Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Neither Religious, Nor Right


For the record, I'm not upset that the Religious Right is rallying around the Palin family. It might be a bit much that they are turning an unwed pregnant 17 year old into some sort of hero, but that's better than stoning her in the village square.

What bothers me is how purely disingenuous is that embrace.

If Joe Biden's daughter was knocked up would Dobson and Perkins et al be standing by her family? Of course not. In that instance, we'd be hearing all about the moral lassitude of Democrats, how a father with a pregnant teen is clearly unfit for the 2nd highest job in the land, about how our culture and media glorify sex and "tsk, tsk" this is just another sad example but what can you expect from people with no family values?

You know I'm right.

For 30 some years the Religious Right has been breaking our heads with their sanctimonious crap. They are not perfect, they'll hasten to tell you, just forgiven and this is what allows them the "moral" high ground from which to pronounce judgement on the rest of us.

James Dobson believes that teen pregnancy is the result of parental neglect. But you won't hear that this time; partly because it's not true. Teen pregnancy is, as our new poster child for abstinence-only education illustrates, caused by teens having unprotected sex. But the other reason you won't hear anything suggesting that there is a smitch wrong with the way the Palins raised their daughter is because, hello, the Palins are Republicans.

You see, for a group that spend all their time living in black and white, proclaiming at every opportunity the moral absolutes of their tenets, the Religious Right is only too quick to indulge lapses, forgive sins and adjust their ethics to the situation - provided the individual in question is a Christian (of their stripe) and a red state conservative.

Grace, redemption and understanding are reserve for the few, despite the fact that Scripture is quite clear on the universality of God's love for all humankind. Somehow, the wing nuts keep missing that.

I'm glad the Palin family are standing by Bristol in this matter. That is only right. What sickens me is that the rest of the wingnut community is falling over themselves to be gracious, even as they continue to poke holes in the family values of the rest of us.

This must be what Jesus felt when he called the Pharisees "whited sepulchers". The "Religious Right" has no credibility with me and won't until the day when they demonstrate the love of Christ to everyone, not just people like themselves.

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22 Comments:

Blogger Bad Alice opined...

Amen. Dobson is enough to make me lose my religion. Which is not at all a nice thing to say, but I'm not feeling nice at the moment.

September 03, 2008 7:00 AM  
Blogger Dana opined...

I struggle with this, too... but, in the end, I think we've got to extend the grace we're asking of the religious right TO the religious right. Does that make sense? God meets us where we are - that includes the religious right. He meets them where they are and invites them to draw closer in His love.

September 03, 2008 7:11 AM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Alice, I feel you.

Dana, leave it to you to hit the nail on the head. But oh, I struggle...I know God's love is big enough for them, too, and that as a believer I'm called to extend that love. I'm not very good at it.

September 03, 2008 7:14 AM  
Blogger Doralong opined...

I think the term you're looking for is disingenuous.

September 03, 2008 7:32 AM  
Blogger Kimberly Ann opined...

Exactly. This story matters for a number of reasons. No, it's not about making things tough on a teenage unwed mother. It's about hypocrisy, it's about judgment and character.

Slightly off point: This is only a tiny fraction of what is wrong with Palin on the ticket. I'm a little more concerned that bicycle helmets are the claim to fame for this very inexperienced governor.

September 03, 2008 8:18 AM  
Blogger Willym opined...

Lorraine - your politcal comments are always so damned focused and hit the target. Bravo on this one.

September 03, 2008 9:07 AM  
Blogger Br. Jonathan opined...

Excellent post. I've forwarded it to non-blog friends.

As far as the Religious Right - - I've never seen a people so angry over the Good News. . . .

September 03, 2008 9:17 AM  
Blogger sfoofie opined...

I loved this post. definitely sharing: "The "Religious Right" has no credibility with me and won't until the day when they demonstrate the love of Christ to everyone, not just people like themselves."

September 03, 2008 9:22 AM  
Blogger sageweb opined...

