Repreive: The Last Station of the Cross

 

 I wrote a blog post back in April of 2012 and a revised version April 2013. (The first versions were addressed to a Catholic audience and one was actually published in a progressive Catholic journal). Today, thirteen years later, I feel compelled to offer another revision for 2025. This time addressed to anyone who calls themselves “Christian”.

“The Last Station of the Cross: Jesus Turns Over in His Grave”

Perhaps I am depressed.  I know I am tired.  I am weary of the world and all its petty squabbles and all the ego-trips and political posturing and religious hypocrisy.

It seems this year has been exceptionally brutal in many arenas and I find religion, and Christianity in particular, virtually silent in response to all of the social (in)justice issues and other global issues that face societies in all parts of the world today.  

Virtually silent (there are faint voices) about the things that Jesus talked about - what are called the Works of Mercy in particular: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and those in prison.

So called “christians” have been disturbingly silent on matters that cry out for love, justice and compassion but have been disturbingly vocal on issues that promote divisiveness, hate and repressive ideologies. 

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of Mother Earth or condemn the waste, the wanton disregard for the environment and the obscene use of limited resources by the few.
    - Instead they celebrate every attempt to reverse laws and policies that were put in place to protect the earth and the biodiversity of life and the water and air so they may plunder every resource to enrich themselves.

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of the poor and needy, though they profess to believe in the gospel that requires they serve the least of these.
    - Instead they watch idly while those in power actively cut off the funding and personnel which serve the poor and needy, effectively cutting them off from life-sustaining food and medicine and services that are not available to them through other means.   

Christians are silent and do not speak out on behalf of those who cannot afford health care, though they profess a belief in the value of all human life.
    - Instead they applaud the plot to limit or disrupt the healthcare system, allowing companies to profit obscenely on medications and insurance premiums; terminate employees who are critical to providing care; deny science and medical research in favor of crack-pot conspiracy theories and pseudo-science. And to ice the cake, withdraw health insurance from illegally terminated federal employees.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against those who are driven to amass obscene wealth on the backs of the struggling working classes and the poor though they profess to believe the words of Jesus that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than for a camel to go through a needle's eye.
    - Instead they justify enriching both the wealthy and themselves, legally or illegally, by pointing to the behavior of the oligarchs who hoard and acquire wealth aggressively, unashamedly, blatantly and provocatively with no regard for ethics or society.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the blatant weaponizing of government to punish and retaliate against those it perceives as disloyal to a person of questionable ethics and morals.                          - Instead they delight in seeing their enemies unjustly persecuted and deprived of livelihoods without due process or any consideration of legality.

  Christians are silent and do not speak out against the infiltration of religion into government though they profess to believe the words of Jesus to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's".
    - Instead they actively pursue draconian laws and policies that they justify by couching them in “religious freedom” while quoting biblical texts or junk science or erroneous opinions, all with the subversive agenda of making government an arm of their particular religious sect at the expense of those who have different beliefs or none at all.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the growing prejudice and discrimination towards persons who they perceive to be “the wrong color” or who are immigrants or refugees, though their bible admonishes them in more than one place how to treat the foreigner, e.g. “The Lord proclaims: Do what is just and right; rescue the oppressed from the power of the oppressor. Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Don’t spill the blood of the innocent in this place.”
    - Instead they adopt a mob mentality in their eagerness to deport immigrants and refugees and non-christians, and put “undesirables” into detention (concentration) camps without due process.

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the actions of those in power to erase the “inconvenient” parts of history that show the pain, suffering, patriotism and contributions of diverse groups of persons of color or of indigenous origin or gender identity.
    - Instead they support and promote false narratives, the editing and rewriting of history to suit their ideologies, the destruction of monuments, the banning of books, the censoring of art and artists, the excluding of journalists, the stifling of free speech and diversity, equity and inclusion (under the guise of protecting free speech and diversity).  

Christians are silent and do not speak out against the pedophile ministers, priests, pastors in their midst.
    - Instead, they protect and often hide the perpetrators who continue to victimize vulnerable children and in their embarrassment and shame and silence actually "normalize" abusive behavior on the part of their abusive leaders while at the same time fail to make meaningful amends to all to whom they caused pain and suffering.

Christians are silent and do not speak out to embrace gay and lesbian and transgender children, too many of whom take their own lives because of judgements passed by religious leaders who condemn them.
    - Instead they actively ridicule the very existence of LGBTQ+ citizens and wish to strip LGBTQ+ citizens of their hard won civil rights and, in some cases, make it a crime to declare, act on or profess one’s sexual orientation, gender identity or status. They would end marriage equality and the right to love the person of one's choosing.

Christians are silent and do not speak out to condemn the deliberate dismantling of of our democracy and the wanton disruption of the the global economy which causes undue suffering and hardship to many in this country and abroad.
    Instead many so called “christians” are not only supporting such irresponsible actions but are celebrating the ripping apart of traditions and institutions we have held sacred in the misguided belief that all is in the service of their god and his plan for the end of times. (It may very well signal the end of times, but god has nothing to do with it.)

So during this Easter season, I cannot help but imagine that if Jesus Christ could see the hubris and hypocrisy of his "followers" today....... He would certainly "turn over in his grave" so to speak.

The passion of Christ lives on in the poor and oppressed and those in service to others, but Resurrection seems highly unlikely.