Although I am an atheist, you wouldn't find out unless you asked me, or in this case because it is germane to this diary. After all, I barely have enough time to think and talk about the stuff I do believe in, which is finite, and far less time to think or discuss the infinite variety of things I don't believe in.
At the same time, I have read more of the Bible and more theology than most Christians. I want to understand what motivates religious people, and at least consider whether the argument holds any water. So far it hasn't, and I am still an atheist.
I don't have a problem with what anyone cares to believe (What a country!) as long as they don't care that I don't share it.
Trudge across the gap where I complete the thought.
It is my observation that there are two distinct branches of Christianity in this country, roughly divided by a single theological question, to wit, are we "saved" by works or by faith?
On the "works" side we have the liberal branch. The thinking goes that if you were raised in Outer Mongolia in the Sixth Century, never heard a word about Jesus or being Saved, but spent your life doing charitable acts and sacrificing for your community, would a loving God condemn you to eternal torment just because of something beyond your control?
The adherents of this theological philosophy are the people down in the trenches, feeding the homeless, helping the poor, mopping the floors and not complaining about much. When politicians talk war, they talk peace. If they convert you at all, it is by example.
On the other side, i.e. saved by faith alone, we have most of the right wingers, and evangelicals.
I blame the late Roman Emperor Constantine, who spent a lengthy career murdering, torturing and raping, and whatever else an absolute ruler can do to entertain himself at the expense of others. His theological contribution was that during his lifetime, he used his authority to make Christianity the Official Olympic Mascot Religion of the Roman Empire. After decades of industrial-grade sinning, when he was on his deathbed and didn't have the energy left for even one more sin, he contemplated The Eternal. He called for a priest and accepted Christianity as his faith. Then he died.
This created a theological problem.
As sinners go, Constantine was the "reigning" world champion. Was he going to Heaven after a lifetime of off-the-chart debauchery and a few minutes of Christianity? The question was decided by the Christian hierarchy that Constantine had made the official religious authority of the empire. They owed him big time, and the answer was a resounding YES! They even immortalized the concept with the Last Rites, granting forgiveness and thus heaven to anyone who could answer "yes" to a few simple questions before dying.
In other word, "saved by faith" is a "get out of Hell free" card, as long as you play it in time.
No wonder this is the side of the argument that appeals to right wing authoritarians. Different sects define "faith" in various ways, e.g. being "saved," being baptized, accepting Jesus into your heart, etc., but they agree on one point. If "faith" (however defined) is all you need to get to heaven, then you have considerably more leeway in treating other people like dirt.
Not at all coincidentally, this is the part of the theological spectrum that wants us to believe that we live in a "Christian" nation. They want to read the Bible in the schools and put the Ten Commandments on every courthouse wall. They are the blow-dried preachers on TV, broadcasting from a $10 million dollar megachurch. They are Liberty University.
Right wing evangelicals see food stamps as a handout to the undeserving, undocumented immigrants as criminals, health care for the indigent as an unnecessary drain on the treasury, and war against Islamic nations as God's work.
I read the Bible because they don't. If this were a Christian nation, these are the values we would espouse. Matthew 21:35-46:
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand right-wing, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(My edit.)