Golden Rule is
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12, King James Version.
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version.
As Dr Rigby ends
I can’t know what is in Perry’s heart, of course, but I do know the problem isn’t one politician but rather a nation that has embraced an unhealthy political arrogance undergirded by even unhealthier religious hubris. The “prayer” that is most needed at this time is for each of us, believer or not, to go into our own heart and find the humility and empathy that is at the core of righteousness, political and spiritual.
Here's what the website for this sideshow called "The Response" says.
On August 6, the nation will come together at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas for a solemn gathering of prayer and fasting for our country.
We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles.
According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.
How immature must their Christian beliefs be that they think that one asks God to intervene and he does so? Mature Christians ask for God's will to be done, not for their own will to be done. As Dr Rigby explains above, God doesn't look upon us less favorably because some Americans don't pray like these fanatics think they should!
Fellow Americans,
Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles, and thank Him for the blessings of freedom we so richly enjoy.
Some problems are beyond our power to solve, and according to the Book of Joel, Chapter 2, this historic hour demands a historic response. Therefore, on August 6, thousands will gather to pray for a historic breakthrough for our country and a renewed sense of moral purpose.
I sincerely hope you’ll join me in Houston on August 6th and take your place in Reliant Stadium with praying people asking God’s forgiveness, wisdom and provision for our state and nation. There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees.
Sincerely,
Rick Perry
Governor
We want the presence, power, and person of Christ to fill our nation and turn the hearts of millions to righteousness, peace, and joy in Him. We want the blessing and favor of a Holy God who loves righteousness and wants to see righteousness exalt a nation in our generation. We want to see real change across our nation that only our God can perform.
So, only Jesus can help guide us? Only "our God"? No other religion is sufficient? How can he be an educated Christian and truly believe this?
And the only hope for America (we're doomed otherwise? really?) is "in heaven", through prayers in Reliant Stadium? Really?
As Dr Rigby explains in another posting on the same topic on the Travis County Democrats site
(The) Perry prayer gathering is bad civics (and) bad religion.
RIGBY: When I look at that rally, what I see is just bad civics and bad religion together. To have a common sphere at all, we have to adopt common neutrality. None of us is privileged over the other. To think otherwise doesn’t honor other ways of being a human, so it’s an assault on democracy at its very tissue. The separation of church and state is essential. (The Perry rally) is also horrible religion, really more like superstition. The idea that God is withholding rain is as primitive as you can get. It’s pathetic, if you think about it.
QUESTION: Super-conservative politics seem to be merging even more closely with super-conservative Christianity this election season. Why do you think that is?
RIGBY: It’s brilliant by the other side to normalize this extreme. Things have swung so far to the right that the core principles of our democracy are almost seen as traitorous. Separation of church and state is supposed to be our linchpin. Demogogues take these earlier quotes from history and make the claim that America was Christian in its foundation, but that exceptionalism is death to the civics sphere.
RIGBY: I’m pro-prayer but anti-magic. Prayer is a deeper form of love, not a magical quest based on fear. Begging God for rain borders on superstitious. Prayer is really an internal call to love … or it should be.