Christian Values

Rick Santorum is promoting himself as the true conservative and the faith based candidate. People are telling reporters they support him because he represents their 'Christian Values'.

Being a self professed Christian I began to compare the conservative platform to my Christian Values.

Let's look at point number one: Birth Control and legalized abortion.

Jesus tells us: Judge not, lest we be judged. To forgive others as we would have God forgive us and to love each other as we love ourselves. So what would Jesus say about this issue? I'm sure he would council young mothers not to have abortions. I'm also sure he would hold their hand through the procedure and comfort them afterwards. It's not our place to make laws to control women. Our only responsibility is to love and support them through whatever trials they must pass.

Let's look at point number two: Government supported and mandated health care: Jesus said, whatever you do for the least of my brothers you do for me. Jesus also healed the ill and the destitute, asking nothing from them. So what would Jesus do about Obama care? He would probably say that the plan is a good thought but has been corrupted and needs to be made simple. Throw the money changers (the insurance companies) out of the temple and let the people (We the People of the United States) of the constitution support their own mutual health care.

Let's look at point number three: Taxes.... Jesus was very clear about taxes. Render unto Caeser what is Caeser's. We pay taxes, though in the United States the Government is of the People and For the People as long as we vote the bought and paid for hypocrites out of congress (like Boehner and his ilk).

Let's look at point number four: Welfare and unemployment insurance. As I mentioned before, Jesus holds us accountable for the poorest of our neighbors and responsible for their welfare. How can we advocate turning these people out in the street? Jesus would feed them and house them and clothe them, that's what Jesus would do.

Let's look at point number five: Encouraging the wealthy and the powerful to contribute to the welfare of our society both through paying their fair share of the bill and through the creation of jobs. Jesus addressed both of these issues. On the first he reminds us that the wealthy can't take their possessions with them into heaven any more than a fully laden camel can pass through the smallest gate into the old city of Jerusalem without shedding all that it carries. Therefor the rich man should share with his less fortunate brothers here and now. And Jesus tells the story about the brothers and the talents where the one who buried (hoarded) his talent was the one who was wrong. So what would Jesus do? Tell the rich and powerful to share their good fortune in ways that makes life better for their less fortunate brothers, through Jobs and other programs.

Let's look at point number six: The maintenance of the environment. God gave man stewardship of the Earth. It's a poor steward that soils and desecrates that which he was given responsibility for .

And let's not forget the last point: The claim of Rick Santorum and the others to be 'faith based' candidates: Mathew Chapter 6: Jesus tells us not to be like those who proclaim their faith in public for public approval but to pray in private, and when he or any of the others cynically appeal to the religiosity of the voters.

So what would Jesus do?

The Manifesto

Over the last several years I've tried to enumerate the points of the New Manifesto but always with some hesitation.

The purpose of the Manifesto is to succinctly enumerate those points we believe in and which we should hold our elected officials to as guidance for all their decisions and actions. Basically I want to state what we believe in as a country. This is very difficult because we are myopic and schizophrenic at times.

But I'm going to try one more time:

We, the People of the United States of America, hold the following ideals and beliefs:

1: We are exceptional. There are things to change in this country, but its still the best bet in the world.

2: We believe in fairness: This means the same rules need to apply to everyone.

3: We believe in making it big: Everyone needs to know they can become one of the 1% if they work hard enough.

4: We believe in gain through personal effort: Handouts are bad whether to the poor or the rich or to foreign nations.

5: We believe in helping our neighbor: Sometimes, despite our best efforts, either we need help or our neighbors need help. Then we help.

6: We believe in honesty: Tell us the truth. Honesty beats unrealistic perfection. We all have faults, we all make mistakes. Just don't lie about it.

7: We believe in equality: Absolute equality. The lady serving your food at the 5 star restaurant doesn't do that because that's her place, she does it because its her job. Things COULD be reversed just as easily.

8: We believe our way of life is perfect. It isn't, but we believe it anyway.

9: We believe some shadowy power, corporations, shadow government, has manipulated our economy and taken over the reigns of power. We're not wrong. We can change that.

There are more points probably. I wish the six or seven people who read this (G) would offer suggestions. The manifesto should describe how we can work together to set our own goals with out the buzzwords and gaming of the election year propaganda.

Just my thoughts.