[10-22-04]

Brian "BJ" Jordan, a Witherspoon member living in Florida, has sent this essay reflecting his own opinion and analysis of a major issue in the presidential election.

If you have comments, please send us a note and we'll share it here.

One short comment is posted below.  And then another response of appreciation for Jordan's essay.

Back around March I wrote an article about Bush's Messiah complex and the precarious road he was taking us down. Driving his pickup of freedom, he'd relegated the rest of us (U.S. would be more apropos) to the short cab so long as we didn't obscure his gun rack or Halliburton decals.

Well the road has been treacherous. With now over 1000 US casualties in Iraq - a number which speaks more to our own self centeredness (when you consider over 200 Iraqis die in any given week - 208 last week - and the vast majority are innocents caught between AK47s and Bradley Fighting vehicles), a faltering economy, a warped perception that sending jobs overseas is in some way good for the factory worker struggling to support his family of five, and a conception that "religious freedom" is really just about people "of the book" - Christians, Jews, and Muslims (see Bush's response in the last presidential debate).

Somehow, on this road, our driver continues to insist that 1) His god is the only God, 2) His god is his co-pilot - thereby our co-pilot by proxy, and 3) His god is one of pre-emption for the sake of security, tax cuts at the expense of compassion, and profits at the expense of health.

You know, there comes a time when you're in that taxi in NY - and God bless his heart - the driver is being entertaining in a strange way by virtue of his native colloquialisms and the fact he can toss dried dates into the air, bounce them off his Sharif-y mustache and catch them in his mouth while driving - that you finally say, "Ok pull the damn car over, here's your money - sorry for asking for a ride but I'd be better off and safer if I walked myself the rest of the way."

Well, again - it's not a taxi, it's a pickup. It's not dried dates in the front seat, but pretzels in the oval office. And its not crashing in traffic that threatens our lives, but policies that are endangering our future as a nation.

So I started this both recalling my earlier piece entitled "Bushology" and asking the question - "Imperfect Parousian" or 2-bit Puppet with a Messiah Complex?

So what is an Imperfect Parousian? Well to answer that let's first address what is a Parousian? Classically, there really shouldn't be such a word, after all the Parousia is a theological concept that envelops the 3rd stage of the Judeo-Christian journey. Stage one was recounted historically, metaphorically, allegorically, and faithfully in the Old Testament. The Creation, Covenant with that Creation, a chosen people, a Just God, the calling of prophets, the Promise of a Messiah. Phase Two, what Christians refer to as the New Testament. The coming of the Messiah, parables, teachings, life lessons, a brutal historical sacrifice and a Graceful and Glorious Redemption. Phase

Three is the Parousia. The second coming of the Messiah, the Judgment, and - now don't jump out of your seat - a possible vacuum powered cloud that may descend and suck up the goody goodies. Bush - and while this is hard to believe on face value if you don't actually look into this guy's belief system, read his speeches, watch the non-partisan documentaries put together by folks like Moyers and PBS - believes he is executing God's will through his policy. There is this Ralph Reed-ian conception here that Bush has been "called" to the presidency in much the same way the prophets of phases one and two were called - but to remake the world and rename fundamentalist Christian Theology - the Freedom of Liberty.

Now whether I can sell you on Bush believing he is the second coming depends on two things - 1) Whether you believe deep down he just IS that delusional and a pawn of his handlers, or 2) It's not a stretch for you to equate Fascist Patriotism (didn't Goebbels call that Nationalism?) with Good Works. In either event, it matters little whether we quibble over Parousian vs. Paraclete (a Johannine reference to a prophetic figure who will come, in much the same way as John the Baptist in phase 2, to usher in the Parousia).

Ok, so where does the imperfect come in? Well... would you believe that even the most ardent theological supporters of Bushology - Pat Robertson and the 699 other members of his televised club (sorry no Annette Funicello here) - believe he screwed up the Iraq war.

An excerpt from an interview with Rev. Pat on CNN.com today:

"You remember Mark Twain said, 'He looks like a contented Christian with four aces.' I mean he was just sitting there like, 'I'm on top of the world,' " Robertson said on the CNN show, "Paula Zahn Now."

