The apple has fallen, far from the tree

Most Christians are of the Matthew 6 variety, i.e. they don't show off their religiosity in front of others on the grounds that Jesus said not to.  

Some, however, are apparently unaware of Jesus' remarks in this regard, and they regularly feel compelled to opine on the dreary moral state of the nation.  We're lost and gone, says Franklin Graham, because Pres. Obama was re-elected:

"In the last four years, we have begun to turn our backs on God," he said. "We have taken God out of our education system. We have taken him out of government. You have lawyers that sue you every time you mention the name of Jesus Christ in any kind of a public forum."

I don't think Pres. Obama has done any of this, which makes it rather like the NRA griping about Pres. Obama taking peoples' guns when the only new gun policy of the administration is to allow guns in the public parks.

Secondly, big whoop.  The religious right has been griping about all this, and much more, for about 50 years, ever since the Supreme Court outlawed forced prayer in schools, thereby "taking God out."  (Rather a small God if he can be so easily pushed around.)

Franklin Graham is one of those fellows who, around the age of 20, rode a motorcycle for a couple of weeks and might have drank a beer.  This was in his rebellious period.  Then, he repented from this awful folly, saw that "father knew best" all along, turned from his evil ways, and took his place as the head of a multi-million dollar religious and charitable organization.  

Since then, contra Matthew 6, he has regularly kept the rest of us informed on all the ways we fall short.  

Comments

[lillianjane]

I worry that the loudly and publicly religious come out ahead though--just this weekend I saw a news story about a dwindling local Congregational church selling their beautiful inner-city building to one of the loud, contemporary, and very successful churches. The buyers are outwardly very hip--grungy garb and tattoos on everyone including the pastor, but with throwback doctrine in which the women are submissive. The worst combination!

[John Petty]

I saw one myself the other day--a great old Presbyterian church that had been converted into something by someone who had no sense of aesthetics.