Republicans want you to believe that they are all Christians; after all, you can’t run for election under the GOP banner unless you claim to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The problem is that none of them believe in Jesus.

Quotes from Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible.

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.”

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

“I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

“All the commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

If those who claim to be Christians followed these and many more of the instructions of Jesus Christ, there would be no discourse about the fate of undocumented Americans. There would be no hatred for the LGBT community. Women would not be treated as second class citizens. Poverty and homelessness would be non-existent. Freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice would not be denigrated.

What if Jesus Christ was the President of the United States. The one-percent would be forced to share their success with the many. All judgement would be relegated to God the Father, and removed from politicians. Judging the life and religious choices of others would be denied. There would be no wars, poverty, or homelessness.

It is nearly impossible for a politician to be spiritual. Their primary purpose is to win elections, and therefore the lie or use tactics of deception. The more extreme a candidate is, he or she is likely to break even more of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

There is a huge problem with a politician’s claim of a close relationship with Christianity. Not only is most of it rhetoric only, our country is not a one-religion nation. Contrary to what George W. Bush claimed, God does not speak directly to men.

Spiritual guidance is not found in any book or taught from a pulpit. Conscience is our guide. Every man and woman need only look inside his or herself to know right from wrong. Politicians fail to take this step. Instead they ignore the majority of our nation’s people and believe that they are superior to those they are intended to serve.

They become wealthy at the expense of the working class. They have health care and retirement benefits not allowed to those who employ them. They ignore the millions of Americans who are living in poverty. They seek the control of women, preventing them from the control of their own bodies. They consider minorities inferior human beings. They deny the right of all Americans to live and love freely, using religion as the basis for condemning them.

Our politicians in Washington have become a group of extremists. Politics trumps conscience and common sense. They may claim to believe in God, but that God is material gain, not a spiritual being.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Photo Courtesy of Waiting For The Word

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