I got a response from my Born-Again™ Christian aunt on my Awesome Poem, where I satirized the style and tone of Judge Roy Moore’s God-Hates-America-Because-We’re-Sinners poem:

Your poem made me very sad. I am a Christian and felt a great degree of animosity emanating toward Christians through the poem. I love you and hope you love me. Although I may disagree with other philosophies and religions, I do not hate them. I DO hate the hate and violence that stems from fanatical groups of ANY group or religion.

I feel concern about the level of passion shown not only in your poem but also in you prologue. Why is something that you don’t agree with “offensive”? Isn’t disagreement just the checks and balances that are needed in this country? While passion about a cause is a good thing, we need to make sure it does not cross the line to hate. While Jefferson and Franklin were not Christians, they did agree with the concept of using the 10 Commandments as guidelines to form laws to run the nation.

I am not sure where you are going with the Christians and mid 40 Germany. While the majority of people (Christian or otherwise) did nothing to stop the Nazi persecution of Jews and others, many Christians and non-Christians gave up their freedom and sometimes their lives to help. You can check any group or religion and find good and bad. This is why it is so important to not generalize. I feel you paint any Christian with the brush of hypocrisy, bigotry and hate. If you do this, you become guilty of the same.

Let us agree to disagree and give each other the right and freedom to be passionate about our beliefs without the fear of retribution.

My offense stems from the leadership of both the Republican Party and the Christian Right who feel the urge to squash 240 years of checks and balances and separation of church and state, using personal moral arguments to pander to a portion of the electorate who support the Bible more than the Constitution. I love my country and I’m tired of being considered a traitor because I espouse the radical beliefs that religion is something that should be kept private, not used to swing elections and manipulate politics, and that Constitution, not the Bible, is the supreme law of this land.

I should underline “leadership” in that paragraph, because I do not believe it is necessarily the rank-and-file of Christianity that feel this way, and very likely not the feelings of the majority of my family. As I am fond of saying, “I don’t mind Christians so much, just as long as they act like it.” I’ve read the Bible; I don’t recall Jesus saying a thing about homosexuality. I do recall some “love thy neighbor”, “do unto others”, “judge not”, “render unto Caesar”, and “be not like the hypocrites who pray in the streets” stuff, though.

But as far as animosity? I’ve got nothing on the animosity scale that even approaches the stuff I hear from Christians these days. Ever surf on over to http://www.godhatesfags.com? How about the vitriol spewed forth by your average Christian at an anti-abortion rally? Does the name Eric Rudolph ring any bells? Yes, sure, that is the violent fanaticism of which you speak, but almost every Christian I correspond with (and on my blog there’s at least two with whom I’ve had very in-depth conversations) carries these same sort of biases into the conversation.

The reference I make to the Christians of mid-40’s Germany applies to the state of intolerance and scapegoating performed by the Christian Right leadership of today, and the merging of Christianity and government. Hitler made great use of Christian symbolism and the merging of Aryan identity, Federal politics, and German superiority. God was on his side (“Gott mit uns!”) and the dastardly Jews / cripples / Gypsies / homosexuals were a scourge to society, the elimination of which all good Christian Germans were expected to support. To be sure, we are nowhere near a Nazi level yet, but the same sort of demonization is going on in society today, except it is the dastardly abortionists / secular-liberals / illegal aliens / homosexuals that are despised. (Always the homosexuals. Recently there was a meeting in Jerusalem of the leaders of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Leaders whose religions and people have fought over the Holy Land for 2,000 years. Leaders who could not be more disagreeable on nearly every principle. What brought them all together in agreement? Protesting a gay pride parade on the streets of Jerusalem. Nothing brings religious people together like the scapegoating of gays.)

My offense began with Judge Roy Moore a long time ago, when he was first defending his two-ton graven image in the Alabama Supreme Court. The idea that a judge would want to interject his own personal religion into what is by design a secular institution is anathema to our very founding principles. You argue that “[the Founding Fathers] did agree with the concept of using the 10 Commandments as guidelines to form laws to run the nation,” which just goes to prove my point about the brainwashing by the Christian leadership in order to enshrine their religion into our secular governance.

