I am writing in response to a letter and comments concerning my letter of April 9. I stand by everything I said in the letter but it appears that some people apparently didn’t read it very carefully. First, I do not hate and I did not refer to all evangelicals, just a small minority of them. It is frustrating to have to defend things I did not say. I pointed out specific fiscal policies of the bush administration that have put our country in extreme debt and will impact our children and the taxes they will be required to pay in the future. Everything I stated is factual and well documented by governmental agencies. Bush blew the huge surplus left him by Clinton and now we have the largest deficit and debt in history. This is a fact. Every time I quote facts concerning bush or the “right-wing evangelical” base of the Republican Party many people take offense. I am an evangelical Christian as many other people are but we do not support the hypocritical and non-Christian political policies of the bush administration. Why is it that any time someone points out the contradiction of what Jesus taught and what right-wing Republican evangelicals enact into law and institute as fiscal policy then they are somehow seen as abhorring the Christian faith? This is ridiculous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and wants to institute religion into law should be subject to criticism since our form of government is guided by the “Separation of Church and State.” To deny that is simply to confirm ignorance on the issue. Jesus certainly did not endorse or use politics or laws to promote Christianity and I think more Christians agree that it should not be done in our present civil society. That is the work of the Church. To use partisan politics to enforce a narrow view of Christianity demeans the power of God and his Spirit and blasphemes the teachings of Christ. The intention of my letter was to point out the inconsistency of “Right-Wing Evangelical Republicans” politics with the teachings of Christ. I keep trying to find the “right-wing Jesus” many Republican extremists claim to follow but I have not found him in my Bible. Jesus was beyond politics and any other man made institution. He was very much a liberal in his time and even would be considered more of a liberal today. He threatened the religious establishment then as he would today. Many right-wingers don’t see that but it is true. Just read your Bible and see.
I take serious what Jesus taught. I am always willing to help any fundamentalist preacher or congregation learn about the true Jesus of the Bible. Just call and ask for “Deacon T. Glenn.” Love ya!