.@SpeakerRyan forcing the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the Rev. Patrick Conroy, to resign shows how many like their religion: unchallenging, uncritical, and unChristian.
They are neither interested in the words of Jesus, nor the Prophets, nor the Apostles all of whom agree that one of the fruits of right religion is the construction and maintenance of just societies. To disregard the poor is to disregard Christ himself.
These are the same folks who claim "Judeo-Christian values" (which don't exist). This is done particularly when sex or things sex-related are on the docket. But how can you have a "Christian" society with drastic social inequality? Spoiler alert: you can't.
The original Christian community in the book of Acts held things in common. They allowed no one to go hungry, but gave as folks had needs. Could someone make a case for Christianity and Socialism? Sure.
At the very least, one can make a case that a society properly influenced by Christian values would allow no one to go unhoused and unfed. Here's a hint: God spends way more time in the scriptures addressing poverty than sex.
Even IF what so many conservative Christians believe about biblical sexual ethics were true (hint: it's not), spending so much time ranting about other people's sex lives rather than addressing systems that push people into poverty and keep them there inverts priorities.
Jesus cares for the poor, not in a way that valorizes poverty, but in a way that shows where our Gospel priorities should be. We are called to advocate with, support, and strengthen the poor & destroy poverty. Anything less is not just unChristian, it is antiChristian.
This is why the Gospel has a political edge. Poverty isn't a state of moral failure. It isn't personal. Poverty is a political construction. It isn't a naturally occuring phenomenon. It is an intentional creation of a sinful society.
Jesus didn't just come to save you personally. Your "personal salvation" means nothing if you don't leverage that grace towards the actual, physical well-being of the world.
Jesus also came to renew all of Creation by exposing the systems all around as fruadulent kingdoms. Inasmuch as they destroy creation, oppress the vulnerable, and mass produce division, they are pretenders to the throne. True power is compassionate, not sociopathic.
