Thursday, January 20, 2005

Theology. Democracy.

The rise of evangelicals -- and their growing involvement in the political process -- mirrors the rise of Islamic fundamentalism that began in the past forty to fifty years in the middle east, coming to one of its heads when the Ayatullah Khomeini and his ilk took over Iran at the outset of the 1980s.

America has followed suit, slowly but surely.

We now are divided. We are not divided into religious and secular so much as we, as a nation whose culture is spiritual, are now "religious" and "fanatic." Half of us look to the Bible and see a God of vengeance and justice. Half of us look to the Bible and see a God of charity. You would think that the touchy-feely God -- the one whom the evangelicals stake claim to as a "personal savior" -- would be the charitable God. In my observation, that is not so. Right-wing evangelicals embrace God as their personal savior -- and in fact, declare themselves "saved!" -- and heave a sigh of relief that they are safe while the hedonists will be out on the receiving end of God's lashes (the lashes that they were spared . . . lucky them.)

Their God makes them "feel good." The God of charity is one who inspires His followers to "do good." Isn't it peculiar that the conservatives who decry a "feel good" society use that very sentiment to define their faith. Feeling good -- being saved -- stops at YOU. Doing good -- enacting the will of the charitable God -- is evident in the end result of our charitable, not judgmental, acts.