Jim Wallis
I was watching the Daily Show from a couple days back and this guy was the guest. Goddamn I love the Daily Show! It's the only TV show that I know of that doesn't make me projectile vomit for days on end.
Anyway, so this Jim Wallis guy was on the show talking about his new book "God's Politics". The basic premise is that government and politicians have got it all wrong and are just using religion as a shield to hide behind so they can keep doing whatever they want. Thank God someone said it, and on national TV no less.
When I was in High School most of the evangelical kids wore those WWJD "What would Jesus Do?" bracelets. I always thought they were stupid because anyone really serious about religious living shouldn’t need a damn bracelet to remind them not to do bad things. All they really are is a badge to make them different (better) than everyone else.
The point is those kids were pretty good kids, but not any better than the rest of us. They sure did think they were better though. That brings me back to Mr. Wallis. In his interview on the daily show he said “Christians need to remember that they don’t have a monopoly on morality.” YES!!!! That might not be the exact quote but it’s close and it makes the same point.
If Jesus were our president how much money would be make available to the military for invading other countries? For Nuclear Bombs? For tax loop holes and kickbacks to big business? What the fuck would Jesus do motherfucker?!?!?!
I want more people to start wearing those stupid bracelets again because I think people really do need a constant reminder. Because lots of people are not asking themselves “What would Jesus do?” nearly enough. Mr Bush, would Jesus have done the same things are you have over the past 4 years? If you say yes, you’re a liar and you don’t really believe or understand what the divine means.
My problem is I don’t believe but I understand this religious crap better than most of the people that DO believe. Everyday I see the hypocrisy that is passing for moral values all around me and it makes me sick. There is one guy that get it though, Jim Wallis. I want this guy to be a star! I want Jim Wallis to take over TV. I may not agree with his religious view but I know where he’s coming from. I don’t believe that Jesus was God but if you live like he did your doing pretty damn good. Better than me, and better than YOU!
Now tell me how I’m wrong. I’d like to know. I’ve thought about this very subject at length for years now and I have not come to a satisfactory conclusion. Flame away.
--Adam
Yeah, I noticed that
Sarah blogged about Jim Wallis today too. You guys hear this shit before me because The Daily Show comes on after my bedtime. I feel your pain on the whole WWJD thing. You know what I think? It seems that whenever religion gets brought out for political reasoning people suddenly forget about the New Testament. We here all these religious morality excuses for defense of marriage as well as everything else, but really Jesus preached tolerance. I could go on and on but I won't. The point is the christian right doesn't seem to understand their own religion they just tramp it out and find ways to confirm their own beliefs. It's sad because it's the extreme right making the whole faith community look bad. It's good that people like Jim Wallis can write intelligent things and remind people that there are some in the faith community that aren't total wack jobs.
I hope your quote is accurate because that is perfect. Christians don't have a monopoly on morality. Did people suddenly forget that Christianity is not the only religion in the world. Besides that you don't have to be a member of any cult to have a set of morals. The main morality of most the worlds religions tend to be in agreeance with each other. That doesn't mean that agnostics and atheists are not moral people. To me it tends to point to the fact that humans have a tendency to agree on a relatively easy set of moral beliefs. Anyway, I'm typing too much I'm done.
--Chyuck