You can read more on the subject at The Separation of Church and State Homepage, but one salient point is that the Constitution, far from being based on or related to the Ten Commandments, is actually in opposition to the idea of laws being derived from any authority higher than the mandate of the people. From the webpage I listed:

Nor is there any relationship between the Constitution and the 10 Commandments. The Constitution fairly repudiates the first two commandments (i.e., it leaves us free to worship other Gods than the LORD, and to make graven images), and is silent on commandments three through ten. Laws against blasphemy, Sabbath breaking, dishonoring parents, murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and coveting are left entirely to the states.

Now, of course I love you, very much so. You are certainly one of my top two favorite aunts. 😉 But you’re also a Born-Again Christian, and as such you can have difficulty seeing outside your point-of-view. I can imagine how hard it must be, because you’ve got an omniscient infallible God on your side and I only have my mortal three-pound gray matter. And you are a good person with good intentions. So how, in your mind, could it possibly be a bad thing to display the Ten Commandments in public places using public funds? God is love, right? Why shouldn’t everyone embrace the love? We’re a “Christian nation”, we’re founded on “Christian principles”, we have “Christian traditions”.

Well, those suppositions are just not true. The Constitution is the most secular standard of law ever devised. The Founders went out of their way to disavow any religious content or pretext in the Constitution. In fact, many of the Christians of the time were quite offended that the Constitution didn’t do enough to promote Christianity. Why, it even allowed non-Christians to serve in federal office! Again, from the source I cite:

“The only explicit mention of religion is the article VI declaration that ‘no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.’ Otherwise, the Constitution is wholly concerned with the secular issues of defining federal power, and distributing that power among the various branches of government. Quite against the practice of state constitutions, the federal Constitution does not quote or refer to the Bible, does not set up any religion above another, does not refer to God, and does not raise or rule upon religious questions. It is a remarkably secular document for its day and age.”

… “The secular ethos of the Constitution extends even to the taking of the oath of office. Quite against the practices of the states, the oath of office described in Article II section 2 of the Constitution is completely secular; it is described as an ‘oath or affirmation,’ contains no religious references, and need not be taken on the Bible. The practice of saying ‘so help me God’ is not required by the Constitution; it is a voluntary practice initiated by later presidents.”

Christianity as a religion offends me not in the least. As Jefferson said, “it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” But Christianity as a political force does offend me, for I see it as antithetical to the very nature of our democracy.

The Christian Right movement of today seeks to impose their own moral code upon the citizenry, many of whom do not share those precepts. I will always defend your right to believe as you choose, so long as you accept my right to live as I choose. The Christian Right may believe that abortion is a mortal sin, but I won’t support taking the right to that decision away from others. The Christian Right may believe that homosexuality is an abomination, but I won’t support treating homosexuals differently under the law. The Christian Right may believe that prayer works miracles, but I won’t support forcing or coercing schoolchildren in an organized prayer. The Christian Right may believe that the Ten Commandments are the basis for personal morality, but I won’t support the posting of Christian Scriptures in a public place with taxpayer funds. The Christian Right may believe that birth control is a sin, but I won’t support allowing pharmacists to deny women’s birth control prescriptions because of some “conscience clause”. The Christian Right may believe God created the earth in six days, but I won’t support ignoring or demeaning science in a science classroom in favor of Biblical creationism. The Christian Right may believe that naked bodies and dirty words should be avoided at all costs, but I won’t support the government-enforced censorship of pay cable, satellite TV and radio, the internet, or print media.

In short, you may believe many things are sinful, but you must allow others the free will to commit those sins, and you must treat all people — even the sinners — equally under the law. I would even posit that making these “sins” into secular crimes defeats the very purpose of the “free will” morality test your religion claims we are here to pass. If you are, say, avoiding an abortion because you fear jail time, rather than it being the Christian thing to do, just how strong a test of “faith” is that?

This is an issue very dear to me. I believe the very nature of our democracy is under attack from religious zealots no less fundamentalist than the Taliban that ruled Afghanistan or the mullahs that rule Iran. We’ve got senators and representatives threatening the independent nature of the judiciary, saying that the recent violence against judges is understandable and expected, considering the recent “anti-Christian” rulings in the Terri Schiavo case, Lawrence v. Texas (outlawing anti-sodomy statutes), and the various municipalities, counties, and states that have gone forth with civil-union/gay marriage legislation (the civil rights movement of my generation). Legislators firmly in the back pocket of Christian fanatics are threatening to destroy the Senate filibuster in order to install the most extremist right-wing judges (even though Bush’s judicial appointments have been approved in greater numbers than Clinton’s, Bush I’s, or Reagan’s).

