Analyzing the Evangelical Legacy

Here we are, on the brink of George Bush's seventh complete year in office, a country very different than the one we knew when Bill Clinton passed on the crown of leadership. It may be that to some extent we are too close to the changes as they now exist to fully see the nature of them. By examining our recent past, we may see what is likely to come in the last year of Bush's presidency.

In order to assess the legacy of George Bush, we should include an examination of his base, the religious right.

Both the president and his evangelical voter block claim proudly that they hold themselves accountable to the Christian God alone, and so it would be wise for us to judge them the way that Jesus taught when he said, "You can judge a tree by the fruit it produces; for a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, and a good tree cannot produce bad fruit." and also "From out of our mouths comes the abundance of our hearts".

We have all heard, time and time again, from Bush and the religious right that they see themselves as sanctified, and doing the work of Christ. They see opposition to them and their ideology as the cross that they must endure for the sake of their righteousness. It's really quite a sad and delusional self image, which is re-enforced by teachings from 1 Peter 4:12-14.

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

It's a great passage to explain and pacify the natural sense of guilt that comes with abandoning and ignoring the very poor you are supposed to defend, and knowingly misrepresenting the callings and standards of the faith you claim to believe in. It helps you sleep at night when you have a 28% approval rating that's daily threatening to drop. However, it is a message taken out of context. The truth is that no passage can reverse the command to love one another, and to be forgiving and kind to your neighbor. The true path to life is not an easy one to follow, but it is worth it. It takes work, requires sacrifice, teaches patience through testing patience, and depends on a foundation of love. Rest assured, no substitute will be mistaken for the real thing on judgment day.

Christians have been warned that the devil comes to deceive, disguised as an angel of light, and that we are living in a day and age where false teachers are everywhere, twisting the truth to serve their own vain imaginations. But despite the various warnings given by scripture, many flocks of the American Evangelical movement have been led astray by their silver-tongued shepherds, settling down for a comfortable and clean perch of self-righteous judgment against the world; interpreting the disdain they have earned from their neighbors as suffering for the sake of Christ.

In fact, people resist the religious right agenda because it's bigoted, invasive, and ultimately selfish; not because it's the agenda that Jesus Christ would pursue, or bless. There is nothing of love in most of their works. For anyone to be persecuted for meddling is seen as just in the eyes of the Lord, and carries with it no special reward. It is simply the law of cause and effect. A tree with sour fruit will inspire only revulsion. In fact, that point is made directly after the passage these people use to excuse themselves. 1 Peter 4:15

"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters."

Christ wasn't a meddler, he was a revolutionary. He transformed the world by his life, and by teaching that Love is the highest aspiration we can have. We must love God and love each other. Whenever a faith creates walls to separate us from our calling to love, it is like salt that has lost it's saltiness, or like a light that has been hidden under a Bush.

This brings us back to January 20th, 2001. Although it was a rainy day in Washington D.C., the city's streets were packed with protesters who pelted eggs at the motorcade of "president-elect" Bush. I watched a portion of CNN's coverage of the event a while back, and was impressed by various protesters they filmed. It seems more and more these days that the various doomsday scenarios predicted in the wake of 2000's curve-ball election by protesters and many Democratic voters have been coming true. At the time I found it easier to believe that the warnings were a bunch of hot air. But over a relatively short period of time, we have all witnessed the strength and integrity of our established system of government suffer ongoing attacks. The election fiasco wasn't the worst of it, but rather the beginning of a deeply disturbing trend. And the masses have become numb to it. 9-11 had the effect of hypnotizing the nation , and in it's wake was released the U.S.A. Patriot act, which rendered many civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights void. When the issue of it's renewal was in question, and Bush felt under attack, he lost his temper and called the constitution, "just a goddamned piece of paper!" That slip of the tongue should concern us greatly, because "out of the mouth, comes the abundance of the heart".

Our government has been systematically transforming into the very dictatorship George W Bush joked about in December 2000, quipping to reporters, "A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier...just so long as I'm the dictator!"

Although, for the millions who had opposed Bush, inauguration day was a day of mourning; to the religious right and the rich and powerful Illuminati elite (those whom Al Gore had called the "wealthiest 1%"), it was a day of great victory. Unfortunately, to the rest of America, it was just another Saturday. The Pastor-in-Chief swore in with a flowery and inspirational speech that could have only been one of two things. Either it was his heart-felt, true intentions for leadership, or a string of lies, mocking the intelligence, beliefs and aspirations of a nation sideswiped by his rise to power. Now that we have the advantage of time, we can measure the truth of all those promises he made during campaigns and debates. A while back, John Stewart and "The Daily Show" did a fantastic job of exposing the lying nature of Bush's campaign rhetoric.



It's clear, upon review, to see that George W Bush is a systematic liar; from promising to find and capture Osama Bin Laden at any cost, to promising immediate and generous relief to the victims of hurricane Katrina. However, Bush doesn't only lie about issues that the public demands that he address. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to speak as a saint, while faithfully playing the villain with his every action. His smirk has a habit of popping up when it seems least appropriate. Perhaps in those moments he is delighting in how little we seem to pay attention. His own supporters are, after all, hiding behind the very book which gives account of all the signs and lying wonders that have been defining his reign. They are completely blind to his true nature, because they are unwilling to honestly examine their own souls. And they are so assured at their salvation, that they do not take it upon themselves to study the scriptures. Their preachers and prophets proclaim unto them, "peace, peace", when there is no peace! By their spiritual laziness they have let themselves be transformed into an enemy of Christ, just as the scribes and the pharisees had been when Jesus ministered to Israel.

George W Bush speaks in broad, sometimes fumbled, yet undeniably boastful terms. He speaks of great things easily, as though he possessed the authority to rid the world of evil. By now, most people don't bother listening to him because they know he speaks of things he never intends to do (like helping people), and against things he secretly condones (like torturing people). This boastfulness is a strong characteristic of Daniel's view of the antichrist, or "little horn". For instance, during his 2004 campaign for re-election, he told a group of potential Amish voters that God speaks through him. That's serious business. If Bill Clinton would have said that, he would have been crucified. It is the church's responsibility to look for, and to expose the final antichrist. Yet, instead of reconsidering their support, the church is still trying to pass off prickly pear Bush as if he were the apple of God's eye. By now they are only fooling themselves, but they do so to the defamation of the gospel, and to their own disgrace. George W Bush is a wolf in sheep's clothing, the child of lies, the man of sin, the antichrist. He has been fulfilling signs concerning this role throughout his life and presidency. Bush has confessed in his autobiography that he remains a member of the devil worshiping Skull and Bones society! Christians have no excuse for being surprised when destruction from his hand reveals his demonic nature to the whole world during his final year, even while people rejoice in his upcoming replacement. The 2008 election has filled many with hope and a sense of peace that is in all likely-hood misplaced. George W Bush is an addict who will not easily give up his fix. For the past seven years, his fix has been power. He will fight to keep it, though even his puppet masters might plan to take it from him. He's always been a cowboy kind of president, and rest assured, Bush is ready for a showdown.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-8

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.