What is the mask that a faith-based initiative wears?  How does this conceal what moves our administration to its war-laden tendencies?  In what ways does faith in government make George Bush and Osama bin Laden brothers?  All of these questions have taken up much time and consideration as of late.  How has our country moved from Jefferson’s secular framing of government to a government used as a tool for the furthering the Christian agenda.

The standard for worldwide Christian conservatism has been raised here in our nation’s capital, Washington DC and its bearer is George Bush.  Conservatism is defined as the inclination, especially in politics, to maintain the existing or traditional order.  This definition presents a few interesting considerations.  Firstly, conservatism is the maintenance of tradition.  It is the fostering of certain values that have been held close for, presumably, time immemorial.  So, how do Christian conservatives, such as our President, present a version of Christianity that is so hateful and so selectively loving?  Having been raised in a Catholic family, I was never pressed to feel that I was saved, nor was I ever informed to always look for opportunities to kick-start the apocalypse.  To me, the Book of Revelation was more a model for creating some really interesting sessions of Dungeons and Dragons.  (You see, by playing that game I was already resigned to sitting in the burning pits of hell.) One thing I did learn in my years of Catholic schooling was this: love your brother (as well as sister).  That was it.  Where is this in the Christian conservative movement?  How can unconditional love, as long as you’re saved, be justified?

The failure to disseminate Jesus’ ultimate message is what marks conservative Christianity as ineffective and alludes to its eventual failure.  But does it?  How is it during this time of social, political, and spiritual struggle Christian conservatism seems to be gripping a wider demographic of people?  Teens, adults, former addicts, present addicts, children, rural families, urban families, and more seem to be flocking to this corrupted vision of the ultimate Christian message.  Its message is strong and it is unrelenting.  The message of Christian conservatism tells its flock what to do instead of allowing them to roam free to discover the hills, forests, and seas and God.  It tells them to love their brothers and sisters even if they will die in the rapture.  It is herein that sits the king of deception.  To radical conservative Christians loving the sinner and not the sin is the rule, yet we are all full of their so-deemed sins.  We are all unclean.  The sinner and the sin are inextricably connected.  So, how do you love the sinner yet all the while their sins exist?

Such rigidity in the definitions of sin set them apart from most other religions.  Most other organized religions, and, yes, even certain sects of Christianity, view life as a spiritual journey.  Living a moral life, refraining from doing harm to others, and living with love and reverence toward God’s creations are foremost in these doctrines.  Interestingly enough, there seems to be no provision to act selfishly in the face of others.  In other words, conservative Christians condescendingly look upon the unsaved with none of the love intended for everyone.  Moral?  Reverent?  Selfless?

These facets of our President’s faith-based conservative political ideals are what make him and Osama bin Laden brethren.  Osama is simply an Islamic version of the Christian George Bush.  Osama bin Laden believes strongly in the conservative aspects of the Islamic faith.  He believes that he should spread these ideals across the world.  The correlations between the faith-based strategies of both of these world leaders are startling.  Here we have the classic clash of religions.  We are in the midst of a jihad.  We stand in the muck of a crusade.  We all suffer for the drive of two megalomaniac men bent on pleasing god.  God is not Islamic.  God is not Christian.

God is.

Inspired by Desmond Tutu’s Recipe for Peace.

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