Maybe this will generate some comments

So far, I have been using what I hope has been logic to demonstrate the "evil" of the Dark Side Republican Conservative Right Wing political party here in the U.S.

After many micro-seconds of thought, I decided to try a different tactic.

There are many out there (I'm not one of them...) who hold forth that the Conservatives are the forefront of a wave of Religious/Moral correction. A shift toward honoring God that has gone lacking in our nation.

DISCLAIMER: I was raised in a church that combines critical thinking and scientific method with scripture, arriving at a place that makes The New Christians, the current army of evangelical Born Agains, the right wing, southern "hillbilly" "Redneck" NASCAR and Professional Wrestling viewing core of the conservative voting populace, look like they need helmets, full time nursing care, and a short yellow bus...

With that in mind, I will try to demonstrate how scripture teaches us to support the Liberals in an effort to follow the Teachings of Christ.

This will be an ongoing project, with each post focusing on how one aspect of Conservative political/financial/social behavior goes against scripture.

Today, we'll take on the situation with the #OccupyWallSt protestors, and the Conservative reactions to them. Only because it's the most politically relevant right now.

Mathew 21:12 "Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves."

This is typically called The Cleansing of The Temple" and illustrates that the church is not the place for business. Not the place for profit.

To fully understand this, we have to ask ourselves: How did the Money Changers get there in the first place?

The underlying idea to Mathew 21:12 is that the Theocratic rulers were allowing it. It isn't explicitly said that they were profiting from it, but what other reason could they have?

They were allowing people (including themselves)to make a profit at the expense of the faithful.

The priests allowed this. And, by not preventing it, it could be said they encouraged it. Tacit approval?

Those charged with the care of the people and the souls of those people had allowed people to set up tables, charge money for exchanging one form of money for another, so that the faithful would have the right kind of money to give in offering.

The Cleansing wasn't just getting the money changers and dove sellers out of the temple. It was getting the greed and collusion and those in power that supported and encouraged that greed (that's what I meant by collusion, by the way) out of the temple, as well.

Our Conservative Leaders tell us to work hard, according to (they say) the scripture. Pay our debts, according to (they say) the scripture. Obey, according to (they say) the scriptures.


#OccupyWallSt is trying to cleanse.

I, and you, know that it isn't a temple they are trying to cleanse, but the cleansing has almost as much meaning as if it were.

The Conservatives are giving more than tacit approval to the profiteering of the banks and "money changers", and the debt holders.(There used to be much more effective laws against usury...)

They legislate in favor of the companies, rather than the people they are tasked with caring for, and about. (Lawsuit protections, economic and environmental favoritism. The list goes on.)

Tax laws give benefits to the wealthy, while putting the vast majority of the tax burden on those who can afford it the least.
(Ya, I'm gonna harp on this until I have no reason to anymore...)

From what I have been able to pick up from various scriptures, I have a hard time finding any support for the phrase "Suffering is good for the soul" (I'm willing to be corrected. Always. Just have verifiable proof on hand, otherwise you'll be lumped in with the rest.)

From my long years of being a habitual observer (think of it as a form of OCD. I watch what people do. How they behave. I've gotten very good at accurate prediction from these observations.) "Suffering" only makes for miserable people. Miserable people spread it around. They are angry. Hurt. And, they act that way to others.

It could *almost* be said that suffering produces a low grade evil that spreads, causing more suffering, which spreads in its turn, etc. ad nauseum. (Not an original idea. Social satirists have been saying as much for a long time.)

So. We have arrived here, through only a few minutes thought, to a place where the Right Wing Conservative leaders are spreading a low grade evil throughout our nation. Infecting the #Other99% with soul damaging afflictions of spirit.

To use a Republican tactic, we can now make the leap from logic and critical thought to an emotional reaction.

Conservatives are the Agents of Satan!