Three Words

 Just the facts, Ma'am.

This is a painting by artist Jon McNaughton.

It is his top seller. TOP seller.

People in this country buy this painting because it "speaks" to them. So, if I may, I'd like to speak to them, too.

Politics are not simple. They can't be boiled down to Left vs. Right, Evil vs. Good, and yet every day many people are guilty of doing just that.

It is not the thinking of a compassionate, understanding people. It is not what most Christian Churches teach, yet many proclaim this a "Christian Nation." It is the thinking  trajectory of a mob. And in a mob mentality, there are no rules. It's no wonder the political climate of today is volatile, unpredictable and frightening.

The common denominator of every person, right or left or even in-between, fringe or libertarian, are these three words:

I am right.

What would our political system look like if we took these three words away? What would our religious landscape look like if we eradicated them?

There are things, however, that are irrefutable.  The above painting speaks to so many, but how can it when it is literally an absurdity? Why is it absurd?  I'll get to that. Keep reading.

I read the artist's statement if defense so I am fairly confident that I can say, as a fact, that this is a Right-Wing, Republican, Christianity-promoting painting--"symbolic" is not how I would characterize it, although the artist contends that it is. I don't think he knows what "symbolic" means. 

I'd like to tell him:

sym·bol·ic

adjective

1.

serving as a symbol of something (often followed by of).

2.

of, pertaining to, or expressed by a symbol.

3.

characterized by or involving the use of symbols: a highlysymbolic poem.

4.

(in semantics, especially formerly) pertaining to a class ofwords that express only relations.

Down at Jesus's left is a group of people that have clearly been demonized. Symbolically. Of course. We have a lawyer counting his money, the evil liberal media, an ashamed Supreme Court judge, mourning the many horrible court decisions made over the years (cough, cough Roe vs. Wade cough, cough), Satan-a  demon, in case anyone thinks I'm straying from my facts, a liberal Hollywood type, and a pregnant woman who is not going to get an abortion because it's wrong. My favorite is "the professor"--you know, those "intellectuals", carrying a Darwin book. Notice how he's trying to elevate himself to the level of God? Symbolically?

MoBlog

Someone ought to explain "on the nose" to Mr. McNaughton. 

Now for the absurdity. A definition to expand our awareness: 

ab·surd

 

adjective

1.

utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contraryto all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false: anabsurd explanation.

Got it? Good. The most prominent Republican figures are, right now, the contenders for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination. Let the absurdity begin.

Oh, I'll be using direct quotes. They're so much better than my own opinion.

"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks. If you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!
Herman Cain


                                                           (CC)

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and     gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."--Matthew 25: 35-40 (aka Jesus.)

"““It’s part of Satan I think to say that this is “gay.” It’s anything but gay.” — Senator Michele Bachmann, speaking at EdWatch National Education Conference, November 6, 2004.


"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him fist cast a stone at her."
-- John, 8:7 (aka Jesus.)

"Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man." --John 8:15 (aka Jesus)

"Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the wealthiest White House contender from either party, is worth as much as $250 million, according to information released by his campaign Monday.

The former venture capitalist's wealth - reported in a range of $190 million to $250 million - is spread throughout a dizzying array of investments, that include banks, large investment management firms, foreign export credit corporations and real estate."--MSNBC

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God," Matthew 19:24 (aka Jesus.)

"As conservatives we believe in the sanctity of life."--Rick Perry

"“Your state has executed 234 death row inmates, more than any other governor in modern times,” NBC’s Brian Williams told Perry as the conservative audience broke into cheers and applause. 

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."--Matthew 5:7 (aka Jesus.)

***

There are so many. Those who oppose health care for all of their fellow citizens, using scare tactics and misinformation, embrace that Jesus healed the sick for free.

The cheering crowd at the Republican debates when Rick Perry boasted how many people his state has executed.

Jesus was not a patriot. He was a dissenter. But the absurdity goes even deeper. Too many people believe that God has chosen the United States; that WE are God's chosen. We are right.

Yet we do not minister to our poor, our sick. We charge them money, we judge them, we imprison them.

But....we are right.

If we are a Christian nation we can't pick and choose who to save and care for. Just like we can't pick and choose what parts of the bible we can ignore and believe.

The bottom line is, we are only a Christian nation when it comes to certain issues--hand-picked issues that hold no mercy and no compassion for our fellow human beings.

Can you imagine the Jesus they accept and in whom they believe going to the Koch brother's mansion for dinner?

I don't think that's where he'd be.

The Jesus in the painting would not be standing on a step holding The Constitution. He would be on Wall Street, picketing the wealthiest of the wealthy and advocating change. He'd get pepper sprayed. He'd be in the slums, administering to the poor and afflicted. He'd feed the hungry.

For the record, I don't much believe in Jesus other than an historical figure. But I'm constantly fascinated by those who call themselves Christian and followers of Jesus, yet who seem to know very little about his life and show little interest in following his example. Jesus didn't own a weapon. He used his cheek.

Yes, I wonder if we replaced those words, I am right. 

I wonder if we could replace them with,"love one another."

What would our world look like then?

Chowder