It seems to me, when I look at the attitude differences between say George Romney and his son, Willard, and Billy Graham and his son, Franklin, there’s a generational ‘thing’ at work that determines whether contemporary Republicans are christians or Christians.
It seems to me that the older generation – George Romney and Billy Graham, with their emphasis on community, cooperation, compassion, were christians; and that their sons, Willard and Franklin, with their emphasis on punishment, blame, anger, lack of compassion, cooperation and community, are Christians. It seems to me that the older generation of christians was inclusive, compassionate and loving, while the current generation of Christians are exclusive, angry and punishing, with an in your face, ‘my way or the highway,’ attitude.
How did the christianity – the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus – and practiced by the older generation of Romneys and Grahams, become the anger, exclusionary, punishing, blaming, angry my way or the highway Christianity of not only the current generation of Romneys and Grahams, but most of the t party and many Republicans as well?
My goal here is to make the contrast and provoke thought about it, not explain how it came about. And my hope is, in making this very stark contrast between christianity and Christianity, that some of those who read this will want to return Christianity to christianity and bring the wonderful vision of reform, blessings, community, compassion and inclusion espoused by rabbi Jesus – and practiced by the older generation of Romneys and Grahams, back into public life.
No comments:
Post a Comment