In American politics today, religion has seemed to find its way into the conversation more than it's intended to. Somehow over the years the Republican party has hijacked the Christian faith, the most popular religion in American, and has used the religion when they see the need in order to fit their political ideology. The biggest problem with what the Republican party has done is that the message they praise is not the message they preach.
Whether you believe in the story of Jesus Christ or not, it's irrelevant. If you take the story literally, metaphorically or if you think of the story as nothing more than a fable told by uneducated men a few thousand years ago, the message is the same. Jesus Christ, fact or fiction, is a man who cared for the least fortunate, would give the clothes off of his back to take care of them. He was a man who believed we are all equal, should all take care of each other and that in the end you must be true to your heart.
The story of Jesus Christ is an interesting one, a man raised by a single mother, a carpenter, a community organizer and a man who had a vision of how the world should be and spoke up. Jesus prayed alone, told his followers to love their enemies and helped people who were most sick, without turning the away. Jesus never preached hate, didn't preached violence and knew what it took for people to come together. What is so interesting about the story of Jesus is that it conflicts with the message coming from the conservative right.
Republicans hold Jesus Christ up high on a mantel as they claim to be the party of religious liberty and family values. The issue is that while conservatives claim to lead politically through the message of Jesus, they very rarely do. On the other side of the political spectrum is President Obama. President Obama is a Christian, but doesn't talk too much about his faith when dealing with the job at hand. The United States was founded on the freedom to believe what you want, but in return the government wouldn't make any laws based on a religious belief system. President Obama chooses to worship in his own way, often in private, just like Jesus when he prayed alone. President Obama talks about getting health care to families who can't afford it now and Republicans are against this at every turn. Would Jesus prevent those who didn't have the financial ability to just die in the streets?
The financial system that the United States operates on is capitalism. The ability to maximize your profit even at the expense of others. In the famous board game Monopoly, there are a lot of losers and very limited winners. One person, or group, ends up with everything while the rest struggle. One could find it hard to believe that through the story of Jesus that he would favor a system that shuts off the majority of people from being successful. Throughout the Bible it often talks about the lack of love towards the wealthy especially when dealing with those who have little.
Matthew 19:21 - "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Luke 14:12-14- He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
The talk of taking care of the poor continues throughout the book.
Luke 16:19-25- "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
Matthew 19:24- "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
In no way should anyone try to compare President Obama to Jesus or anyone else, he's his own man and he stands on his own two feet. What should be noted, however, is that the ideology that Republicans claim to stand for is what describes President Obama more than their own platform. Republicans have tried to cut programs like Medicaid and the WIC program from the poor. They have also tried to cut unemployment benefits, food stamps and other programs from the least fortunate around us. Republicans have also set in motion plans to cut education funding and benefits to the elderly while discriminating against anyone who doesn't fit in their line of thinking. While Republicans take from the poor, they continue to give back to those who already have more than they need.
President Obama is far from perfect and his legacy is still yet to be complete, but as his presidency continues each day he has stayed true to his message. Not every promise has been fulfilled and as his time in office continues the choices become greater. One thing that can be said about President Obama is that he is doing what is best for the country as a whole, not just a particular sector of the country. It's hard to please everyone when we all have different ways of thinking, but in the end if the message in the story of Jesus is to be tolerant, caring and accepting and doing what is right for everyone, President Obama has a stronger leg to stand on than his Republican counterparts.
