Theocracy Amerika! GOP Blurring the line between churches and politics—Republican Jesus is Coming to a Church Pew Near You!
A deeply concerned Christian Minister sent this letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, an independent Ohio newspaper:
A member of my church gave to me a copy of the Ohio Restoration Project. This project is led by so-called Christians who have a plan for Ohio. The project will target 2,000 pastors throughout the state to become "patriot pastors." These patriot pastors will be briefed on a specific political agenda and asked to submit names of their parishioners in order to increase a database to 300,000 names. These pastors will be asked to place voter guides in their church pews.
Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state and a governor hopeful, is named throughout the document. Blackwell will be featured on 30-second radio ads promoting this group's agenda and supporting the "Ohio for Jesus" rally set for the spring of 2006. At the end of the document are the words, "America has a mission to share a living savior with a dying world."
This is not America's mission. This is frightening, diabolical stuff for non-Christians and Christians alike. It is blasphemous to claim that any earthly kingdom is God's kingdom. The theological foundations of this movement are vacuous. They are set on the sands of opportunism, self-righteousness and greed.
It is time for the citizens of Ohio to wake up. This group and those like it will stop at nothing in making America a theocracy shaped by one very limited interpretation of scripture.
The media must investigate and show this movement for what it is. Courageous preachers must help their congregations understand what is at stake. Silence is not an option.
The Rev. Dr. John Lentz is pastor of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church.
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Let’s repeat one important point: Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, is the Chairman of the Republican Party for Ohio who is suspected of tampering with the vote in the 2004 election. He is the elected official named throughout this Church document, and will be featured on 30-second radio ads promoting this religeous group's agenda and supporting the "Ohio for Jesus" rally set for the spring of 2006. Remember that the Republican Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, was featured in a SURMON shown at CHURCHES throughout the country to support the REPUBLICAN PLAN TO BLOCK DEMOCRATIC FILIBUSTERS IN THE SENATE. Does anyone else see the blurring of Church and Government going on here besides me?
The official website for Ohio Restoration Project or as I call it “Let’s Re-cast Jesus as a Pro-War Pro-Death Penalty Republican” gives some of the details. Remember that Jesus himself was an innocent victim of the Death Penalty, and the only other time he was confronted with someone accused of a Capital Crime (adultery) he said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” and caused the accusers to disperse. And when the Old Tenement command “an eye for an eye” was brought to his attention he said, “You have heard it said an eye for an eye, but I tell you, you must love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, and if someone strikes you on your left cheek you must offer him your right.” The Republican Jesus of the Ohio Restoration Project dispenses with all of these liberal leanings of the original Jesus and replaces him with a more Rambo like Pro-War Pro-Death Penalty Jesus more to the GOP’s liking!
Joe
A member of my church gave to me a copy of the Ohio Restoration Project. This project is led by so-called Christians who have a plan for Ohio. The project will target 2,000 pastors throughout the state to become "patriot pastors." These patriot pastors will be briefed on a specific political agenda and asked to submit names of their parishioners in order to increase a database to 300,000 names. These pastors will be asked to place voter guides in their church pews.
Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state and a governor hopeful, is named throughout the document. Blackwell will be featured on 30-second radio ads promoting this group's agenda and supporting the "Ohio for Jesus" rally set for the spring of 2006. At the end of the document are the words, "America has a mission to share a living savior with a dying world."
This is not America's mission. This is frightening, diabolical stuff for non-Christians and Christians alike. It is blasphemous to claim that any earthly kingdom is God's kingdom. The theological foundations of this movement are vacuous. They are set on the sands of opportunism, self-righteousness and greed.
It is time for the citizens of Ohio to wake up. This group and those like it will stop at nothing in making America a theocracy shaped by one very limited interpretation of scripture.
The media must investigate and show this movement for what it is. Courageous preachers must help their congregations understand what is at stake. Silence is not an option.
The Rev. Dr. John Lentz is pastor of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church.
--------------------------------------------------
Let’s repeat one important point: Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, is the Chairman of the Republican Party for Ohio who is suspected of tampering with the vote in the 2004 election. He is the elected official named throughout this Church document, and will be featured on 30-second radio ads promoting this religeous group's agenda and supporting the "Ohio for Jesus" rally set for the spring of 2006. Remember that the Republican Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, was featured in a SURMON shown at CHURCHES throughout the country to support the REPUBLICAN PLAN TO BLOCK DEMOCRATIC FILIBUSTERS IN THE SENATE. Does anyone else see the blurring of Church and Government going on here besides me?
The official website for Ohio Restoration Project or as I call it “Let’s Re-cast Jesus as a Pro-War Pro-Death Penalty Republican” gives some of the details. Remember that Jesus himself was an innocent victim of the Death Penalty, and the only other time he was confronted with someone accused of a Capital Crime (adultery) he said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” and caused the accusers to disperse. And when the Old Tenement command “an eye for an eye” was brought to his attention he said, “You have heard it said an eye for an eye, but I tell you, you must love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, and if someone strikes you on your left cheek you must offer him your right.” The Republican Jesus of the Ohio Restoration Project dispenses with all of these liberal leanings of the original Jesus and replaces him with a more Rambo like Pro-War Pro-Death Penalty Jesus more to the GOP’s liking!
Joe
posted by Joe | 6/02/2005 06:08:00 AM
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