THE RADICAL
RIGHT AND THE
BIBLE
Conservatives
and religious Fundamentalists pay much lip-service to the Bible. In their minds, support for the Bible (along
with the U. S. Constitution) is equated with Americanism. Having made this equation, they put on a
great show of exalting the Bible and the Flag as the supreme symbols of
patriotism and good citizenship.
The
fact of the matter, however, is that conservatives have missed the whole point
of enlightened religion with respect to its true essentials. Of how much value, therefore, is the
ostentatious veneration of Holy Scriptures, the main principles of which are
misunderstood, misapplied, and even flagrantly violated?
To
prove this assertion, conservative points of view are given below with pertinent
quotations from the Bible that nullify their validity.
1. ME FIRST: let the poor take care of
themselves; cut out welfare; cut off foreign aid; keep out immigrants.
The last shall be first, and
the first last. Matt. 20:16
Whoever stops his ears at
the cry of the poor
shall also cry himself, but
shall not be heard.
Prov. 21:13
Remember the words of the
Lord Jesus, how
He said, “It is more blessed
to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
But whoever has enough of
this world’s good things and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart
of compassion, how is it that there is any of God’s love in him?
1 John 3:17
If there be among you a poor
man of one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land which the Lord
your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from
your poor brother. Deut. 15:7
Cast your bread freely on
the waters, and you will find it
again after many days. Eccl. 11:1
And you must never oppress a
stranger, for you should know how a foreigner feels, since you were yourselves
aliens in the land of Egypt. Ex. 23:9
And whoever comes to Me, I
will never cast out.
John 6:37b
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Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send these, the home-less, tempest tossed,
to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden
door.
Inscription on the Statue of Liberty
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2. MY GROUP FIRST: ignore the rights of
minority groups and feel free to hate designated untouchables such as
non-whites, AIDS victims, femi-nists, working women, non-English speaking
aliens, non-orthodox religious groups, socialistic economists, civil rights
activists, pacifists, and free thinkers.
Then Peter spoke up and
said, “Now truly I see that God does not play favorites.” Acts 10:34
There is no distinction
between Jews and Greeks, between slaves and free citizens, between males and
females; you are all equal in the sight of Jesus Christ. Gal. 3:28
A curse on you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tithe
of mint and anise and cummin, but you have omitted the significant matters of
religion: judgment, mercy, and faith.
Matt. 23:23
3. MY GENERATION FIRST: exploitation of
nature, depletion of natural resources, pollution of the earth.
The earth is the Lord’s and
all its wealth,
the world and all its
peoples. Ps. 24:1
For every animal in the
forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I take care of all the birds
in the air,
and everything that moves in the meadows is mine.
Ps. 50:10
Let the mountains yield
wealth for the people,
and also the hills, in good works. Ps. 72:3
4. AMERICA FIRST: massive arms buildup;
aggression against small countries; undermining elected governments of neighbor
states; setting up puppet dictators; subversive arms shipments; using the
United Nations only when it agrees with American foreign policy; glorification
of misguided super-patriots.
Not by might, nor by power,
but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts. Zech. 4:6b
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the
children of God. Matt. 5:9
5. POWER SEEKING RULERSHIP: Presidents and
politicians who consider themselves above the law and who believe that the end
justifies whatever means is required to stay in power.
But Jesus called them
together and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations exercise dominion
over their subjects, and they that are powerful exercise authority of their
station, but that is not how it should be among you. No. Whoever seeks to be great should become the servant
of all.” Matt. 20:25-26
Let us not judge one another
any more; but use your judgment in this way, that you try to never put an
obstacle or a snare in your brother’s path.
Rom. 14:13
For, brothers, you have all
been given your freedom; but do not use your liberty on self-indulgence, but as
an occasion for loving service to each other. Gal. 5:13
This is what I command you:
“Love one another, just as I have loved you.” John 15:12
6. UNCONTROLLED CAPITALISM: wanting more
and more money; the “Daddy Warbucks” syndrome; exercising craft and deception
in busi-ness; justifying ruthlessness; opposing taxation and use of wealth in
the public interest; viewing recipients of charity as inferior human beings.
You cannot serve God and
Materialism. Matt. 6:24b
Do not be addicted to wine,
to violent temper, or to filthy
riches. 1 Tim. 3:3a
For the love of money is the
cause of all evil.
1
Tim. 6:10a
The Scripture says that man
shall not live by bread alone, but also by the words of wisdom that come from
the mouth of God. Matt. 4:4b
Let no one pursue his own,
but every other person’s welfare. 1
Cor. 10:24
7. NAME-CALLING: slurs and defamations of
character aimed at “liberals,” “do-gooders,” “communists,” “eggheads,” etc.
Neither thieves...nor
name-callers...shall be accepted into
the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:10
Do not defame your neighbor
without any cause, and do
not speak deceptions. Prov. 24:28
And Jesus said, “The things
that come out of a man are
what defile him.” Mark 7:20
8. GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN RELIGION,
and vice versa.
Then Jesus said to them:
“Give allegiance to Cæsar in his realm, and give allegiance to God in His
realm.” Matt. 22:21b
Jesus answered: “My kingdom
is not of this world.”
