http://journals.democraticunderground.com/NanceGreggs/106

How Would Jesus Vote?

By Nancy Greggs

During an appearance on CNN's Larry King Live (October 12, 2006),
guest Dennis Prager responded to a question about the impact of the
recent scandals (Foley et al) on voters from the religious right.

Prager was quick to point out that although they were "troubled" by
these events "religious Conservatives will not stop voting Republican"
due to the fact that the alternative, i.e. the Democratic party, "is a
party that does not share any of their values."

While this is certainly not the first (nor, regrettably, the last) time
I have heard someone toss out this kind of reasoning, it never fails to
astound me.

For discussion purposes, let's accept the argument from the true
believers that incidents like the Foley scandal, the Cunningham
scandal, the Ney scandal, etc., are not indicative of a pervasive
climate of corruption existing within the Republican party, but merely
a case of a few bad apples who, drunk with political power and tempted
by forbidden financial fruit, fell off the Virtue wagon with a
publicly-humiliating thud.

Let's also, for the sake of discussion, accept the fact that the
biggest hurdle for many voters who consider themselves to be religious
Christians in supporting Democrats is, was, and seemingly always will
be the issue of pro-choice versus anti-choice vis a vis abortion, and
its attendant issues of access to birth control, sex education, and the
like.
On this single topic, the Christian Right have been traditionally
willing to throw the Baby Jesus out with the bath water.

Upon hearing the words "right to choose", they invariably stick their
fingers in their ears in order to shut out everything else the
Democratic party has to say.
That is an unfortunate fact, but a fact nonetheless.

So having put aside those two issues for the moment, we are left with
the obvious question:
What else is it that the current crop of elected Republicans stand for,
and have crafted into policy, that is in keeping with values of
religious conservatives -- or, for that matter, any people of faith?
The disconnect between what is morally just and the actions of the
elected Republicans in control of our government for the past few years
should be glaringly obvious.
Where is the morality in a war that has caused the deaths of hundreds
of thousands of innocent Iraqis?

Where is the adherence to Christian teaching in abandoning social
programs that assist the hungry, the sick and the homeless?

How does one equate moral rectitude with policies that have enriched
and empowered the wealthy, while plunging the hard-working middle class
into debt?

Who can honestly condone the use of torture and consider it to be in
keeping with anything remotely resembling Christian values?
"As you do to the least among you, so you do unto me."

And what has been done to the least among us by the Republicans
currently in office is not, I would humbly suggest, what Jesus would
consider to be a monumental display of moral values -- not by a long
shot.
On the other hand, the Democrats have traditionally championed strong
social safety-nets for those "least among us",

as well as other moral concepts the GOP have abandoned -- things like obeying the law of the
land, and rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, without
simply handing everything over to Caesar without regard for God's
share of the action, such as stewardship of the planet, and a helping
hand extended to our fellow man in His name.

What Mr. Prager, and people who spout the same rhetoric, seemingly fail
to recognize is the fact that as we head into the mid-term elections,
the poll numbers have shown a distinct Democratic lead over the party
that has proven, beyond any doubt, to have a total inability to walk
the walk despite an annoying penchant to talk the talk at every
available opportunity.
While it may come as a shock to the Dennis Pragers of the world, a lot
of those people who are planning to vote Democratic next month are good
Christians -- as well as good Jews, good Muslims, good Buddhists, and
others of moral fiber who have finally had their fill of the GOP
slogan-in-practice, "Come for the Sermon -- Stay for the Hypocrisy".

There has been much discussion of late about how Democrats should
strike while the political iron is hot, and reach out to the
Fundamentalists in an effort to secure their loyalty and their future
votes.

I, for one, dismiss this idea out-of-hand.

It is not for the party that has proven itself to be more in keeping
with the tenets of Christianity to prove itself worthy;

it is for those espoused followers of the teachings of Jesus to prove
the strength of their own convictions by supporting what is right, what
is just, what is morally responsible.
If the religious conservatives of whom Mr. Prager speaks find the
Republicans -- the party who have placed the Power of the Almighty
Dollar over the Power of the Almighty God -- to be the party that
shares their values, so be it.
But perhaps it is time for the so-called Religious Right not to assess
the moral values of the two political parties, but their own commitment
to the values they allegedly hold so dear.
In the current political atmosphere, where the topic of morality is
about to play a key role in the voting choice of millions of Americans,
it is not fitting for people of faith who cling to Republican ideals to
ask why God has forsaken them and their party.
It is, I would humbly submit, more appropriate for God to ask why He
has been abandoned by those who claim to be His staunchest supporters.

_______________________________________________________

Once again, thank you Nancy Greggs.


Harry
=================================================

It has been an up hill struggle for the last 2 years (have I been
reposting you that long) and it aint over till the Bush Crime Family is
gone and imprisoned for war-crimes.... but thanks to your (and others)
unabated efforts it truly looks like the steps to get Bush impeached
and the people to take back FREEDOM are beginning.

There was a long march toward Fascism that was begun by people like
Newt Gingrich working for the Bush Crime Family even back then in the
early 90's

Today however millions of people know the truth... for instance
millions know who Prescott Bush is and his partnership with Adolph
Hitler.(for those of you that dont, YES THE TRILLIONAIRE BUSH FAMILY
HAS BEEN ABLE TO KEEP ITSELF HIDDEN FROM THE LIGHT OF TRUTH AND THE
SLOW TO UNDERSTAND AMERICAN PUBLIC ... there is nothing Christian about
the Bush Crime Family except their betrayal of Christianity in order to
brainwash voters)... you should suspect that there was Bush Family
involvemnt in the political assassination of the sixties... and some
day all will know.

So it looks like a turn of the tide is coming... this time we must make
America even more fair than FDR was able to do.

thankyou Harry Hope... whoever the hell you are,
-robinhoodzorro

-------------------------------------------------------------
Harry
(see all of Harry Hope's excellent posts as they break, put this link
in your browser, use it, this is a search on google groups, on the
author Harry Hope sorted by date... nothing fancy):
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=&start=0&scoring=d&enc_author=-nIhFBQAAACtBOUGAhN9cSve8yYdFJBuOPANdqfI6prRsqjc7uCt1A&


With history moving so fast these days you might also want to sort
Harry Hope's posts by "relevance" particulary if the lies and
misdirection that we are all being sujected to by the extensive Bush
Crime Family Propagand machine are confusing you. Using the "sort by
relevance" option has a way of letting you take in the big picture.
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=&start=0&enc_author=-nIhFBQAAACtBOUGAhN9cSve8yYdFJBuOPANdqfI6prRsqjc7uCt1A&