LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

As I was reviewing some tapes of a Christian political gathering from a couple of months ago, I felt this pain about how each party (particularly the Republican party) uses RELIGION as a means to get the faithful to vote for them. The Democrats found out in ‘04 how important the religious vote was, and is. And they have a public and avowed strategy to “go after” the religious minded with more zeal and enthusiasm this year, and particularly in ‘08. Hillary Clinton is one of the main politicians to recognize this strategy.

Generally, I think it best to not wed politics with religion lest one gets a wrong image of God than they should. Unfortunately politicians of all flavors like to traffic in guilt and fear: not that a many Christians have had a shot to immunize them from the same malady.

I think Karl Marx was on to something when he said that religion is the opiate of the people. Not that it’s supposed to be you know.

When enough is not ENOUGH, people begin to despair. And when people fall out of faith with the potential of an after-life, they start looking for the reward in the here and now. And to a large degree, my political science background tells me that the liberals may be on to something. If there is no after life, no heaven, and only the HELL that the church preaches (I jest- a little) then let’s bring heaven to earth.

Can you say, New Deal, The New Frontier, The Great Society, and so on. But just when the Democrats thought they had a solution to the subtle spiritual void of the people, along came the Republicans with a promise to bring God into government. They promised earthly help NOW! How great could this be? Earthly fairness! But, I think after nearly six years of George Bush, many in America are losing faith if that vision of a FAIR LIFE! The government will not ever be the rewading parent to replace whatever one we had.

The Bible is much greater than a reward-punishment novel.

Jesus is so much more than someone to meet in the after-life. Meet Him NOW! Meet Him in every moment. Meet Him in every situation. And, meet Him in every person you meet. Particularly wherever you see love, say hello!

When politicians start using God, and not being godly (surely you can tell the difference), walk away. When you see a politician walking in love, grace, and mercy without needing to use the religious words, you might pay attention. Listen, we don’t have to wait for heaven. It’s heaven all the way to heaven, and it’s hell all the way to divine judgment (hell without a lake of fire and a man in a red suit, with two horns, and a pitch fork).

How was you heaven today, or was it?