Hypocrisy, Religious Leaders and Jesus

"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!"   

From the Gospel of Matthew 23:15

It would seem that since the beginning of America, there has been a fixation on morality and goodness. It seems reasonable, as many of the original Colonial settlers were Puritans.

Alexis de Tocqueville, in his famous book "Democracy in America", wrote "Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."

And, given the moral themes espoused by both Democrats and Republicans in the recent election, it would seem that we still vehemently disagree over what is "good" and "moral" - or even "faith".

Republicans, with their more Puritanical mores, tend to emphasize hard work, sexual chastity, and racial purity. One can see these themes in their requirement for welfare recipients to undergo drug testing (even though the failure rate is far below the general population), sex education, and opposition to Planned Parenthood funding.

With the near perfect alignment of Christian Evangelicals and the GOP, modern Republican policy will be very familiar to anyone who was raised in a Southern, Protestant household.

The Democratic Party, conversely, values traditionally liberal values such as personal freedom and tolerance. These values are best shown by their support for abortion rights, legalization of marijuana, and statutory equality for LGBT citizens (whether marriage equality or bathroom parity).

Obviously, both parties clothe their platforms in the language of patriotism, freedom, and morality. Unfortunately, if one were to consider the true meaning of morality - at least morality defined by reformed Judaism or the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, or even Mohammed, there would be obvious conflicts between current ideas of morality and godliness and the current policies of either party.

The Republicans tend to deviate from Jesus' teachings on mercy and neighborly love - whereas Democrats tend to forget religious teachings around personal responsibility and ethical behaviors.

Both sides tend to demonize the other, with each side claiming the "moral high ground" which neither qualifies to occupy in most circumstances. This is not to say that neither side is ever right and the other wrong, but history tends to show that there is much more gray than black and white is most political disputes.

The main difference between Republican moralizing and Democrat chastising is that most Evangelical Christians are also Republicans. Whereas many Democrats are either non-religious or not fundamentally or stridently so.

Why does this matter? It matters in that America's historical roots in Puritanism tips the scales of moral authority somewhat towards those with a religious pedigree.

I don't think it unrelated that Dr. Martin Luther King chose the clergy as his profession - even though he was not necessarily evangelical. Although his message of racial justice and change was not readily welcomed - even by fellow clergymen- think of those whose opinion might have been swayed just a little when they heard this "rabble rouser" referred to as the "Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

So, when an Evangelical Republican moralizes on abortion or welfare reform, I believe that the average voter gives a bit more credence to their positions than to the non-religious opposition.

But, the main point of I'd like to make is this. If the presumption of "rightness" given to Evangelical Republicans results from the idea that their positions are closer to those espoused by Jesus Christ (the nominal founder of Christianity), I assert that this idea is false, spurious, and tragically wrong.

In actuality, modern Evangelical Republicans consistently espouse positions and beliefs that completely contradict the teachings of Jesus. And, ironically, their positions align quite nicely with those that most opposed Jesus during his time on earth - the Pharisees.

If you are unaware of who the Pharisees were, they were the religious elite - those self-appointed to guard the spiritual purity and moral sanctity of first century Palestine.

So, consider the irony of the average voter who - while voting Republican - somehow thinks they are "pleasing God" - when in actuality they are many times violating godly principles by voting Republican.

How so, you say? Well, if you consider the virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric of the recent election, how does that agree to the Parable of the Samaritan recounted in the Gospels where Jesus stresses compassion and mercy for the foreigner and those in need? (See Luke 10:25-37 for Jesus' thoughts on "who is my neighbor?")

When you consider Jesus' response to the hungry masses who had gathered to hear his teachings - teachings immortalized in the "Sermon on the Mount" and the Beatitudes and recorded in the Gospel of Matthew beginning in chapter 6 - Jesus did not excoriate the masses for their poor planning or their lack of resources - he fed them. He did not moralize about their worthiness to receive food for which they did not toil - he fed them.

Contrast the attitudes of Jesus with those demonstrated by our willingness to cut funding for child nutrition programs - programs that effectively prevent hunger for children being raised in poor families. How is this "Christian" or even "Evangelical"?

It may be conservative - or it may be a legitimate political position to deny funding for government nutrition programs. It may be intellectually consistent to believe that such benevolence should flow from individuals or churches or community programs that are more attuned to local needs. As a pragmatist, I can see the truth in these positions.

But. When speaking in the public realm, when advocating for your positions on social media - please be honest about your intentions and your motivations.

It is your right to be miserly. It is your right to want to keep more of your own paycheck and pay less in taxes.

But. When you do these things, please do NOT pretend that you agree with Jesus - or cloth yourself in the mantle of biblical morality or even historic Christianity.

When you so proudly feel like you deserve to moralize because you DO all the right things - believe all the right things - follow all the right rules - beware of the scathing indictment of Jesus to those who felt similarly during his lifetime.

Consider Jesus words later in Matthew 23.

"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law - justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.

Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.

In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

So, the next time you hear a speaker or read an article about "family values" or positions espoused by many of the so-called Evangelical Christian leaders, ask yourself a few questions.

Is that thing kind? Does it demonstrate love in such a way that you would welcome the same treatment yourself?

And, finally, can you imagine the Jesus of the Bible actually saying such a thing?

If not "yes" to all three questions, maybe you should question if Jesus is the one speaking - or just another religious hypocrite.

dg 

1/10/17

Sent from my iPad