Hypocrisy and Hubris (Rev. Sheldon's hidden agenda)

Those of you who know me are well aware of my now intense cynicism of the "Christian establishment" in America. Especially the most vocal and boisterous of those movements which are led by leading legerdemainists Falwell, Robertson, Perkins, Dobson, etc. etc.
If you only slightly scratch the surface of these activists you will uncover a common message that diverges, I believe, quite sharply from the teachings of Christ and more in convergence with protecting assets through white-man-Republican-capitalism. It's very clear that they disguise their true motives behind "traditional family values." So, I was quite interested to hear that a new coalition of Christian religious leaders were pushing for an awakening of "American Christians" against the total misconception that the Republican party is strong on values. They are called the Red Letter Christians and are concerned about the direction "American Christians" are going.

Thanks to the proverbial "horses mouth", conservative pastor Reverend Louis Sheldon, chariman of "The Traditional Values Coalition, does a fantastic job of attacking this movement by using what he and his group perceive to be negative terms, for example, "leftist, left-wing, progressive, pseudo-evangelical, left-of-center, social acitvists." Hilarious!! Thank you Mr. Sheldon for your astute and totally fair assessment of these religious leaders. Here is an excerpt that I found particularly revealing:

Wallis and Campolo both have lifelong careers as left-of-center social activists. Wallis was a radical anti-Vietnam War activist in the 1960s and an apologist for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and other leftist guerrilla forces in Latin America in the 1980s. I wonder if Jesus would have supported Marxist terrorism. Frankly, I doubt it.

Let's just briefly analyze this. Wallis was a "radical" anti-Vietnam War activist. So, the apparent conclusion Sheldon is coming to is that those who radically opposed this war were somehow wrong. What is he really saying? Is he saying that Christ would have supported U.S. involvement in Vietnam? Or, could it be that he is more concerned about protecition of U.S. capitalism than perserving the true teachings of Christ?

But wait. There's more...Wallis was also an apologist for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. Oh no Mr. Sheldon!! What a terrible thing...supporting the Sandinistas. Hold your horses. Who did you support then?? Oh that's right, the U.S. government who through the C.I.A waged a war so sinister that it accounted for the killing of MORE CIVILIANS--compared per capita with the United States-- THAN AMERICAN CASUALTIES IN THE U.S. CIVIL WAR AND ALL 20th CENTURY WARS COMBINED . Imagine that death toll on our own nation. Jesus would be proud of your strong stance against popular Marxist groups vying for self-determination.

So he is only reinforcing why these two religious leaders (Wallis and Campolo) seem to be more inclined to pursue truth than blind support of a corporate bastion of greed and waste.

This man and those in the vanguard of the "American Christian" movement do not have the ability to think through issues logically and consistently. They love to talk about the evil of abortion, but then fail to stand up against torture or the alleviation of poverty. I will illustrate this hypocrisy further.

He poses a rhetorical question then answers it,

I wonder if Jesus would have supported Marxist terrorism. Frankly, I doubt it.

Then turns around and states quite confidently that:

The Bible calls for the punishment of evildoers and justifies war when there are threats to national sovereignty—yet liberals are routinely weak on punishment of criminals and weak on national security.

Mr. Sheldon, I wonder if Jesus would support torture and wars waged in the name of national sovereignty resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. Frankly, I also doubt it.

Mr. Sheldon...If the Bible calls for the punishment of evildoers, then maybe you should start with yourself. The Bible states quite clearly that we are all evildoers in the eyes of God. Or are you being selective as to what constitutes evil? Define the terms please. Which punishment then is appropriate for you? Or have you beyond reproach? Mirrors are very telling...

So it is quite evident that Mr. Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition are more Capitalists than Christians.