Written by Bishop Andrew Gentry   

Beloved Friends,

It is apparent that as per usual it is the poor and the elderly who will be sacrificed for the sake of appeasement in what is insultingly called the political process with regards to the debt ceiling. In so much as people like Michelle Backmann make much to do about their religion and the importance thereof it is legitimate to ask just how bloody relevant their religion is when it comes to the body politic. Along with their political costumes replete with colonial war flags, hats and leggings they love to carry Bibles and sometimes crosses. Invariably they have a host of preachers eager to invoke the blessings of Divine Providence upon their endeavors followed by politicians, who love to quote select passages of the Old Testament that generally are historical in nature and not relevant to anything other than an historical record of ancient Israel. They metaphorically cover themselves in sackcloth and ashes and wail and lament the "socialist agenda"! Keep in mind that these are the same people that lamented the "liberal agenda that calls for race mixing" , the "activist judges who oppose segregation", the "gay agenda" , the "labor union agenda", and if you want to go back far enough they are the same people who favored secessionist rebellion and slavery! It is therefore clear that for them religion serves the cause of the so called free market and anyone who opposes the acquisition of wealth by any means whatsoever is to their religion an infidel! So much for religion.

But what about faith? Ah this is indeed the proverbal horse of a different colour! You see faith is relationship and in order to have a healthy physical, spiritual, and yes even fiscal relationship it must embody justice. This justice must by its divine nature embodies love of and responsibility to one's neighbor, environment and planet as well as self. If one claims a Christian identity Jesus makes it very clear that you can carry all the Bibles you want, preach all the sermons you want, pray all the prayers you want and even raise the dead if you dare but if you have not fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and the imprisoned you are "accursed" and he wants nothing to do with you!

Religion is cheap and oppressive while faith is costly and liberating. You cannot claim faith and embrace the corporate harlots that take food out of the mouth of children, deny medicine and care to the poor, and imprison the elderly in poorhouses! As a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ let me say without reservation you cannot be a follower of Jesus and be a Tea Party member. Remember the admonition of St. Paul that the love of money is the root of ALL EVIL and the Tea Party LOVES money. Oh they will rise up in self-righteous indignation at such a comment but all you have to do is look at the "fruits" of their goals and efforts as again Jesus directed us to do. Their goals or fruits are the denial of basic human rights such as health care, social security, education, collective bargaining, and their support of racism, homophobia, the destruction of the environment. They want and demand the robbing of the poor and the powerless to satisfy their god of mammon.

Peace
Bishop Andrew Gentry