Since I was raised by the religous right, I know first hand how they spend more time hating and judging people then loving people. The path they choose is be very hateful. If there is a god, then I am sure he would just want people to live a good honest life and not judge or hate people that dont think just like them.

September 03, 2008 10:00 AM  
Blogger Jason Boskey opined...

Agreed. I was chastised by my co-hosts about this.

September 03, 2008 10:20 AM  
Blogger Nicole opined...

I'm with Alice on this one.

September 03, 2008 11:57 AM  
Blogger Sling opined...

This is something I've never understood about many so-called Christians.
I mean,if you spend just one afternoon in your entire life reading the gospels,you simply have to come away with the understanding that it's all about inclusion!..
I just don't get it.

September 03, 2008 1:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

Nail. Head. You hit it.

The soapbox suits you because you actually THINK before you step up. Brava!

September 03, 2008 2:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

Good job, as usual.

But I'm still allowed to make fun of Jamie Lynn Spears, right?

September 03, 2008 2:09 PM  
Blogger LostInColor opined...

Yes Lorraine!

September 03, 2008 2:41 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Yep, Cuz. That's why I used it. (Although my first attempt was "disingenuousness" and that doesn't appear to be a word. Oughta be, though).

KA, oy. The degree to which this woman is not qualified is astonishing. What? Like the GOP doesn't have ANY other women?

Thank you, Willym.

Oy, Buck..."so angry over the Good News"...I am going to use THAT line over and over again...

Share away, Sfoof. It's just a good thing that Project Runway is on tonight or I'd be going off on this some more tomorrow!

For what it's worth, Sage, I love you.

Crap, Bosk, I missed it. I'll have to dig up the podcast.

Ain't we all, Nicole.

Sling, I think of a line from "Hannah and Her Sisters"..."If Jesus came back to earth and saw what was being done in his name he'd never stop throwing up".

Well, Syd, I try.

JP, getting knocked up was the least of the reasons why Jamie Spears deserves mocking.

(curtsey in the direction of Colorado)

September 03, 2008 7:06 PM  
Blogger Miss Healthypants opined...

Bravo, Lorraine! :) And I couldn't agree more.

I loved when you said "This must be what Jesus felt when he called the Pharisees "whited sepulchers". I had never thought of that connection.

Thanks for uh, making me think. :)

September 03, 2008 7:16 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Thinking is a good thing, MHP. Too bad the RR is so afraid of it.

September 03, 2008 7:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

Ba Ha Ha Ha (Note no W)

Ya. Just look at the condition of our environment. Christian?

Hhhhmmmm. The nazis were Christian too.

Thanks for opposing these.

See. I'm not the only one who likes your political posts.

Peace

:+}

September 04, 2008 1:11 AM  
Blogger Traveling Matt opined...

isn't it awesome how the Dem ticket SCREAMS family values and the other one has to be SPUN into family values? you know if one of the obama daughters was a pregnant teen...oh dear gosh... i just cannot complete this thought.

September 04, 2008 10:39 AM  
Blogger Citymouse opined...

What Lorraine said!!!!

I may wirte my own later but Im glad you said it now!

September 05, 2008 5:13 AM  
Blogger EJ opined...

I've been very confused for years about what is a family value. I imagine it has something to do with a double standard. There, but for the grace of God, go I concerning a pregnant 17-year old. These things happen in the best and worst of families, but abstinence education only works in theory (and I thought the religious right does not believe in theories). If this had happened to Chelsea Clinton there would have been hell to pay. And why is it good that Bristol will be marrying the 17-year old father of her baby. I wonder how she can be vice president and also take care of a special needs newborn. What kind of family value is that? Is it a family value to have others raise your children? I was a single working mom, but most of my spare time was trying to give quality time to my children. Being in that level of responsibility gives one very little family time. As Teddy Roosevelt said, "I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both."

September 05, 2008 3:50 PM  

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