The purpose of this article is to highlight the differences between political neochristians and actual Christians (those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ). The teachings of Jesus found in the New Testament of the Bible are well known and form the basis of the tenets of Christianity.
Generally, the tenets of neochristianity are not fixed and are based on talking points issued daily by political strategists. These talking points are not available to the public as is the Bible, but are only given to politicians and the high priests of punditry and are subject to the interpretation of each individual neochristian.
Most Christians feel they are morally obligated to follow the Ten Commandments. Neochristians believe that the Ten Commandments only apply to their political opponents. For example, the commandment not to commit adultery is a unforgivable sin when committed by the political enemies of the neochristian, but merely a lapse in judgment that can be overlooked when committed by a political ally.
To the neochristian, the commandment to not bear false witness against your neighbor only applies when the neighbor is a political ally. In fact, the role of a high priest of punditry is to preach lies and distortions about those neighbors who are political enemies.
Chapter Six of Proverbs lists seven things the Lord hates: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, false witness, and sowing discord among brothers. Most neochristians consider these things to be politically desirable as to themselves - the Lord only hates these things when practiced by the political opposition.
Obviously, the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have others do unto you - is not recognized by neochristians. Like the U.S. Constitution, neochristians believe the Golden Rule is outdated and obsolete. Many neochristians interpret the Golden Rule to mean that you should destroy others before they destroy you.
Many Christians recognize the Seven Deadly Sins as things to avoid: pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. Neochristians believe these things are motivational tools. American flag bumper stickers labeled with "Power of Pride" are used to inspire false patriotism. Envy and anger are often used to sow discord and divisiveness.
Coveting the power and wealth of others serves to motivate neochristians to work harder to make political gains. Gluttony and sloth are the rewards of neochristians who are successful at gaining wealth through political means. Lust serves to motivate neochristians to seek more power so that political groupies attracted to power may become trophy wives or sexual partners.
Neochristians are easily recognized by the things they say and the behaviors they exhibit. Usually, their words and deeds are in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus, despite the fact that they will claim to be defending Christian beliefs. For example, in Chapter Six of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is quoted:
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and at the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy room, and when thou has shut the door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward you openly
The neochristian is no longer satisfied to be seen by the few men who may witness them in a place of worship or on street corners. Today, neochristians pray and proclaim their righteousness on radio and television. Neochristian politicians who seek to manipulate Christians relish the photo-op where they are seen entering a church carrying a Bible.
Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew Chapter 5) wherein he stated:
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
and
Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the sons of God.
It is no secret that the neochristians ridicule these notions. They believe that the most aggressive and belligerent shall inherit and rule the earth. Neochristians vilify peacemakers and accuse them of treason. Neochristians often go to great lengths to suppress any message of peace.
The neochristian, brimming with righteous indignation, is often seen in the public square accusing others of some moral shortcoming, real or imagined. Outraged and angry, the neochristian seeks to turn others against his political rivals by smearing them with false motives. Many neochristians have accused those who disagree with unjustified preventive war of motivations that include hating the President or desiring the fall of America.
Most Christians believe all people are sinners and they also believe in forgiveness. Neochristians do not believe in these concepts. They believe that they are without sin and only their political enemies are sinners. They hold dear the concept of zero tolerance which precludes forgiveness.
Jesus is quoted as saying the following in Chapter Seven of the Gospel of Matthew:
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye.
The neochristians must believe that any beams in their own eyes have been cast out as they certainly have no restraint when it comes to criticizing others - even when they criticize others for practicing the teachings of Jesus by preaching in favor of peace. It would seem that neochristians see themselves as exceptional and free of any faults. They seem to believe it is their role to denigrate all those who do not recognize them as superior beings and submit to their whims.
The story of an adulterous woman who is brought before Jesus is told in Chapter Eight of the Gospel of John. The Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus and reminded him that under the law of Moses, she should be stoned. They asked Jesus what should be done, and he replied:
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
The story ends with the Pharisees leaving with none casting any stones. Jesus sent the woman on her way and told her to sin no more. Apparently, neochristians believe they are without sin for they never hesitate to cast stones at others.
The dangers imposed on society by the neochristians should be apparent whether one is a Christian or not. They are no different than neomuslims like Osama bin Laden who pervert religion for political purposes. However, unlike neomuslims, American neochristians have been able to manipulate a large constituency into supporting unnecessary wars waged by the most powerful government in the world.
We have recently witnessed the feigned outrage of neochristian pundits who claim that Christ is being taken out of Christmas. Some have supported boycotting retail outlets (that have engaged in an orgy of materialism for decades) because of using the slogan "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" in their advertising.
More than a few Christians may appreciate retailers not tying sales pitches to a Christian holiday. Neochristians have forgotten that many Christians used to complain about the crass commercialization of Christmas. Perhaps the neochristian Christmas debate is just another example of neochristians attempting to sow discord among brothers.
This article contributed by Tom Blanton of Richmond, Virginia.
