Of Religion and Politics

I struggle to keep my post on point and I attempt to try and not be overly critical of the Bush administration but as I look around at many of the other blogs I notice that I am certainly not the most critical or profane. That gives me some satisfaction and that is what I will try to continue to do but this administration doesn’t make it easy. I have searched high and low for a single success that they have had and to be painfully honest I can’t find one. Whether we look at domestic or foreign policy it’s always the same. Aggression seems to be their watch word and swagger and vanity their code. There is something to be said for having the courage and humility to admit when you are wrong or have made a misstep. This President does not possess either of those qualities and that is reflected in his and his staffs and administrations words and deeds and policies. It has become obvious that anytime that they are simply questioned or called on an issue in any way their auto response is attack and go for the jugular. They appear to not have any other response and this has made the landscape of this administration a moral desert and unfortunately the neo-conservative minority controlling the Republican Party has done the same thing to their Party. It seems to me that they have lost the meaning and intent of their professed Christian Faith in their quest for absolute political power. You might ask what would make me come to such a conclusion. Well there are the Ten Commandments to start with and then there are their actions in relation to those Commandments. Please understand that I use the Ten Commandments here only because it is the predominant faith espoused within the neo-conservative movement and this administration. There are three Commandments that immediately come to mind when I think about the Bush administration and the neo-conservative movement in general. There is “Thou shalt not kill”, “Thou shalt not steal”, and lastly “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”. Now there are their actions in relation to these Commandments. On the “Thou shalt not kill” issue there is the pro death penalty, torture to the point of death, and the war in Iraq resulting in thousands of American deaths and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths. Then on the “Thou shalt not steal” issue there is Tom Delay, and Bill Frist, and Jack Abramof, and, okay the list is too long and includes Pat Roberts and his charities. Then last but not least there is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” issue where we have carte blanche on anything justifying war in Iraq, and Scooter, and Karl, and that list goes on and on and on too doesn’t it. I was raised a Southern Baptist so I have some understanding of my Christian Faith and I quite frankly don’t find that these folks practice what they preach. There are things in the Christian Faith that speak to humility, honesty, honor, truth, and charity. There are things in the Christian faith that speak to forgiveness and helping thy neighbor. There is nothing that I’ve ever found that professes the taking of human life for any reason or for torturing anyone in any manner. The ends do not justify the means. At what point will the zealots within this administration start living by their professed faith and code.

Those are The Sergeant Majors thoughts on that.