America's Christian Right likes to portray itself as the defender of Christian values and Christianity in general. Christianity is, however, a very complex religious tradition with a wide array of values and beliefs. Every group must necessarily pick and choose what they will emphasize, leaving some things by the wayside. What does the Christian Right ignore?

Someone writes for Digital Divide:

Christ gave us examples to follow. One of His major teachings is that of charity. Charity does not occur when we offer a hungry person a bowl of soup and then condemn that person for not working to get their own bowl of soup. Charity is more than merely giving. Charity is tied into compassion and affirmation. Charity requires us to cast aside our judgments, our gossip, and our conditions for giving. Charity requires us to give regardless of the conditions. Christ tells us that is a man steals your shirt, give him your jacket as well (MT 5:40). We are asked not to worry about ourselves so much as we give to others. We are reminded not to judge others in the process of giving. Our charity should be offered in an unconditional, totally loving manner that does not offer defamation with the gift.

Our charity should come out of our hearts with kind words, positive affirmation and proactive action toward and for others. We are not supposed to worry about our own concerns because God has promised us that He will provide. Christ has given us a promise that our genuine charity will be rewarded ten-fold. The gladness we are supposed to have as recipients of the Gospel is supposed to spread to everyone through our actions, words and even our thoughts.

Charity is supposed to extend to our politics and public policies as well. We are supposed to put our Christian values into action by requiring our government to put our taxes to good use. While we know that defense spending is a must to protect our country and our national interests, we are supposed to employ our charity to assure that our taxes are used in a balanced manner that supports education, helping the poor, ministering to the sick, feeding the hungry and clothing the less fortunate. We are called to expect others to live up to the Christian value of charity. We cannot impose this value upon others, but we are called to practice it ourselves.

Also:

If we ourselves are forgiven of our sins, then who are we not to forgive others? All too often we see Christians, especially those with access to a public forum, condemning others. Condemning others is patently un-Christian. Speaking out against sin is Christian, but we are to speak to the sin, not the condemnation of the sinner. We are called to speak out against those things that are ungodly, but not in an ungodly manner. Far too often we hear absolute condemnation of others coming out of the mouths of religious leaders that claim they share a relationship with Christ. Christ always seeks the forgiveness of sin and the affirmation of the person.

Forgiveness is the opposite of hypocrisy. Hypocrites have always been present in religious circles. They pronounce dictates of law without compassion or understanding. They require adherence to absolutes that they themselves are incapable of following to the letter. Again, we must deal with the world on terms dictated by our faith in Christ. We cannot eliminate greed, hatred or sin by merely shouting. “This is wrong!” We must put our principles and values into action. We must be the light against the dark. We must offer a choice that allows others to see what Christ wants for us.

Instead of shouting about the inequities of the world, we need to offer choices. Build a Christian clinic next to the abortion clinic and offer the choice of abortion—which is contrary to God’s love—or care that is Christ-like. Open Christian adoption centers that do not require Christianity as a criteria, but offers hope for children that need good families. Operate a child-care center that does not require a single-parent to pay more than she/he is able to pay. Open a school that doesn’t preach Scripture, but DEMONSTRATES God’s love in a meaningful way. When we embrace the power of choice, and appeal to a person’s common sense to choose what is best for them—and God’s love is always good for them—then we empower the sinner to seek forgiveness and we are ministers of Christ.

These are only short selections from a longer document which explores a number of different values which the Christian Right either ignores or simply under-values relative to some of the things which they usually hype. Nonbelievers will of course not find religious mythology any more sensible or reasonable merely because it expresses more tolerant political and social views; it is, however, a nice change to see religion expressed in a compassionate rather than an aggressive and self-righteous manner.

 

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