I was recently told a very interesting and ultimately troubling story. It seems that liberal Christians are actually being ostracized from their churches for being Democrats. Since when did voting Democratic become tantamount to committing a mortal sin? In the story, a young woman in a swing district in Florida was made to feel so uncomfortable in her church for being a Democrat that she ultimately felt impressed upon to leave the congregation. Amazingly, she was led to believe, of all things, that she would one day certainly join the likes of Jimmy Carter and George Clooney (to name two, apparently) in spending eternity in Hell. I suppose I shouldn’t be so shocked. Those kind of Christians seem to be reading a different Bible altogether. I seem to remember Jesus preaching love and practicing tolerance. I also seem to remember that those who are persecuted for righteous causes go to Heaven, not Hell.
One might not be so shocked by such a practice in the Bible belt “red” states, where a right wing brand of Christianity is the norm and the politics are overwhelmingly conservative. But for this to occur in the swing state of Florida, in a county where there are almost as many Democrats registered as Republicans (150K vs. 170K respectively) is harder to swallow. It makes you wonder if the liberal Christians in the most hard-line of the red states are actually safe!
Apparently, this lovely young woman’s story is not an isolated case. I am told by red state liberals that right-wing church leaders and congregants seek to ideologically purify their congregations by weeding out the liberal Christians using bullying tactics such as fear and bigotry. It’s no secret that right-wing Christian leaders preach the virtues of voting Republican from their pulpits. A reprehensible and exclusive practice to be sure, but the right has thusly gained electoral advantage for more than a generation in particularly pious regions of the country as a result.
What’s so peculiar about right-wing Christianity is its forfeiture of the lion’s share of moral issues to serve the most divisive few. Indeed, they effectually cede the mantle of morality to liberal Christians who practice a much broader conceptual definition of morality that includes those beautiful values that Jesus taught. Whether through actions or words, Jesus taught love, charity, humility, peace, community, friendship, family, tolerance and honesty (among others). Contrast such values with those on display at the Religious Right’s recent Value Voter’s Summit, and again, one must wonder what Bible they are reading (or Constitution for that matter). Intolerance was the value of the day, with several speakers either belittling Mormonism, implying that other religions are not protected by the First Amendment, or stating that gays were a threat to public health. Bryan Fisher of the American Family Association now famously articulated these positions with the most clarity and vitriol.
Where do hate and intolerance lead? However you slice it, it can’t be to a heavenly destination.