Faithlessness In Politics

It is interesting to see religion’s role in politics.  Sometimes religion is used as a convenient tool.  Other times, religion is the medium of thought and decision. 

Recently I saw a politician’s invitation to answer questions come onto my FaceBook feed.  This particular politician wanted to discuss;: cowardice, Charlie Hebdo and radical Islamists.  What was also mentioned was “the war on terror.”  I found it as a grand opportunity to make some valuable points.

I asked if Yeshua Christ would drop bombs onto religious extremists or would He instead love them.  I wrote some other thought-provoking and soul-searching things.  The response from the politico and from his fans was interesting to put it mildly. 

He mentioned a Catholic doctrine that justifies war.  He also wrote that Hitler was not stopped by love but by a superior war effort.  That was it; no further discussion.

The fans responded with religious rhetoric.  Most shared their brand of religion and political view.  We all have a perception, as do I, so I tried my best to read where they were writing from.  I continued to stress “love your enemy” and “bless and do not curse” and “turn the other cheek,” asking where these became “bomb them if diplomacy fails” and “attack them before they attack us” in the context of the U.S. being a “Christian nation.”  The Inquisition was a departure from “love your enemy,” so the Catholic doctrine response falls flat for me.

Another thing I found interesting was that the politician’s sole response garnered ten times the “likes” my initial point made.  I know popular sentiment doesn’t equal truth or what is right, but it is always interesting to see popularity trump common sense. 

No one has been able to show Christ changing His mind, but justification and human logic continues.