Friday, April 27, 2012

A rant inspired upon being assaulted once too often by the hateful rhetoric of the "Christian" Right during this work up to the election cycle.


Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.
James 1:26-27


God was very clear about his expectation for his people regarding their care of those in need. In fact, it is so fundamental to what true Christianity is that Jesus said if you aren't caring for the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned then you are not really one of his.



Matthew 25: 34-44
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and giveYou drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

This is why I bring this up. If you are not personally feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and caring for the sick and those in prison, AND you object to the people of our country pooling their money together to meet those Jesus-mandated obligations collectively (via taxation) then how can you possible claim to be a follower of the Christ?

Either get off your ass and do it yourself,
get out of the way and let those of us who care enough about "the least of these" to do the work through our tax contributions,
or at least have the decency to be honest about the fact you are self-centered and greedy and you think the poor deserve what they get. Don't dress it up as your religious conviction.

If you claim to be a Christian your leader told you, in the sermon on the mount,

"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."

Let me close with this thought. If you are proud, well-fed, and unconcerned for the poor and needy, God says YOU are engaging in the sins of Sodom.


Ezekiel 16:49
49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Worried about the USA losing the blessing of God because of following after the sin of the Sodomites?  Then get out there are get busy caring for the poor and needy. Right now.
We all know what happened to Sodom.