CHIP and true Christianity

As a Pentecostal Christian and a Democrat, I am frequently amazed by the hypocrisy, the lack of feeling, and the poor understanding of the central tenets of Christianity by the Religious Right.

Jesus talked about the poor in the New Testament more frequently than he talked about heaven and hell. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, "...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Yet George W. Bush, fervent Christian that he is, has decided to make a fiscal stand by opposing the extension of healthcare to more poor children. Billions in tax cuts to the rich, and billions in a grinding war in Iraq are okay, but, all of sudden, Mr. Bush is threatening a rare veto to stop assistance to poor children so he can save the taxpayers money.

What conclusions can we draw from this action?

First, Bush is not, and never has been, a true Christian. He trots out the terminology to fire up his base but has been willing to compromise for political expediency. For example, his choice of Harriet Miers for Supreme Court provided a rare window into his thinking, based more on rewarding loyalty and cronies than any overarching belief.

Second, if you're any kind of minority, oppressed group, if you're poor or out of the mainstream, or even just a little eccentric, you will feel much more at home in the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. To me, a lot of Republicans seem so full of hate and lack of empathy for human suffering. I'll choose a President any day who "feels my pain" over one who doesn't.

Bush adopted the false moniker of "compassionate conservative" when he first ran for President because most conservatives aren't. You don't have to say "compassionate liberal" since that phrase would be repetitious.