I’m about to break out singing “Give Me That Old Time Religion”. You remember back in the olden days of the Ten Commandments, Hellfire and Damnation and fear of the Apocalypse. The Judeo-Christian tradition has been infested with groovy hippie stuff and liberation theology codswallop since the 1960’s. But, these day, these days of President Donald Trump and the “Resist” movement, our faith leaders have done gone cray cray in a big way. I’m just a backsliding Baptist but I am pretty sure God is totally pissed off.

What has got me contemplating God’s mindset on our bizarre situation? I am so glad you asked.

Did you read about the Presbyterian Minister who screamed at Trump’s motorcade as he visited the Tree of Life Synagogue the other day. WTAE.com reported:

As President Donald Trump visited the Tree of Life Synagogue to pay his respects after the mass shooting that killed 11 people, the Rev. Susan Rothenberg, a Presbyterian minister who lives a few houses away, yelled that Trump was not welcome in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

There is nothing Judeo or Christian in that kind of behavior. President Trump didn’t stop any direct family members from sitting Shiva. Reverend Rothenberg, as assumed faith leader, screaming outside in the middle of the block may have disturbed someone’s Shiva. And, speaking of making it all about yourself, Miss Thing. I am not going to quote The Bible because I am not an expert, but I am pretty sure there are quite a few Bible verses about how to treat government officials. Screaming like a fishwife in the middle of the street doesn’t sound familiar to me.

Interfaith clergy join in a ceremony of unity and peace to bless Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s Carol Whitehill Moses Center. Photo credit: Helen Parschall

This next news item hasn’t gotten much coverage, but it’s cranked to eleven compared to Screaming Reverend Rothenberg. In Washington, D.C. and Ohio, “faith leaders” are blessing Planned Parenthood Clinics. The Huffington Post has a full report on the D.C. clinic blessing:

Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and secular leaders gathered inside Planned Parenthood Metro Washington’s new Carol Whitehill Moses health center on Tuesday to perform a blessing of the space.

The event, co-hosted by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, included interfaith blessings, prayers, and testimonies about why it was important ― politically and spiritually ― for women to have autonomy over their own bodies.

I have to point out that there has never been a time when women have had more autonomy over their own bodies, physically, politically and spiritually, than in the United States of America in 2018.

And, of course, it’s Donald Trump’s fault that women are worried:

The ceremony comes at a time when many progressive women feel that their access to safe and affordable reproductive care is under attack. Emboldened by president-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Republicans in Congress are pushing forward with plans to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding.

And, Brother Larry, my favorite Pastor, is not going to like this one at all:

Rev. Dr. Christine Y. Wiley, co-pastor of Washington, D.C.’s Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, helped to plan and coordinate the interfaith blessing ceremony. She told The Huffington Post that her faith inspired her to support a woman’s right to choose.

“Many people do not understand that there are many kinds of Christians. Conservative Christians dominate the television and Radio media and influence people to think that this brand of Christianity ‘is’ Christianity. Although they have great influence, this stance is far from representing the true tenets of the person of Jesus Christ,” Wiley said. “As a progressive Womanist Christian who is concerned about wholeness in the community, especially for those who are marginalized and disenfranchised, my task is to do what Jesus did, to meet people where they are with love and understanding, and bring healing and freedom to them.”

Dr. Wiley is a pastor at a Baptist Church. Oh, God is not going to like that. Again, I am not going to quote The Bible because I don’t want to get it wrong. Yes, Jesus met some people where they were with love, understanding and all that hippie stuff. Jesus could also get his mad on like nobody else. If I recall correctly, Jesus was not above table flipping and the like. I think many people in the faith business get Jesus confused with the late George Carlin and his hippie dippy weather man. It’s super cool, keen and groovy that Planned Parenthood offers other services, but they are the main abortion providers in the U.S.. God is not about the culture of death, at all. God is really, really totally about life. You dig. Seems to me like a big sin for faith leaders to be involved at all.

I am going to bring this to a close now. The news doesn’t always cover items that aren’t big gripping issues. But, these things, the screeching Presbyterian minister and the faith leaders blessing Planned Parenthood Clinics are big. We are losing our religion and God is not going to like that when the great and terrible day of judgement comes.

Feature photo credit: John-Mark Smith