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Of course, one could selectively read and interpret Bible in the ways suiting your earthly proclivities, whims and desires. It's really flexible, you pick what you want, kinda spiritual buffet. However, Bible does have a strong egalitarian message of equality among believers (on this Earth), care for the unfortunate (yup, according to the Bible they are entitled for your consideration and help), non-acquisitiveness & sharing, sinfulness of usury, nonacceptance of business practices in the Church, etc. The question is - why American Christianity doesn't care to use these aspects of the Bible in their life and their quest for political power and influence? And why right wing Christian message resonates so well with America (even poor rural American voting Republican each time)?
I understand that USA is predominantly protestant country and protestantism was, among other things, a result of acquisitive longings of post medieval urban societies who developed taste for finer things in life, banking & accumulation, industry and independence (from the rigid rules of Catholic Church) and who were burdened by medieval welfare rules. But American version of protestantism absolutely stands out among other Protestant Churches. It's not a big exaggeration to say that mainstream American Christianity took all the "egalitarian" messages of the Bible, reversed those 180 degrees and adopted an upside-down message as their ideological foundation.
A. Equality? What equality? People are not created equal, thus social inequality is a must, and if you pray hard, play your card right, work hard, capitalize on your talents you can climb that wealth&power ladder yourself. That's a mild message of mainstream Christian America. Those suburban mega churches full of the social climbers have much, much stronger social Darwinistic message of inequality. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich... That's definitely out of context, according to American Christian mainstream. Your material blessings in this world are a good indicator of your success in the eternity.
B. Beggars and freeloaders deserve what they get, they must have made wrong choices in their lives and deserve to be punished. Nobody is entitled for "welfare", nobody has the right to exist (except fetuses) unless he and his skills are marketable. That's drastic difference between Catholic and Protestant Churches. Catholic Church (at least verbally) acknowledged that every human being has the right to exist regardless of his/her marketability, thus, it's a duty of those who "have" to provide survival basics for those "who don't have".
C. The most Christian Nation on the face of Earth is founded upon usury and run by usurers. Most states scrapped their anti-usury laws.
D. Churches are run as businesses, tax exempt businesses that can make billion$. Priesthood adopted career aspirations/training & licensure, looks, language ! (pay attention to your sermons) and attitudes not unlike those of the upper level corporate management.
I have a number of deeply religious Christian friends that are also socially and economically very liberal. They and I reject the caricature of Christianity presented by today's churches of Mammon on Earth that place financial success above sanctity. Greed was never a blessing in the Jesus’ world but has taken over his church.
Calvanism and Mormon's both shame the Christian name.
Jesus was a radical and were he walking amongst us today (where we could see, feel, hear and listen to him) he would be condemned by the "religious right" in the USA. A "radical", a "leftist", and a Jew. A trifecta for the haters, who ... obnoxiously ... express their hate in God's name.
We hear entirely too much from the hate-mongering religious Left, they're called Atheists, and boy do they hate Christians.
There are many, many Christians within the ranks of the left. The difference is the left doesn't use religion as a bludgeon against anyone not following the rigid dogma practiced by many on the right.
Left-leaning voters, whether Christian or not, actually practice the tenets of the religion--do unto others, turn the other cheek, whatsoever you do to the least of My brothers, you do unto Me--than those who wear their Christianity on their sleeves but practice the opposite of what it preaches.
The religious right uses their religion as a weapon, not a tool of peace or brotherly love.
The reason you don't hear much about the religious left is that, being liberals and all, they aren't out there beating you over the head with their religious dogma or attempting to force their beliefs through legislation. Also, they tend to come from Mainline Protestant denominations who tend to frown upon on pious bragging and sanctimonious behavior. You're not likely to see people try to out-Jesus each other at an Lutheran or Presbyterian gathering.
Jesus was a radical and were he walking amongst us today (where we could see, feel, hear and listen to him) he would be condemned by the "religious right" in the USA. A "radical", a "leftist", and a Jew. A trifecta for the haters, who ... obnoxiously ... express their hate in God's name.
You know gomexico. My wife and I had a similar conversation about this the other day. It was a similar premise. Were Jesus walking among us today, He would more than likely be called a kook, ridiculed, and more than likely killed for his his beliefs.
Kind of effed up when you think about it.
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Religious left
