This week, my gospel quartet did two special programs on Brown vs. The Board of Education, and Martin Luther King. It was a good reminder of how many social advances in this country were either strongly influenced or directly driven by Christianity. These days, Christianity (at least as far as politics and the news media) rarely even acknowledges that many Christians are as opposed to the Religious Right as anyone. I certainly am. Remember Daniel Berrigan and other priests and clergy who put their faith on the line fighting for equality? Many died on the battlefield. Today we sang Woke Up this Morning With My Mind Standing on Jesus, and then after three or four verses changed it to "standing on freedom," as it was sung in Civil Rights marches. And of course, we ended with We Shall Overcome, which is an old folk hymn and refers specifically to the Lord in one rarely sung verse.

The thing that distinguished Martin Luther King and many other Christian leaders of the past (and present) is the desire for equality and freedom for all. Hearing 16 year old boys doing a dramatic reading of the I Have A Dream speach, I was struck By Martin Luther King speaking out on the equality of all, including Atheists.
King's message was Christ's message.. one of love and inclusiveness. A brotherhood of man. All men. Just as the Democrats seem to have conceded the liberal message and any acknowledgment of patriotism or love for this country to the Republicans, Christians seem to have silently left Christ's message to those who seek to judge, divide and conquer others. And, all of this strategy seems to work in Mudcat. Those of us who are deeply concerned about the direction this country is going are divided into Christian and non-Christian with very little coming together for common cause. There was a time when those who fought for freedom marched hand in hand, whatever their religious beliefs. All were welcomed in a common cause of freedom.

How have we allowed this to happen? Why have we descended into name-calling and judging each other... even here in dear old Mudcat? I don't have any answers, I'm afraid. But I am a committed Christian who finds the Religious Right judgemental and betraying Christ's teaching. If you think that Christ is a myth.. get in line with me anyway. But, for anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not love his neighbor as himself, is denying one of the most basic teachings of Christ. For too long, blacks have been set against whites, Christians against Jews against Muslims, the rich against the poor (not all wars are religious wars, you know... Iraq clearly isn't)Gays against straights and Atheists against believers of all sizes and flavors.

Today was a strong reminder that people of good will can make dramatic changes if they join together in common cause.

Jerry.. of the Religious Left