After seeing Rick Perry's newest campaign commercial, I felt compelled to write something in the public sphere. (With the full recognition of all the jokes about blogging about an annoyance.)
You can view the ad here: http://jezebel.com/5866155/rick-perry-boldly-admits-hes-christian-in-unbelievably-bigoted-campaign-ad
The main reason I found his ad so moving was its use of the word "Christian." Since beginning seminary a few months ago, I have explored and found a beauty in Christian theology that I never imagined. I would call myself Christian, and enjoy learning about it everyday.
However, what we have now in the US is a war. The Christians like Rick Perry call it a war on them, taking the Jesus out of Christmas... failing to call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. Perry, in his ad, makes the statement (not quoted exactly) that there's something wrong with our country if there are gays in the military and our kids aren't allowed to talk about Christmas.
Let's unpack this.
In my opinion, Perry is not only speaking of gays in the military. He is saying that it is wrong for gay people to exist. His second statement indicates that Christian children are under attack for their inability to speak of their Christian faith in school.
Now, which is the attack? Even if you expound his second statement to include a general attack on Christianity, it hardly seems appropriate to put a group of people's right to exist in the same sentence as a statement regarding free speech in schools. Who is being attacked here? Plenty of people in our world actually live under oppressive regimes that limit their words, but how many regimes around the world advocate the active persecution of people based on their identity?
I have a sneaking suspicion that what this is really about, not surprisingly, is power. Because let's get real here-- white Christians in America have done pretty well. I mean, we are everywhere! A person can't even run for the Presidency of our country without affirming, in some way, a Christian viewpoint. Thus, it seems pretty absurd to suggest that Christianity is under attack. I suppose if our entire faith were based in giant lighted trees, then yes. We are under attack... ?
I won't go into here, but if you really want to tap into our American Christian heritage, it is intolerance rather than freedom that the Puritans arrived for. They wanted religious freedom, it's true... but only for themselves. Jon Stewart had a humorous bit on that last night, where he pointed out that the Puritans fined people for saying "Merry Christmas." Seriously. So ok, if you really want to reclaim that rockin' good time in American history, I can at least follow your logic.
Thus, here's the big spoiler for white Christians-- we are not under attack. There is no boogeyman in the closet waiting to take our 7 lb 4 oz baby Jesus away. Instead, we are the ones on the attack. This odd martyr complex we have developed is leading many Christians on a dangerous path away from the words of Jesus and towards the words of humans. That is what should scare us.
Further, taking a step back from Perry's inflammatory rhetoric, his identification as a Christian is puzzling to me. A major theme of the Bible is love, the antithesis of hate. Jesus repeatedly calls on his followers to be radically loving. Bible passages such as Luke 6:31-37 where Jesus says:
Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. [Common English Bible]
Seems pretty clear to me... "Don't judge..."
How can someone who condemns God's creation call for the reinstatement of Christian values in American society (with a big question mark also on what those supposed original Christian values entailed)? After all, according to the Creation story in Genesis 2:7:
The Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life's breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. [Common English Bible]
This beautiful account of the intimate relationship between a Creator and the created speaks to the great love of God which Jesus references in Luke (and many other places.)
So, I suppose I do agree with Rick Perry in part: We do need to bring Christian values back to American society.
We need more love in a broken world, more compassion for those who are struggling, and more patience for that which we don't yet understand. My prayer is that we do practice these Christian principles more in the world. As a community of faith, as the body of Christ, it is our job as Christians to be radically loving.
Christmas has been distorted, but by who? Aren't Christians just as complicit in its commercialization as the corporations we allowed to lead us there? Where is the celebration for the birth of a Savior? Is that in the Christmas tree, or in the presents under the tree?
In sum, if we as Christians can justify the persecution of gays because they are finally being given (some of) their human rights, how can we follow the words of our Savior to love? At this time of year especially, let's put down the red and green streamers for a bit and take stock of ourselves. Who are we in the world, and are we proud of that?
Whatever your views of homosexuality in the Bible, I hope that we can at least recognize the dissonance between an ad like Perry's and the words of Jesus Christ.
There, I'm done for now. Comments and other perspectives are appreciated--dialogue is the key to building knowledge and understanding.
In love,
Lindy
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