The Heretics

Modern Republican Christians ignore 90% of the Bible so they can embrace Republican political dogma which matches the, heavily distorted by modern man, and greatly edited and misquoted, remaining 10% of the Bible.  This validates, under the thinnest of religious veils, their claim they vote GOP based on religion.  They scream any Biblical passage, heavily edited or not, which corroborates their feelings on abortion and anti-gay politics, while ignoring the actions of the same Republicans as they deny the hungry food, the homeless shelter, the sick healthcare, and refuse to welcome in strangers from strange lands.  Let's face it, most Republican Christians seem to feel as if 'Love they Neighbor' is more of a suggestion, something to agree with when they're in a pew, but rarely elsewhere.

A few years back, I got into an argument with a Republican Christian.  It was around Christmas, 2014, and he was lamenting about how us not forcing everyone to celebrate Christmas, including all non-Chrisitans, was somehow violating Jesus' teachings, another sign of the 'War on Christians.'  This was also the year of the Ferguson uprising.  In the aftermath of that tragedy, 14 predominately black churches across the south were firebombed, destroyed in an undeniable, actual War on Christians.  I asked him why he wasn't far more upset about that.  He first insisted he hadn't heard anything about it.  After I forwarded him article after article about the arsons, he shrugged.  "That's a shame," said in the same way one might refer to a Viking's football loss.  This is when I began to realize how corrupted and broken the modern right wing Evangelicals and Christians had become.

Now we have them shouting their love of Trump, a character who IS a villain straight from the Bible itself, an evil figure Christians were warned to avoid, but the Christian right in this country has placed him on their shoulders and are parading him around.  They seem to have decided Christianity has been worshiping Jesus too long, and now it's time for Judas and Pontius Pilate to get some adoration.  They've become so obsessed with stopping a woman's right to choose and gays getting married, they've begun jubilantly worshipping a man who places money and power over everything else.  And I haven't mentioned the numerous sexual assault allegations against him.  He's the most anti Christian major party politician I've ever seen, and he's beloved by the Religious Right in America today.

This week, in the aftermath of the stunning, and terrifying, Trump victory, we've witnessed hundreds, if not thousands, of racist and bigoted attacks across America.  In churches, schools, colleges, parks, stores, restaurants, in big cities and in small towns, embolden racists feel a new age of 'White Power Over All' has dawned, taking their pent up, evil, and misguided rage out on innocents.  Has anyone heard the President Elect condemn any of these anti-Christian attacks which are being done in his name?  Nope, neither has the GOP, or the Evangelicals and right wing Christians.  This is the easiest behavior to condemn, atrocious actions, behavior more akin to the crowd who placed Jesus on the cross.  They've all been silent, and, sadly, many likely approve.  But if one of the millions of anti-Trump protesters gets out of line at all, I'm inundated with social media harpings from the fake pious, bellowing about how the left needs to be reigned in.  "Why aren't the police shooting them?"

I'll never take the religious bluster from any 'Christian' or 'Evangelical' who voted for Trump seriously ever again.  As a matter of fact, I've decided it's time for us to start calling them what they truly are, Heretics.  Merriam-Webster defines 'heretic' as "a dissenter from established religious dogma; someone who believes or teaches something that goes against accepted or official beliefs."  It was bad enough when these fake Christians ignored the vast majority of Jesus' teachings to validate hatred towards a particular group of people, or to validate a political party's legislative platform which made the needy needier.  This silent endorsement of the worst of humanity is the final straw.  They're not anything religious or Christian I've ever seen.  They're Heretics.

I'm Catholic.  One of the benefits of the Catholic faith is Saturday evening services, so last night, my family and I went to our church in Eden Prairie for the 5 PM mass.  Father Bill started off by addressing the week's news, and the feeling of dread over the country.

Father Bill told the story of an African American man, a US citizen, who lives in Eden Prairie, but works for the church in St. Paul.  This week, while at Target in Eden Prairie, a white male Trump supporter threatened to shoot him.  The loud gasp which emanated from the parishioners will stay with me forever.  Father Bill continued, talking about how at the next stop for this man, an Eden Prairie fast food restaurant, the counter employee insisted they wouldn't serve him if he was Somali, something they implied he had to prove he wasn't.  Another terrified gasp.  Then the man had a third encounter, this time getting pushed around by another Trump supporter.  Tears were flowing from the elderly women who sat across from us.  I felt the fire in my eyes, but held it back as my youngest daughter clutched me tightly, out of fear.

Father Bill had a wonderful sermon.  It talked about hope, and not allowing ourselves as Christians to wallow in anger and hate; to try to put the sadness and frustration behind us and move ahead as Christians.  It was at this point I felt large pangs of guilt.  I've described 95% of Trump voters as either racists or idiots.  Even though I have a hard time explaining Trump voters any other way, maybe instead of 'idiot,' I should've eluded to their Trump choice as being ignorant, but I don't think that's any better.  Clearly, I need to work on being a better person, a better Catholic, but even so, how do you describe the moon without calling it a moon?  A planetary body which orbits the Earth, glows white and goes through phases which present us with various waxing and waning views.  It's still a moon.  I'll work on it.

Father Bill finished up, got a round of applause from the adoring parish, and the service continued.  That's when it happened.  I started to look around the church to see if I could figure out who the Trump voters were.  They had to be there.  I wished I was watching to see if anyone was chuckling to Father Bill's story of racism in Minnesota, as the rest of us were emotionally shaken to the core.  There was one guy, a big fella wearing a red shirt who had a look of frustration on his face.  He didn't clap for Father Bill after the sermon.  Is he just not a clapper, or did he completely disagree with the church's lack of full Trump endorsement.  Underneath his frowning lips and furrowed brow, was he trying his hardest to not jump up on the pew and start screaming "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!"

I stopped.  I felt shame.  I was embarrassed and wrong.  My frustration at the Heretics was driving me into a bad place with my religion.  I held my daughter tighter, and when it was time to say 'Peace' to everyone, I went out of my was to be as euphoric and exuberant as I could, hugging my kids tighter and longer than usual.

Dear Lord, please don't let this get worse.  Please help all Christians realize your teachings condemn this racist behavior; that you preached against intolerance.  Please help us all, Christians and non-Christians embrace your mantra of welcoming in strangers from strange lands, and let us remember to 'Love thy Neighbor.'  Please help me, by not allowing my anger and hatred to get the best of me, and please let me learn from all this, so I can become a better man, father and Christian in the face of this adversity.  Please remind us love isn't reserved for only one race, one religion, one sex, or only for those with agree with us on a political level.  Please help us remember the most important race is the one we all belong to, the Human Race.  Thanks for all that you've given me.  Bless Father Bill, and God bless us All.  Amen.