This week in class we discussed
nationalism and Heclo’s findings on whether or not the USA is a Christian
nation. To be honest, this topic did not really catch my interest as much as I
thought it would. Likely it was Heclo’s insanely boring writing style. (To be
fair I hate academic writing, so it’s me, not him.) I did however agree with
some of his points. Such as while many people say the USA is a Christian
nation, we sure don’t act like one! Jesus was all about loving everyone,
acceptance, forgiveness, caring for the sick and poor. Heck, he was the guy who
brought booze to the party! He was a rebel! He went against the norm to help
people even when higher powers tried bringing him down.
None of those cool and kind hearted
deeds sound like the religion politicians throw in our faces during their
attempts to get elected. It’s all “SCREW THE POOR. WE DON’T NEED PEOPLE
SPONGING OFF THE SYSTEM!” “HELL NO GAY PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE GETTING MARRIED!” “WE
SHOULD HATE WOMEN AND MUST FORCE OURSELVES INTO THEIR VAGINAS BECAUSE THEY
COULDN’T KEEP THEIR LEGS CLOSED. NO BIRTH CONTROL FOR YOU.” Seriously, it’s
like they just sit there and try to find ways to oppress people. It’s all about
who deserves more rights and privilege. Pretty sure if I was Jesus I would come
back to slap some of these politicians silly for using my goodness and name to
oppress the poor and minorities.
Now feel free to tell me we live in
a Christian nation. Tell me how a country that thrives on capitalism and
stepping on the poor shows any of Jesus’s teachings. That’s what I thought.
I was really entertained by your blog! Made me laugh a lot, but to play devils advocate a little. I think we do value a system of volunteerism that is very similar to that of christian beliefs. I think a lot of what we do in a general sense, is give more than we get. Whether that's not getting paid sufficiently for a job. Putting more time into your extra curriculars then you know you'll get out. Having to have a job history before you even have a job. These are all things that we devalue because we value money more than our skills. This is a form of martyrdom that we live with every day. I think this is something that Heclo lacked in his research. He studied how often people went to church, but not how often they did other christian practicies. Volunteerism, prayer, giving. These are all things that christians value,and is part of being successfull in our system.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the humor, but in all seriousness I agree completely with your blog. I think it is important to realize that the majority of people in the United States do in fact practice Christian religions, BUT the governement and political leaders of our nation do not follow the principals of Christianity while governing our people. Individuals certainly do follow these pricipals...but in total agreement, our nation does not! We value money, and what gets us the most of it, not what is the caring or loving thing to do.
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