“Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose”*
Posted on October 9, 2006 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Sam Stone by John Prine. I recently discovered this pioneer of the alt-country movement on a NPR program called American Roots. He’s very cool and so is the program.
Most people have probably heard expressed the idea that the U.S. is a Christian nation. Often, this is used as a justification for the placement of the Ten Commandants on public grounds, invoking the name of Jesus Christ in a prayer being said at a high school ceremony, or when complaining about the expression ‘Happy Holidays’ uttered at Christmas time. This bothers me for several reasons, chief among them being the hypocrisy of it. By that I mean the fact that, while many Americans will insist on labeling themselves as Christians, they do not live the life. How many of us live in nice houses, drive nice cars, eat more than our fair share, destroy the environment in our own ways, and step over and on the poor like they were not Jesus?
The religion in our country is not Christianity, it is consumerism. Think about it: We all seek comfort and salvation in things like television, radio, shopping, eating, and anything we can afford which brings us pleasure. Is not the greatest commandment of Christ to spread the gospel of truth to the entire world? I don’t know exactly how that’s done sitting at home eating Bon-Bons and watching TV. I sometimes wonder what goes around in God’s head (assuming the God posited by Christianity is the one true God) when he looks out on his creation and sees folks wasting time reading mystery novels when they could be helping the needy. If judgment day happens the way the Bible says it will, I wonder if the people who could have heard the gospel from one Christian or another will be standing there, looking at ‘Christians’ and wondering why they spent time fattening themselves at the local fast food joint when they could have been sharing God’s word. I don’t know my Bible as well as I used to but I definitely do not recall any verses which extol the virtues of buying, having, owning, or consuming items; what I do remember are many passages which speak to the need of conveying to nonbelievers the power of God’s love through acts of kindness and charity. Think of all the good things believers could do if they didn’t spend all that money on after church meals on Sundays or Veggie Tale DVDs for their kids. There are a lot of laypeople and ministers alike who would read and ask whether I think Christians are not entitled to enjoy themselves. To that I would respond that it is not my committment to follow Christ, it is your’s. And if you’re going to follow him, he demands your utmost (according to scripture). Did he not say that the road would be difficult? Did he not tell you to foresake all Earthly pleasures, to lay down your life, and follow him? That sounds like a pretty hefty command. I’m sick and tired of all these ‘believers’ running around screaming their heads off about homosexuals and cloning when they are in fact not doing even the basic things of what it means to be a Christian. Remember what Christ said to the Pharisies (sp?): Those who live in glass houses ought not throw stones.
One a closing note, I think the only people I have observed who get it even close to right are the Amish. Strangely enough, Erin’s mother told me that someone was going to put a show on TV saying that they deserved what they got last week when those children were shot. Someone else paid that person $500,000 to not air the show; the offer was accepted and the show did not go on.
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You three are so special. I admire your sense of adventure and have you in my thoughts. Talk to you all soon..
Love, Michelle