John 18:36a
9. CHRISTIAN PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Give offense to no one,
neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God, even as I
try to please everyone in every thing, not seeking my own advantage, but the
advantage of many, so that they may all be saved. 1 Cor. 10:32-33
10. BIAS AGAINST EDUCATION: support for
private rather than public schools, suspicion of all knowledge and scholarship,
restrictive censorship of books and “humanistic” instruction, preferring
indoctrination above pure and open education, discontinued federal funding for
educational institutions, loans, and grants.
Fools despise wisdom and
instruction. Prov. 1:7b
Happy is the man who finds
wisdom, the man who gets
knowledge. Prov. 3:13
Does not Wisdom call; does
not Understanding raise her voice, on the hills beside the path, in the (public) roadways she takes her stand,
beside the (public) entrance to the
town... Prov.
8:1-3a
He who keeps his old
prejudices is foolish, but he who has an open mind will be a success. Prov. 28:26
And as he made his defense,
Festus shouted out: “Paul, you are insane; your great education has made you
mad.”
Acts. 26:24
11. PURITANICAL CENSORSHIP: book-burning,
discrediting of scho-lars, anti-intellectual opposition to the freedom to think
and read and do whatever is not against the public welfare; governmental
invasion of privacy, prosecution of victimless “crimes.”
Come now, let us reason
together, says the Lord.
Isa. 1:18a
The Son of Man has come
eating and drinking, and you say, “Look at him, a glutton and drunkard, and a
friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Luke 7:34
Study to show yourself
approved by God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, precisely extracting
the true meanings from Scripture.
2 Tim. 2:15
For every one who lives on
milk is unskilled in understanding the word of righteousness, for he is a
child. But solid food is for the mature,
for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from
evil. Heb. 5:13-14
For why should my liberty be
judged by some other man’s conscience? 1 Cor. 10:29b
But he that is spiritual can
judge everything for himself,
yet he himself should not be
judged by anyone.
1 Cor. 2:15
Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free? 1 Cor. 9:1a
Now you are witnesses
against yourselves, that you are just like those who killed the prophets. Matt. 23:31
12. ALLIANCE WITH THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT WING:
seeking the support of militant Fundamentalists, charismatic televangelists,
and Moral Majority fanatics.
For the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own desires they shall
gather to themselves teachers telling them what they want to hear.
2 Tim. 4:3
Whose mouths must be
stopped, who corrupt whole institutions, teaching things which they should not,
for the sake of filthy money. Titus 1:11
He is proud, knowing nothing,
but doting on questions and arguments, from which come envy, strife,
name-calling, evil suppositions, malicious disputes of men with corrupt minds -
destitute of truth - supposing that getting rich is godly. Keep away from such as these. 1
Tim. 6:4-5
And the wolf catches them
and scatters the sheep.
John
10:12b
Even as our beloved brother
Paul...has written to you...some things hard to understand, which those who are
ignorant and unstable twist, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own
destruction. 2 Pet. 3:15b-16
A curse on you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you scour
the whole land and sea to make one convert, and when he is won over, you make
him twice the evil person you are. A
curse on you, you blind guides! Matt. 23:15-16a
13. SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Thou shalt not kill. Ex. 20:13
Whoever is sinless among
you, let him cast the first stone
at her. John 8:7b
14. PRO-ISRAEL BIAS.
And when Gallio was the
deputy of Achaia, the Jews all
together rioted against Paul
and dragged him into court.
Acts. 18:12
Jesus said to them, “If you
(Jews) were the true children of Abraham, you would do the same holy deeds
Abraham did.” John 8:39b
Therefore, I tell you
(Jews), the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a
people who bring forth the fruits of the kingdom. Matt. 21:43
Neither because they (Jews)
are the descendants of Abraham are they all his children, but only through Isaac
are the true children designated. That
is, those who are carnal are not the true children of God, but the children of
the promise are the only ones who are descendants. Rom. 9:7-8
Well, because of their
unbelief they (the Jews) were disowned, but you stand accepted because of your
faith. Rom. 11:20a
15. EXTREME ABORTION RESTICTIONS: women
forced to bear all children regardless of deformity, criminal conception,
threat to their own lives or sanity, and consideration for other complex
factors and special circumstances.
Whoever stikes a man and
kills him shall be executed...when men fight each other and hurt a pregnant
woman, so that there is a miscarriage...the one who hurt her shall be fined. Ex. 21:12,22a
Give them O Lord - what will
you give?
Give them a miscarrying womb
and dry breasts.
Hos. 9:14
Let them be like the snail
that dissolves into slime,
like the aborted fetus that
never sees the light.
Ps. 58:8
...an aborted fetus...is born
in vain and goes into darkness, and in darkness its existence is obliterated;
moreover, it has not seen the sun or possessed intelligence; yet it finds
rest... Eccl. 6:3b-5a
Why was I ever born, to see
toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame? Job 20:18
16. SUPER-CHRISTIAN CLAIMS (bearing a
resemblance to similar claims of the Ku Klux Klan).
For if a man thinks himself
to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Gal. 6:3
Wherefore, let him who
thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1
Cor. 10:12