Oh yes, the "Christian" right.
I was an individual who was very politically active. To the point of being elected to serve the party several times in public elections, and as delegate to various conventions, and to serve as an officer of the convention.
I am also a outspoken Christian.
So the "Christian Coalition" who most consider the "leadership" of the religious right, approached me. Eager to have me push their cause and their candidates.
That was a very eye opening experience for me.
I discovered that:
1) The local spearheaded of the Christian Coalition who was rallying all the troops every day - was in fact - not a professing Christian.
Once she felt confident around me she freely confessed to me that she didn't think it mattered if you called yourself a Buddhist, or a Hindu, or a Muslim or a Christian, that as long as you worshipped something you were fine.
She had no church home.
She knew almost no scripture.
Yet, Christians were FLOCKING to her beck and call to do whatever she told them God would want them to do.
2) That this group believed it was perfectly justifiable to spread lies about others. Not just gossip they thought was true, but things they KNEW were flat out lies, if it would "elect the right man."
3) That a "moderate Christian minister who personally would never have an abortion, marry a gay, or sleep with someone out of marriage" was "a bad man" if he said, "We need to focus less on Roe vs Wade and more on the current economic situation of our nation", but a man who freely admits, "I am not a Christian. I am, in fact, a Shaman for the Apache indian tribe, but it doesn't matter because I agree with the Christians," was a "good man".
4) That it was okay to "twist" democracy and democractic procedure if "your cause was just."
For instance. If the rules of debate were: 3 people in support, 3 opposing, each person gets 3 minutes." It was perfectly ethical and Christian, according to them, to hold a meeting and say, "Okay, we need three people to pretend to support the opposing view who can make it to their microphone before their top speakers do and use up their time. You don't really have to support their view, you just have to hem and haw until the Chair calls that your time is up. Just don't let them get to their mic."
5) That the biggest "anti-abortion" leaders both had daughters who had abortions, at their urgings. This coming from the daughter in one case, the father himself in the other case. And no, they had not had a change of heart, no there were no lives or health or rape issues involved. They simply did not want the world to know their daughters got pregnant out of wedlock so they paid for abortions, but they felt they could never elect their candidates if the world knew that, so they lied.
So, my last great Christian political endeavor, I reminded them that God's word says, "Thou shalt not bear false wittness against thy neighbor," and that there is no "unless it fits your cause" clause. I also reminded them that when they get to heaven, they will have to face Christ and explain to Him why they think electing a non-Christian in the name of Christ is better than electing a Christian in the name of Christ.
And I've done nothing but vote since then.