Do I paint Christianity with a broad brush of hypocrisy, bigotry and hate? Hmm. I wouldn’t limit that to only Christianity; I’d extend it to religion in general. Let’s see, The Spanish Inquisition, The Crusades, Salem Witch Trials, slavery, apartheid, the Holocaust, Israel/Palestine, Northern Ireland, persecution of the 19th century Mormons, slaughter of the Native Americans; those are only a few examples of hypocrisy, bigotry, and hatred supported by the Judeo/Christian political forces of the time that come to mind just off the top of my head. I don’t doubt that many individual Christians do not support the same hypocrisy, bigotry, or hatred on a personal level, but they lend their voice, and therefore, power, to a movement that does. Certainly there were many good Christian Germans in the mid-1940’s who didn’t personally hate Jews, either.

I believe in America and the Constitution. I believe that it is our secular nature that has made us great and allowed people of all religions (and no religion) to believe as they choose. Ironically, it is that very secular nature that protects your religion, and the people of your religion seek to destroy that secular nature. Yes, we are a nation with a Christian majority, but our secular nature insulates and protects the citizenry from the tyranny of the majority. For what should happen in 500 years, supposing that Christianity may not be in the majority? Would you support your descendants bowing to Mecca five times daily during the classroom call to prayer? What about the banning of all pork products in accordance with orthodox Jewish law? Are you ready to put on a burqa, never drive, and require the escort of a male relative whenever you go out in public?

We are not all Christians. What does that Ten Commandments in the courthouse say to the Muslim, the Buddhist, the atheist defendant? “Don’t worry, we’ll treat you fairly, even if you don’t believe in our religion.” It says that this is a nation that adheres to Christianity more than any other religion. It violates the First Amendment of the Constitution. So, yes, Judge Moore’s poem offended me. I’m also offended by the idea that it is “godless judges” that are destroying America (many of the judges they refer to are Christians who were appointed by Republicans). I’m offended by the lazy irresponsible idea that drug use and abandoned infants are social problems that could be solved if only we had the Ten Commandments posted in our schools and courts. I’m astounded by the idea that God hates us for killing too many fetuses and not enough criminals (thou shalt not kill / thou shalt kill… Which is it?)

Do I hate Christians? No. In fact, I like to consider myself A Positive Christian Atheist. I know that must sound like an oxymoron to you. But when I think of all of the morality I subscribe to, it sounds very Christ-like to me. Treat others well. Eschew violence. Let others be free. Help the sick and needy. Don’t judge people. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Don’t be boastful, especially concerning one’s piety. Don’t value the material over the spiritual. Don’t kill. I just don’t buy all the walk-on-water, virgin-birth, superhero-powers mumbo-jumbo in the Bible. I don’t buy the whole invisible man in the sky who created us all to experience a 70-year morality test that, if we fail, guarantees us an eternal afterlife of pain and torment… But he loves us. I’m all for the Christ part; it’s the God part that leaves me wanting.

Now normally I keep my views to myself and to my readership on my blog (RadicalRuss.net, where I’m actually hosting a godless essay review this Sunday). But when someone sends me an e-mail, I take it as an invitation to discuss my beliefs. You (or was it mom?) sent me a poem demanding a stronger Christian influence on government; something I completely disagree with. I am compelled to retort. Think of me as a little atheist burr under your great Christian saddle. Maybe I’m a part of God’s plan to test your faith. But you know me personally, you know I’m a nice guy, a good person, and a smart fellow. If you’re right, I’m probably going to hell, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some interesting conversations until then.

Because I do agree that we should “give each other the right and freedom to be passionate about our beliefs without the fear of retribution.” I hope you don’t see my poem and this email as “retribution”; they are only “response”. If there is anything in my responses that could be construed as “passion… Cross[ing] the line to hate,” well, then there’s more than enough in the original Moore poem that could be construed the same way by my side.