by Raven Shadowwinds

Created on: July 18, 2008   Last Updated: September 09, 2008

Why the Christian Right is Failing

The lesser of two evils is still evil. I wish this phrase were original to me, as it is both wise and catchy. It is not, though. I first heard it on television, from one of those televangelist types. I do not think it is original to him either, but it stuck with me and I tend to credit him, as it was from his mouth that my ears first heard it.

I also wish people who care about what is evil and what is not took this phrase seriously. Unfortunately, there is a large lump on my desk where I bang my forehead as I read of Evangelical Christians being politically stupid. It does not happen occasionally, it happens repeatedly.

Let me be frank, I am not part of the Christian Right. I do believe that Christians are salt and light to whatever nation they live in, but I get a tad squeamish when people start labelling the United States a Christian nation. We need only look at history (ancient Rome, Great Britain) to see why and established religion is an unsavoury concept. Even worse, claiming the US for God is dangerous.

If, for sake of argument, one accepts that the US is actually a Christian nation, it would mean the nation has a covenant with God. The US would be obligated to keep that covenant for the entire course of its existence. If not, horrible judgement would befall the land. God does not cotton to covenant breakers; just look at what He did with Biblical Israel. Israel had little choice in the matter, it was a covenant created, introduced, explained and enforced by God Himself. The US had and still does have a choice in the matter. I would caution against making a unilateral covenant with God in a nation that believes in individuality, unless plagues and disasters of Biblical proportions are a reasonable option. Breaking promises to God results in disaster, every time.

That being said, the Christian Right tends to see the US as a Christian nation and works tirelessly to see that above-mentioned disasters do not befall the land. Sometimes they wage information campaigns about what is right and wrong and sometimes they lobby for what they believe is God's holy agenda. If, for argument's sake, they are right, lobbying for anything less than the holy agenda would be sinful, would it not?

This brings me to the newest dent in my desk. On July 1, Phyllis Schlafly summed up the Christian Right's response to the choices available in the current election as such, 'The alternative is so bad we must support John McCain.' In other words, he

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>