Returning To Childish Certainties

When a self-anointed, wildly successful showman of God admits to getting a massage from a gay prostitute and to buying, but not using, crystal meth from him, the resulting irony is natural, and I admit to enjoying a degree of schadenfreude over the Ted Haggard flap. But in truth I don't really care if he has coke-fueled orgies with college-age boys, as is his alleged fantasy. He obviously has a lot of stress to relieve, and to that end he can engage in unspeakable acts with specially trained chihuahuas for all I care.

What I find far more abhorrent are Haggard's weekly conference calls with the White House, and that he has been part of the dangerous, closed-minded movement for an American Theocracy which seeks to fill as many minds as possible with childish certainties. By 2004, 42% of US citizens described themselves as "evangelical." It is nice to be certain, and certainty provides great thought-saving comfort in times of adversity. And not thinking saves the expediture of precious calories. But maybe the times would be less adverse if our children were encouraged to unlock the mysteries of existence through science as well as prayer.

God has sent me here with news for every born-again, and for all the other Christians, as well as a reminder for myself: being saved by Jesus is not a valid excuse for being a shithead, or for spreading false doctrines, or for seeking dominions in the name of God. These the Bible names blasphemy. I can recall only three instances in the New Testament when Jesus displayed anger. Each time, it was hypocrisy which triggered his wrath (click on that link to see a prime example), and as he said: "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12: 34) Jesus would be kicking televangelists' butts out into the street, and not for paying gay men for sex and drugs.