When did Jesus become a Republican?

A friend of mine brought up this comment in a recent discussion and at first it made me laugh, then it really hit home. When did Jesus become a Republican?

When did the conservative evangelical Christians associate themselves squarely with the Republican right wing? Especially when, historically, the south with its Bible Belt was perpetually the Democratic voting sector of America.

I heard it once that the price the Democratic Leadership paid for Civil Rights movement and desegration in the late 1960's (President Johnson) was the loss of the south for at least a generation. People who were born and raised with the segregated mentality defected from their staunch Democratic party. My hypothesis is that with the strength of the Southern Baptist Church and the strong church leadership, that over the last 40 years being a evangelical and a "conservative" became synonymous and the Republicans filled the void.

My friend also brought up a good point - within the context of his time, Jesus was just about the most liberal person on the face of the planet (maybe John the Baptist has him beat). He bucked the entire system of hard line Jewish leadership and laws. Completely upending their long held positions as the conservatives in the time.

And now, 2,000 years later - Jesus is now the "reason" why people are "conservatives" and vote Republican. The Republican talking heads throw backhanded intolerance in their daily talk shows and books. The Republican political leadership doesn't seem to me to have much in the way of moral values being practiced - they just seem to have caught the ear of a great mass of well intended people who they lead down a path of comfort by tossing well placed Christian jargon for them to feel good about their party that they're backing.

And enough political propaganda that has been shot back to the Democratic party for being a cabal of loose morals and hippy praising San Franciscans. As if all Democrats at one time or another have made a pilgrimage to Haight-Asbury and have a secret closet of marijuana plants and tie-dyed shirts.

I watched the interview (it wasn't a debate) the super-mega-church pastor Rick Warren held earlier this summer when he hosted Obama and McCain. He asked both the same questions independently and one of which stood out to me: what is your faith?

Obama was first and he actually testified to an authentic saved-by-grace Christian salvation story as a young adult in South Chicago. It has stayed with him and he considers himself to be a believer.

McCain, on the other hand, talked reverently about his time as a POW in Vietnam and some interactions with a guard who showed him compassion and gave window to the guard's faith as a possible Christian. When I listed to it, he didn't speak one bit about his own faith in Christ - a salvation story or anything remotely to the cause. He really only testified that a prison guard was nice(r) to him.

His story is moving - especially when you start to imagine what he endured as a POW and it's very easy to read too much into the story and think that he's actually saying something of faith when he didn't. Because he's a Republican - it's almost as easy of a jump to just assume that he IS a Christian.

So here we have an actual saved Christian candidate who is the nominee from the evil empire of the Democratic Party and the non-saved candidate who is the godhead of the righteous Republican Party. What gives?

I live in Idaho where voting Democratic is equivalent to bypassing the polls (historically - it might actually change this year!). So many of my fellow citizens roll up to vote each November and check off the (R) box without blinking an eye.

I would like to think that Jesus looks down from Heaven and is appalled at the complete craziness His followers have delusioned themselves into. That sometimes the most dangerous path is the one that isn't questioned or held accountable. Keep in mind that this financial bailout package that the Republicans (yes, John McCain was a part of this mess - don't let his "maverick" BS sway you one bit - it's just a ploy to distance himself from the incumbent party and 30% favorable Bush Admin so he has a chance come November) have had to enact from it's deregulation spree will cost each household in America around $7,000. On top of the "stimulus" package from earlier this year - your Republican leadership have lead you to pay out - and I'm not kidding - nearly $8,500 (ave) per household in America. WOO HOO!! I can't wait to vote that party back into office to let them know just how pleased I am at their wonderful leadership and care for us (oh, and keep the change McCain - I didn't need the $8,500 either for my own family of four)!

I still think that the key issue - for some reason - is still abortion and if you believe in life at conception or that conscienceness occurs sometime later (for me, I am a pro-lifer after having 2 kids of my own). My point is that over the last near 40 years of Roe v. Wade and the onslaught of conservative supreme court justices that were appointed under Bush's watch haven't lead to any overturn and/or clarification. Nor has the conservative evangelicals raised enough of a stink to get it changed in laws. So if this whole segment of America really feels strongly about it, they're really not doing much to change it (the Republican leadership mainly). So, to me, it points clearly that the Republicans only claim pro-life to garnish votes and appease evangelicals. You're all being used, my friends.

Anywho - if you know when Jesus switched from the left to the right, let me know. I'd like to pass it along.