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A
Christian Nation?
by Dean Jacques
Is
the United States of America a Christian nation?
If
you believe we are, then we have great cause to be ashamed of our priorities.
Jesus said it himself, you cannot serve both God and money. He could not
have been more clear. And yet that's what we try to embrace as our national
philosophy. We worship Jesus the Money-changer; Jesus the feel-good CEO;
Jesus the Polluter who no longer cares about the sparrow falling from
the tree; Jesus the Investor, who wants to eliminate Social Security in
order to draw new investments, even at the risk of people's retirement;
Jesus the pre-emptive strike Invader, who doesn't even wait for the first
cheek to be struck.
It's
way past time we compare what we say in worship to what we practice at
home and at work. We consider the cartoon-like Donald Trumps of the world
to be blessed, not the poor in spirit. We search the letter of the law
to disengage our hearts from compassion. We condemn those whom ancient
scriptures call abomination, forgetting not only that we are not to judge,
but that in Christ all things are new, and should be seen anew. We are
a debtor nation, despite Jesus' admonition to neither lend nor borrow.
Hypocrisy is not the word for this. We are being led by the nose by a
pseudo-religious national delusion.
If
this is not a Christian nation, our worshipping the idol of greed is pretty
much the same thing. Reason and experience show that the human condition
is not improved by gross materialism or the ubiquitous influence of crass
marketing. One need not believe in God to appreciate, cherish and want
to protect the spiritual side of human nature, however that's defined.
We have eyes capable of seeing the destructive consequences of greed.
It
is time we limit Capitalism to a system of economics that is subject to
a higher moral philosophy. The bottom-line is not everything, as so many
of our business leaders want us to believe. Capitalism, if it is to survive,
must give way to our higher aspirations: compassion, fairness, truth,
human dignity, the real kind of patriotism that includes concern for our
world and everybody in it.
Are
we not tired of hearing references about family values that are never
defined or honored? How is it we can steal for the rich and still hold
our heads up proud? Where is the outrage when the leaders who represent
us turn around and sell out our interests? When they come up with lobbyist
reforms that have no teeth and conveniently end after the next election?
In the final analysis, are we, as human beings, merely the sum of our
bank accounts and investments?
The
United States, if it is to be special at all, a light among nations, has
to re-dedicate itself to improving the world we live in at all levels,
so that the freedom we enjoy and cherish can, given time, produce its
greatest blossom. Without that impetus, that dream of ages, we will continue
to wallow in the deceit of marketplace and political illusion. We will
sadly degenerate into a failed corporate empire that had it chance to
do better, but betrayed everything for twelve pieces of silver.
