3-D Deception

by Barbara Kirchoff

The truth that the U.S. Christian Church, especially the conservative, evangelical branch, has melded itself with political and commercial Babylon is discussed throughout this website. This melding is so evident as I read the continuous reports of the fighting and the dying in Iraq. The part of the Christian Church that supports the Bush Administration’s war of aggression in Iraq is practicing what could and should be considered the ultimate form of greed spawned from unfaithful fear. As these evangelicals continue to wed themselves ever more intimately with the political and commercial powers, they are readily sacrificing their sons and daughters and the children of others in return for what they believe to be support by the Bush regime for their current social and political agenda. These Christians are against abortion but support the killing of over 100,000 innocent Iraqi citizens, many whom are defenseless children, for totally unsubstantiated reasons.  They are for stronger families, but willingly send the best of our families, our sons and daughters, to be slaughtered, maimed and poisoned in Iraq and Afghanistan. They want prayer in the schools and the Ten Commandments to hang in public buildings, but they have forgotten that we are to forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:12), to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44-45) and that the sixth commandment really does mean, “Thou shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13).   

What I just described is a distinctively disjointed, bi-polar practice of Christianity.  Are the conservative, evangelical Christians really pro-life and pro-death at the same time?  Do they really believe that to realize their goal of a ban on abortion they must support the killing of innocent men, women and children?  Do they really believe that sending their children to break God’s commandments and to die alone in foreign lands will strengthen traditional families?  Will they make the connections and understand the deal they have made with the Devil?  The answer at this time can only be a resounding NO!  

Why don’t these politicized and commercialized Christians recognize the deadly deal they have made? Are they the elect that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24:24? “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect¾if that where possible.”  Are they dazzled by the deception of the numerical success of the mega-churches, by the wealth amassed by the likes of the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) and the ostentatious televangelists that appear on its programs? Are they dizzy with the deception of expecting “Jehovah Jira” (God who provides) to reward them with material wealth for the seeds they sow to the already obscenely rich televangelists? Are they drunk with the deception that they have real power in the voting booth, which resulted in the “election” and “reelection” of their anointed President and a Republican controlled Congress? Yes, they have been left dazzled, dizzy and drunk by their exposure to the deception of the false Christs and false prophets that currently parade across the television screen and fill the pulpits of countless churches. 

Many evangelical Christians in the U.S. have made their choice albeit a deceived, ill-informed and spiritually bankrupt choice. They still have time to choose God instead of the dazzling, dizzy, drunken deception of material wealth and power. Will they be able to put aside their “felt-needs” for “stuff” and political power or will they be like the rich, young man in Matthew 19:16-26 who walked away from Jesus because he knew he was totally possessed by his wealth? Will the fear of being poor and politically powerless in this world win out over the promise of eternal life?