Sunday, August 14th - Nashville TennesseeBroadcast across the country to 79 million homes in all 50 States, church leaders this past Sunday told the Evangelical Christian community that "judges believe they know better than the American people about the direction the country should go." This statement, in reference to what they call "activist judges," begs the question: What about the term "judge" don't they understand?
Claiming that the American people know better than judges about law and the interpretation of law, is like saying that spectators know better than umpires about calling strikes, balls, and outs in a baseball game.
Among the "faithful" at Justice Sunday II was Tom DeLay, a man well-known for his morality, his piousness, and his putting. He was going for a birdie on the 11th hole when they called him to testify about "the Constitution and what it stands for."
Senator Bill Frist was uninvited after statements he made approving of certain scenarios of embryonic stem cell research. Even though Senator Frist claimed that only embryos that were to be destroyed anyway should be used, that was enough difference of opinion for him to be ousted by his once loyal supporters.
Now before you claim I am bashing the Christian community, keep in mind that a bevy of Christian protesters calling themselves the "Community of Faith and Unity Gathering" protested outside the meeting, claiming that it was political in nature and about "theocracy" and not "Democracy."
You must also consider the sources of this divine meeting who claim to speak for Christianity in America:
Family Research Council claims that Playboy Magazine leads to pedophilia - well only if you are Hugh Hefner. They claim that activist judges in the (currently conservative leaning) Supreme Court are more dangerous than terrorists groups. They claim that homosexuals are promoting pedophilia and that abortions cause far higher suicide rates in women. James Dobson of Focus on the Family believes homosexuality can be cured by the Bible and has claimed that activist judges are like the KKK in black robes instead of white ones.
While Dobson and others claim not to represent the Republican Party, they greatly praise Bush, and were instrumental in getting him re-elected. In addition, they have spread the charge that Democrats are against people of faith, and that if they had it their way, the Democrats would even ban the Bible!
Do they really envision "atheistic" Democrats (even though a majority of Democrats identify themselves as Christian) going around to churches, saying, "Sorry, you're not allowed to read that anymore, it's against the law."
According to their website, the Family Research Council claims that "activist judges have expressly embraced the "Living Constitution" doctrine, under which judges discover new "rights" within the Constitution and judges substitute their political and social views for those of the legislature and the people. FRC supports returning to original meaning of the Constitution, alerts Congress and the public to activist judicial nominees, and works to inform citizens about this important issue."
Even though they claim they are protecting the Constitution, this is also the same group who supported the appointments of religious conservatives like Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen, themselves charged with being "judicial activists" who also "substituted their political and social views" and the views of the church on legal decisions. That means that the Family Research Council cares more about a judge being "Christian" than about being supportive of the "original meaning of the Constitution." And that, my friends, is hypocrisy.
What do they think the "original meaning of the Constitution" is, anyhow? Frankly, they must have forgotten the part about Separation of Church and State, and would likely find many ways to consider Thomas Jefferson a heretic if he were alive these days. After all, it was Jefferson and other Founding Fathers who decided that creating a national Religion was antiquated and dangerous and that people should be free to worship however they choose.
Today, 229 years and 43 Christian Presidents later, 159 million adult Christians can still worship freely, and the ludicrous fantasies of religious persecution professed by right-wing leaders holds about as much water as a spaghetti strainer. If they really want to understand religious persecution, they can ask the millions of people outside the United States who cannot openly practice the religion of their choice. That should give them a more accurate description
The truth is that these right-wing Christians are really just political activists, trying to halt a growing social movement, not just in America, but in their own faith, that is returning to the ideals of charity, forgiveness, and the rights of all people. While I understand their take on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, their claims that they represent true Christian values falter when you consider their hypocrisy on the court system and their refusal to respect the judicial profession that truly protects our freedom. If they want to talk about immorality, perhaps they should consider the 45 million people without health care coverage, the use of unilateral warfare, or the children going hungry within our own borders. Before they claim to speak for Jesus, maybe they should try acting like Him first.