As we have seen lately, so many of the professed leaders have shown themselves to be on the wrong side of ethical. From the email conversations between former Christian Coalition head and wannabe governor of Georgia Ralph Reed and the indicted Mike Scanlon we learned that the foot-soldiers of the religious right are seen as lemmings to be led off a cliff by some of these leaders. My friend Will, a former Republican operative has great insight into this issue.
I have read disturbing accounts of the political backroom shenanigans of Tim LaHaye and Pat Robertson on numerous occasions, seen Perkins love of Tom DeLay and heard from Dobson's mouth his own grab at kingmaking.
And, thankfully, OldSpeak included a copy of an important investigation into the business dealings of Robertson crony and Supreme Court power broker, Jay Sekulow, head of the Christian Nationalism organization American Center for Law and Justice. It seems Sekulow has richly benefited from the culture wars in America that he fights.
I see a few options concerning the leaders of the Christian Right, including many prominent pastors. To liberally borrow from and destroy C.S. Lewis' Lord, Lunatic or Liar argument, these men and women are either Power Hungry and Evil, Willing to Sleep with the Devil to Get their Agenda Law or naive fools. Just as Bush's administration has to be liars or incompetent, I see a similar pattern among these leaders, which frightens me for the rank-and-file religious righters I call friends and family (and whom I care deeply for).
Are rank-and-file persons who consider follow the agenda of the Right terribly naive, blinded by the arguments of the O'Reilly's, Limbaughs (2 shining examples of Christian morality) and Dobson or willing to cut off their leg to save their foot?
1 comment:
[["these men and women are either Power Hungry and Evil, Willing to Sleep with the Devil to Get their Agenda Law or naive fools."]]
Yes, it really comes down to that. And it is very difficult for us "rank-and-file persons" to discern which person is which category.
In the case of much of the evangelical Christian leadership, I think many are naive fools (so I guess that's better that the other choices!). But how sad that those who are supposed to be so yielded to the Holy Spirit cannot discern truth from error, and thus besmirch the name of Christ.
I think others are "Power Hungry" but are blind to the fact--they are naive that power corrupts, especially if you think you are righteous in your actions.
I think still others are "Willing to Sleep with the Devil," because they feel that the ends justify the means (this is what the White House is guilty of--they felt "called" to shift the balance of power in the Middle East, so the means of lying to the American public was justified by what they felt was a righteous end).
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