Grand Theft Jesus by Robert S. McElvaine

Author:Robert S. McElvaine
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307409706
Publisher: Crown/Archetype
Published: 2008-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

“Christianity” as the Last Refuge of a Scoundrel

Surely patriotism remains a favored refuge for scoundrels, as George W. Bush and Dick Cheney demonstrated on a daily basis. But if Dr. Johnson were alive today, he might well have to revise his assessment and conclude that what passes for “Christianity” is at least a coequal last refuge for scoundrels. A strong case can be made (and will be made in the coming pages) that “Christianity” has become the last best refuge for American scoundrels today.

In fact, most of what passes for patriotism these days is similar in what it asks of people to what ChristianityLite requires. Recall that when the American people seemed ready to sacrifice after the September 11, 2001, attacks, President Bush told us to sacrifice by going out and buying things for ourselves.

The parallels between PatriotismLite and ChristianityLite are striking:

To practice PatriotismLite, you need to wear a flag pin on your lapel and put a magnetic yellow SUPPORT OUR TROOPS ribbon on the rear bumper of your vehicle; support an administration that calls itself patriotic and sends other Americans to fight in a needless war while calling upon you for no sacrifice whatsoever; and hate anyone who does not practice your brand of PatriotismLite.

To practice ChristianityLite, you need to wear a cross on a chain around your neck and put a magnetic fish on the rear bumper of your vehicle; support a religion that calls itself Christian while supporting a needless war and calls upon you for no sacrifice whatsoever; and hate everyone who does not practice your brand of ChristianityLite.

Thomas Paine addressed PatriotismLite in December 1776. “THESE are the times that try men’s souls,” he wrote. “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

There are, however, no trials for souls in ChristianityLite. It is a religion for the summer believer and the sunshine Christian.

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