There's a guy who contributes a written screed to the newspaper now and then. He has a rather interesting take on life.He filed a piece recently about how, only days before Christmas, we must remember that we are celebrating the birth and life of Christ, that we must strive to follow his love and law.
Apparently he has been reading from a different book than I have because he went on to talk about how it was, thus, imperative for us to get rid of "all ILLEGALS" as he put it and how the "lazy slackers" should not have received extended unemployment benefits, but if we must have the unemployment safety net how it should be no more than the minimum wage for a 40-hour week.
He went on, of course, to wrap himself in the flag, closing with "Merry Christmas and may God bless America and all our troops."
Just as I don't believe God roots for any specific football team, I don't believe he favors any particular country. I don't believe he intervenes on the battlefield because, according to what I have read, he isn't particularly a fan of war and killing, which are waged at the hand of man, not God. I don't think he favors Republicans, no matter how much the far right tries to invoke his name. In fact, I think there is ample Biblical evidence that Christ would have been a liberal. He shunned the rich, the moneychangers, the powerful. I mean, remember the bit about it being easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven? Yet, I have seen churches of various stripe base an awful lot on how much is placed in the collection basket on Sunday.
Christ didn't have a problem with alcohol, like so many fundamentalists who shun it, otherwise, why would he have turned water into wine during a wedding ceremony? And he was not a very conventional fellow with his long hair, beard and sandals.
The hypocrisy of the "faithful" offers many other rich examples of how much has been warped and twisted in God's name. A lot of people will start pulling this con on you as the holiday draws nearer -- wishing you peace, joy and prosperity as long as you are white, straight and willing to kill somebody, if need be, for a barrel or two of oil.
There are those among the "faithful" who would sell their souls for corporate advancement, political office or a simple moment of fame, convincing themselves that, ultimately, it is better for a "believer" to have that power, position or notoriety than for a "non-believer." Sort of like being rewarded for being a member of the Jesus Brigade.
Except when it fails, as it so often does, and these people are exposed for their hypocrisy or stupidity.
I mean, the tearful televangelist is now a cliche, as is the stupid politician crying in front of the cameras after getting caught in some sort of scandal that was, of course, a "mistake," justifying it with the old line, "Christians aren't perfect...they're just forgiven."
I think there's a little more to all of this than screwing up, saying you are sorry and having it all taken off your permanent record -- not the one they warn you about when you are in school, the other one.
I think the point of it all is that we must all find a way to justify who we are, what we are and why we act the way we do, which is why we turn to our own interpretation of God and hook up with one of the many religions formed in his name, sall of which claim to be the true path to righteousness.
The thing is, we are all imperfect, judgmental beings; damaged goods. I mean, really, if we were to honestly turn to the holidays and a popular message from them, the most accurate depiction of the human race is that it would be that we're all from the island of misfit toys, simply looking for a home that will accept us and appreciate us.
And, that has nothing to do with faith or the reason we celebrate Christmas day.
Say what you feel, do what you believe is right.
But, get your story straight first.
