The American Christian politician

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Todd Akin, last week, made his concession speech in the name of God. I think his point was that God is allowing America to become more and more sinful, so that he (God, not Todd Akin) can destroy it with impunity, a la Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

 

I picked up a local Christian newspaper last week, just to catch up on the Good News Today. I used to enjoy these papers: they have cute features, like Bible riddles (Who’s the shortest man in the Old Testament? Bildad the Shuhite!) and little homilies about grace and forgiveness.

 

 

But this little newspaper was full of vitriol. Mostly it was about abortion and gay marriage. These are the two worst things happening in the United States, in case you’re wondering.

 

 

Do you remember Jesus, in the New Testament, doing anything or saying anything about either of these issues? He did not. He fed people, and healed people. But apparently health care and world hunger are not important issues for modern fundamentalists.

 

 

I am so sorry that, for so many modern Christians, “social issues” consist of abortion and gay marriage. Why don’t they address health care, and hunger, and housing, and poverty? Their Saviour addressed all those things.

 

 

I don’t believe that Jesus was the son of God. But Jesus the man, as depicted in the Gospels, had a lot of good ideas. 

 

 

Such as: Don’t worry so much about how sinful your neighbor is.

 

 

Just make sure he’s fed and housed and warm.

 

 

Let the rest take care of itself.

 

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The angry Jesus

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Last year at this time, I did all kinds of Easter-themed blogs.  This year, not so much.  I used to try to feel Christian; then I felt sort of post-Christian; now, I don’t really think about it much.

 

 

But I think the mood of the nation is going in the opposite direction.

 

 

I was asked approximately 17 times this year what I was doing for Easter.  Each time I answered, steadily, that Partner and I weren’t doing anything, that we had no plans, we didn’t really observe the holiday.  No one seemed to believe this.  It’s Easter!  He is risen!  You have to do something!  At least have a ham dinner!

 

 

 

Meh.  (Actually, we did have ham for dinner. But it was nothing out of the ordinary, although it was very good.)

 

 

Anyway: last week I saw this article about the differences between the ways Korean Christians and American Christians think about Jesus.

 

 

Americans, for whatever reason, think of Jesus as the ultimate positive guidance counselor.  They associate him with “love” and “amazement.”

 

 

Korean Christians, on the other hand, associate him with words like “pain” and “suffering.”

 

 

Cultural?  Perhaps.  Probably.

 

 

But wow.

 

 

Now, all you Americans, think about it for a moment.  Jesus (as depicted in the Gospels) is never seen to smile or laugh.  He is, on the contrary, as serious as a heart attack.  He is not depicted in the Gospels as an adorable guy. He did not resemble your football coach, or your pastor, or your favorite movie star.  He was skinny and Semitic and crochety.  He called his own mother “woman”! 

 

 

And a happy Easter Week to all of you.

 

 

(I’ll take Ganesha any day.  He’s usually cheerful, and he is easily placated with sweets.)

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