Andrew Sullivan Preaches to Republican Christians

Andrew Sullivan gives us his Advent sermon I guess. Vox Nova has the link at Quote of the Day.

“It’s staggering really that modern American Christianism supports wealth while Jesus demanded total poverty, fetishizes family while Jesus left his and urged his followers to abandon wives, husbands and children, champions politics while Jesus said his kingdom was emphatically not of this world, defends religious war where Jesus sought always peace, and backs torture, which is what the Romans did to Jesus. At some point these charlatans need to be chased out of the temple. Which these days means the Republican party.”

Well Ho Ho Ho!!. Of course the above is so theologically shallow in my view it is silly. "Fetish" family?

There is in the back and forth comments this at VOX NOVA

I’m always surprised at how many people defend the Republicans on these matters, and start by pointing fingers at Democrats. Here’s the difference – it is the Republicans who (blasphemously) wrap themselves in the mantle of Christianity. Democrats may pander, but they do not claim to be a Christian party.
And yes, Sullivan’s knee-jerk swipes at the Church on the issue of homosexuality can be irritating – but this is not the subject matter at hand.

Yes it is true I suppose Sullivan can be "irritating". His ever non ceasing slander of Pope Benedict is pretty annoying. Thankfully his phobia about all things Sarah Palin has distracted him the Holy Father for a bit.

The Democrats do not claim to be a Christian party? My goodness for decades and decades and decades they have claimed that. From issues realting to the poor, to immigration, to Unions, to the Great Society, to the New Deal, to opposition to various wars, to State Execution, to the increase in Head Start funding, to the environment, to what tax rates should be , etc etc all this has been at various times and by various times urged as the Christian position.

Though Christianity and some of it's central tenets seem to be on the outs lately in the Democrat party we still hear Democrats suing the force of the CHristian message (and it's authority) in making a case for numerous positions. . I am not saying that is correct or incorrect in all cases. Of course I am not one to call mosts Democrats "blasphemous" either.

If such over the top rethoric of Andrew Sullivan is endorsed ( Again I never knew Jesus was against Family) where is the hope for Catholic Social Justice. I think the Democrat position on abortion and gay marraige is very blasphemous.

However whenever I make Catholic Social Justice arguments against other matters in the DEM party I disagree with I am not so sure of my position that I call the other party "blasphemous" on these matters.