by John Ceccon

     For most of my life, I was a devout atheist. Without going into a lot of detail, let’s just say that my experiences in the Catholic Church and their school system left a bad taste in my soul and I drifted toward the dark side (no, I wasn’t a Satanist, I didn’t believe in Satan either). That all changed in 2012 when I became a Christian and was introduced to one of the most misleading components of Christianity in America – conservatism. Initially, I relied on acceptance and tried to make it work for me, but the more I studied scripture, the more I realized that many of the ideologies held by Jesus are in direct opposition to the conservative Christian movement in America. It wasn’t just on the conservatives either. On the other side of the fence, the woke movement has introduced a liberal approach to Christianity that disregards some of its basic tenets based on how they feel or identify. Not too far from where I live is a Christian church that flies the gay rainbow flag. I guarantee you there are no conservatives in that church. No wonder people are confused. Both sides have missed the mark. It took me about a year to come to that conclusion, but only after I read the New Testament about a dozen times and got to know who Jesus was and what he did and taught. I started wondering if the conservatives and liberals were reading different Bibles, or even read it at all. 

Disclaimer. I don’t claim to know what Jesus would do, but I do know what he did. His compassion and willingness to reach out to those in need are well-documented. So, when I say that Jesus would feed the hungry, it’s because He did – a lot. When I say that Jesus would not build a border wall, it’s because He never excluded anybody, even if they broke immigration laws – ever. If I say that Jesus would probably be in favor of free health care, it’s because He healed people – for free. If you read the New Testament, or at the very least, the book of John, you will have a pretty good idea of some of the things that Jesus would and wouldn’t do. WWJD?

• Love thy neighbor – unless they belong to a different political party than you, voted for the other guy, are socialist, communist, atheist, Buddhist, Jewish, nudist, gay, drug addict, a gun nut, a different denomination, different religion, different color, pick one because…..I think you get it. Yes, I’m being extreme, but the stereotype of intolerance among conservatives and liberals exists for a reason. Do some of the groups I mentioned hate or are intolerant of Christians – you bet, but that never stopped Jesus. 
• Turn the other cheek – unless they disrespect you, disagree with you, or see the previous example.
• Blessed are the poor – unless they are undeserving and as long as they stay in their neighborhood, preferably on the other side of the proverbial train tracks. It’s the old Not In My Backyard culture. 
• Lock up the homeless, addicts, and mentally ill.……..because that’s what Jesus would do…….NOT! Most of us have a family member that falls into one of these three groups. With the privatization of the prison system, these people are easy targets and easy money for prison corporate shareholders. We complain about those groups, but when was the last time you lifted a finger to help them? (and handing them that “guilt” dollar in front of 711 doesn’t count). If you really want to help, go volunteer at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or church that has an outreach program. AND, I’m pretty sure Jesus would be critical of our prison system too! 
• Immigration – would Jesus build a wall and turn away people who want a better life? I don’t think so, but I challenge you to find one verse in scripture where Jesus turned somebody away for anything. The last instruction Jesus gave to us, the last words he spoke before He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:7), was that they were to be His witness to the end of the Earth.  It was His way of saying “do as I say AND as I do.” Jesus was about breaking down walls.
• Health care – Jesus gave free health care. I admit it was easy for Him because Jesus healed people through miracles, He was in a better position to heal people than any doctor on the planet, BUT He didn’t hand people a bill after they were healed. His patients didn’t have to take out a 2nd mortgage on their houses so they could pay the bill. How much do you think a doctor today would charge you if they could cure terminal cancer on the spot, or bring a dead person back to life? I wonder what the copay on that would be. 
• Capitalism Ok, I’m going there. If you think Jesus was a capitalist, you’re an idiot. HE WAS POOR – He didn’t even have a job, had no income, didn’t have a place to live, and didn’t wear silver and gold. Jesus was basically homeless. He constantly spoke out against the rich and the greedy. Everything He did He did for free. Now, does God want you to be financially secure and prosperous? Of course, he does. Does He want you to prosper at the expense of others? If you don’t know the answer, again, you’re still an idiot……..or a greedy capitalist, or maybe even a televangelist with a private jet.  
• Gun Control – Jesus had no opinion on guns. They weren’t invented yet. You probably thought I was going to try and make that case you silly goose…………but Jesus was incredibly non-violent and probably wouldn’t be a big fan of guns anyway. Just sayin.

So, what do YOU think? Keep in mind that, to some extent, we are all part of the same tentacle of sin called hypocrisy. However, if it’s one group that will probably take exception to this rant, it’s gonna be the conservatives. 

Copyright 2022 John Ceccon. All rights reserved.