Representatives?
I was studying my bible when this passage popped out at me:
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’…
Matthew 23:2-7
When I read this I realized that there are a lot of similarities in the religious rulers of Jesus’ time and the political rulers currently in power. Just like the Pharisees, our “representatives” are disconnected from the people, while they maintain the pretense of being “normal people” most of them haven’t held a real job in years if at all. They are almost all very rich, often from inherited money. Yet they are completely unwilling to sacrifice even a tiny amount of their vast wealth for the causes they make the taxpayers pay for.
Everything a modern legislator does is about image and getting reelected. When they go to the schools to get their pictures taken with kids, it isn’t because they care but rather because it makes them seem more personable and caring. Even their votes on critical issues are decided by how things will appear in the papers, and what the polls say will be more politically advantageous. The image they present to the cameras is completely at odds with who they really are.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’…
Matthew 23:2-7
When I read this I realized that there are a lot of similarities in the religious rulers of Jesus’ time and the political rulers currently in power. Just like the Pharisees, our “representatives” are disconnected from the people, while they maintain the pretense of being “normal people” most of them haven’t held a real job in years if at all. They are almost all very rich, often from inherited money. Yet they are completely unwilling to sacrifice even a tiny amount of their vast wealth for the causes they make the taxpayers pay for.
Everything a modern legislator does is about image and getting reelected. When they go to the schools to get their pictures taken with kids, it isn’t because they care but rather because it makes them seem more personable and caring. Even their votes on critical issues are decided by how things will appear in the papers, and what the polls say will be more politically advantageous. The image they present to the cameras is completely at odds with who they really are.
5 Comments:
Yes, even when they talk about family values, morals and christianity, they are all sound bites to get the church goers to elect them to office. Meanwhile they obviously aren't christians because, like you said they are all rich. And you know what Jesus says about rich people; "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to go to heaven."
There's a few who I think are sincere in their Christianity but you're right, most of them are just posers.
As far as rich people go, the Bible speaks positively about lots of people, (Abraham, Jacob, Job, Joseph of Arimatheah...). It also talks about God blessing people with wealth.
Whoops. The above comment should read, "...speaks positivley about lots of rich people."
It's sad but true.
Aye, this last presidential election demonstrated this idea perfectly. Four rich bastards trying to impress middle America.
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