The original title of this post was "The Cult of the W", which has a sort-of Arthur Conan Doyle-ish ring to it. But the new title better represents what I think is going on here, a kind of "double-cross", where People think they are voting as Christians, but in reality, they are participating in a clearly "Anti-Christian" movement. And no, you can't wave the bloody flag of abortion or pictures of homosexual couples kissing on the court house steps as a justification. Pointing to the Sadducees in outrage only solidifies your position as a Pharisee.
A couple of books I'm reading have an interesting crossing point. "Hitler's Cross: The Revealing Story of How the Cross of Christ Was Used As a Symbol of the Nazi Agenda" by Erwin W. Lutzer , and "A Private and Public Faith" by William Stringfellow. The crossing point (Intended pun? You decide) is the public misuse of religion for political gain. Lutzer points out how Hitler bent the church to his will, even as he bent the Cross into the Nazi Swastika. Hitler grabbed the appeal of the Law, combined with exploiting the economic insecurity of the middle class, to subvert the Gospel. Stringfellow faults John F. Kennedy for responding to Republican claims that the Pope would run America (if Kennedy were to become President) by stressing the "Seperation of Church and State" principal as understood to be in the US constitution. In both cases, "christian" religion was used as a political weapon against Christianity.
If the opening paragraph in Lutzer's book (where he describes Rudolph Hess' plan and search for a new German Leader) doesn't make you think of Karl Rove, then you aren't paying attention. And if the realization that the Democratic Party's over-secularization is a direct result of the GOP's anti-Catholic attacks on John Kennedy, then you are clearly irony deficient.
I make bumper stickers, and have been doing so for a number of years, in varying quantities (from one to one hundred thousand). I noticed several years ago how many members of my denomination at the time (since repented) would line up on Ash Wednesday for a pious show of ashes, but whose cars would seldom have any identifier as to who was their Lord (picky point, I know). Oh, they might have an Episcopal Shield on their rear window, but that's not quite the same as an icthus (little silver fishy), or some clear statement of faith. The Episcopal Shield was more like a parking permit at the Dallas Country Club.
I have a dear Christian friend who just so happens to be a highly partisan Republican. But he has a strick "no stickers" rule for his car. He broke that rule for a small, subtle, and tasteful "Jesus Prayer" bumper sticker strip (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me a Sinner). When he got his new car, he didn't want to put a sticker on it. Understandable. But he put a "W: the President" sticker on his car. No Jesus Prayer, no icthus, so outside indication or witness as to who his Lord is. Or is there indeed a unintended witness to an unintentional lord?
"Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."
-- Luke 12:33-34 The Message
The worship of Mammon.
The Cult of the W.
2 comments:
I (if I may be so bold as to assume I know whom you're talking about) didn't even put that W sticker on my car for most of the election season. In fact, if I recall correctly, it showed up sometime in mid October. That sticker was a direct response to a number of things. First, after having a long discussion over beers at a favorite pub about how showing partisanship helped undermine a Christian's witness, the author's own partisan sticker (granted, along with others witnessing to his faith) and increasingly partisan blog postings prompted me to put my own partisan sticker on my car. It had nothing to do with trying to convince Texans to vote for W. I felt reasonably sure that Texas' electoral votes were not in question. It was just my way of responding without saying what was really on my mind, as not to hurt my dear friend's feelings by saying what I thought. Needless to say, I seem to be very bad at making points subtly.
I had actually planned to take that sticker off on Nov. 3, just as I did the last time I had a political sticker on my car (circa 1994, if I recall correctly). Problem is, I had forgotten it was there. I can't see it from my rear view mirror, and only notice it occasionally when walking up on my truck from behind while not engaged in conversation with someone else or thinking about what needs to be done next. Just as with the tax sticker on my last car that wasn't changed for almost 10 months, I only thought about it when it wasn't convenient to remove. Before I knew it, it was January. Then, my wife was chastised by a friend about having that sticker on her car (she had one as well - at her request, not my prompting). One of the things I inherited from my father was some of his stubborness (though not nearly to the same degree, at least in my opinion), and it tends to rise to the surface when being told what to do by those that assume they know better than me. And, my wife can sometimes respond the same way. Hence, it is March and that sticker is still on my car (and her's). It's odd that I should have a few spare minutes today and check in on my dear friend's blog, as I was just thinking earlier this week when walking out to my car that maybe that sticker had been there long enough. I guess not.
And I thought we had been friends long enough that you wouldn't even need to wonder if it is "a witness to his unintentional lord?". In the vein of "do the time - do the crime", I guess I should just move up to this sticker.
I'm afraid "Mike C" just proved your point.
Query: Since your friend says he hadn't had a political bumper sticker on
his vehicle since 1994, I wonder if he had a "Clinton for Change" sticker
with the hammer and sickle design before the Second Republican Revolution?
If he didn't, I'm sure plenty of those now sporting the Dubya Cross did.
Keep HIS Faith brother.
TW
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