"And I warned him about this war. I had deep misgivings about this war, deep misgivings. And I was trying to say, 'Mr. President, you had better prepare the American people for casualties.' "

Robertson said the president then told him, "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."

"Even if he stumbles and messes up -- and he's had his share of stumbles and gaffes -- I just think God's blessing is on him," Robertson said.

But HOW can this be?

Well, if you're like me, the years of the Religious Right bullying its power-centered white Anglo-American Confederate Agenda in the name of Jesus and moralistic black and whites - has been pretty damn grating on the nerves, on legislation, and RIDDLED with HYPOCRISY.

Robertson's latest pronouncement on W is no exception. Hypocrisy.

And if you're ordering Cheeses of Nazareth off of the 700 Club's 800 number every Thursday night, take a deep breath. There is a history of hypocrisy at the core of the Religious Right.

I mean let's look at the stalwart issue for the Born-Agains - Abortion. We do not have any faith in ourselves as a community that we think we can adequately educate our people to have their own convictions and stand on them (i.e., choose not to have an abortion)- so we must legislate to prohibit free will. The moralistic black and white and the reason for overturning Roe v. Wade in this one - of course - is the murder of a human life. How can we kill people? It's unconscionable! IRONY - Executions on Death Row are ok because they are BAD people! Funny, I must have missed that account in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus told Pilate and the Pharisees that while he was innocent, Barrabas should fry. Oh! That's right, it didn't happen. Hypocrisy.

Abortion is one example. I'm sure you can look into your heart and exercise your brain and see the irony in believing that Jesus was Love incarnate yet being Homophobic and Anti-Gay Marriage, believing in a Prince of Peace yet being PRO-NRA, and demanding literalist scriptural interpretations while publicly displaying scripture in government buildings (Funny, didn't Jesus say something about just giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and giving to God what is God's?).

So if we're not sold on Robertson's assertion that W is an imperfect prophetic figure, we're left to ask, well what the heck is he then? REALITY CHECK- He's a puppet of folks like Robertson, Falwell, Rove, Reed, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and yes - again with Irony - the Saudi Royal Family.

While Jesus was "All about the Love and Relationship," Bush and the Right are "All about the Power and the Money." They have proven and will continue to prove that they will use every means necessary to retain power and the money that funds it - even at the expense of the Christian Church and the true ideals of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness that this country was founded on.

Don't get fooled on November 2^nd. Speak up from the back of the pickup, and make this knucklehead pull over and let the world out. We cannot afford four more years of Driving Under the Influence of the Religious Right.

Note:

For extra reading, the writer suggests an article by Steven Waldman on how the President's supporters "have repeatedly implied that God was partly responsible for Bush's election."

Obviously this essay represents one person's opinion, and not the views of the Witherspoon Society. If you would like to share your thinking about the presidential campaign or any of the candidates, please send a note!

We will assume you intend for it to be posted here unless you tell us otherwise. But please identify yourself in some way.

In keeping with the same childish tone used in the article, you may tell BJ for me that I think HE is a two-bit political hatchet man with delusions of grandeur concerning his intellectual wit and theological capacity. I would not usually stoop to such a statement, but, alas, I am affected by the tenor of the times. Thank you.

Bodhan Igel
Charlottesville, VA
[posted 10-25-04]

The negative comment drew this response in appreciation of Jordan's comments.

Thank you Brian for your essay. I have long been appalled that so many who call themselves Christians, such as G.W.Bush, seem to not have a clue what it means to be a follower of Christ. He does seem to think that he has some sort of personal phone line straight to God as do those who so ardently support him. I find this truly frightening and keep praying that those of the ultraconservative Christian Right would realize that their prolife stance re abortion is completely dissonant with their strong support for preemptive war. They also do not seem to recall that after all these children are brought into the world they will need continuing support and nurture, but again the ultraconservatives believe that social service programs should not be financed by the government because taxes are somehow inherently evil, too.

Well, enough, but I just had to respond after reading the comment by Bodhan Igel.

Peggy Love

Rock Island WA