Republican Irony

Republicans have always prided themselves on being the most freedom-loving, most patriotic, and most Christian of America's political animals.

Prided themselves falsely, of course. Self-pride is always false.

What's interesting is that at this point the two leading Republican Presidential wannabes, Cruz and Trump, are both clearly authoritarian personalities. It seems to have escaped the notice of their followers, angry in their belief that their "rights" are being taken from them, that authoritarian rulers care not at all for individuals' "rights."

Both Republican contenders offer some vision of how they (and they alone: the fact on which they ground their authoritarian appeal) will "make America great again." People who buy into their vision have to buy into their claim that America is not currently a great power. It's a view contrary to geopolitical reality.

Both Republican contenders offer a vision of America militarily and economically dominant in every sphere, and ready to use its strength to enforce compliance: an authoritarian America...which can only be properly directed by an authoritarian President. Their definition of "greatness" comes close to my definition of "bullying." As a "patriotic" vision for America, it seems a recipe for destroying all that's good about America: and ultimately, America itself.

I have an even harder time crediting the two wannabe's claims to be Christians...especially Cruz', which are transparently, unctuously, aimed at his "Evangelical base." That thing Jesus said about recognizing people by their fruits gets in the way for me. No one who furthers their power by fear and hatred is producing good fruit. No one who directs fear and hatred toward the poor, toward aliens, toward caring for the sick, is a follower of Jesus.

It's ironic that (self-professed) freedom-loving, patriotic, Christian Republicans think America will be "great" again when led by an authoritarian hypocrite professing to love Jesus, while he leads America in ways of fear, hatred, and violence.

Those are the ways God hates. Those are the ways on which God promises destruction.

Political allegiances always require some "suspension of disbelief"...some degree of willingness to believe what's manifestly not true. But human foolishness and self-deception are insufficient to explain why Christians would embrace the destructive evils Republicans promote. Profound spiritual blindness is the only explanation that seems sufficient.

May God deal with hypocrites, haters, the violent, the willfully foolish and the spiritually blind, as He proposes.

May God forgive the American Christians ! Amen.