Yes, Tony, There is a War on God

By NanceGreggs


An open letter to Tony Snow:

With respect to your recent remarks at Oklahoma Christian University, I am in agreement with your assessment that there is indeed a War on God in our country. And you should know, having worked for the president, the administration, and the party that launched that war, and continue to wage it on a daily basis.

From day one of Bush’s catastrophic tenure in office, God has been treated by George and the GOP like a commodity to be bought and sold, a stick with which to prod Christians and other believers into accepting things like torture, and a blindfold to be placed over the eyes of those who can be most easily led astray with false promises and empty rhetoric.

“God”, or your party’s version thereof, is no longer the creator, but the destroyer of those who worship him differently, or seek his blessings in a language other than ours.

He is no longer the God whom Moses sought out on the mountain; he has been replaced by the Golden Calf your party fashioned out of valueless trinkets, like lies and a lust for money. And as for those Ten Commandments – Thou Shalt Not Kill, Thou Shalt Not Steal, etc. – they apparently now come complete with signing statements and can be rescinded as is convenient.

He is no longer the Christ who threw the money-changers out of the Temple, but is now the Guardian of the Greedy, the Protector of the Profiteers, the patron saint who sheds His Golden Light upon the Golden Parachute and its recipients.

In other words, your god is safe, my friend. It’s the true God who has been taking a bashing.

Last Friday, you stated that you “loved being on a stage where you could say the word God”. Tell us, Tony, when and where have you been prevented from saying that word? Is this part of that infamous persecution of Christians we keep hearing about? Surely a seasoned newsman like yourself must have the horrific details of this endless persecution – why don’t you share them with us?

You see, Tony, unlike you, I can actually cite the instances where God is no longer allowed to be mentioned in this country.

You can’t mention that God the All-Loving wouldn’t condone torture, or waging a war that kills innocents for the sake of oil.

You can’t mention that God the Creator expects stewardship of the earth, regardless of how deeply protecting the environment cuts into corporate profits.

You can’t mention that the Son of God admonished his followers to help the needy, the sick, the hungry, the homeless, because spending tax dollars on social programs to accomplish that end would result in less money for the weapons manufacturers, and the war-profiteers.

You can’t mention that doing God’s work on earth means looking out for someone other than yourself – at least not to Republicans, whose credo is “I’ve got mine, and everyone else is none of my concern.”

And if you really want to know about people who can’t say the word God in this country, ask a Muslim. Sure, they can pray to Allah (and that’s God, in case you didn’t know, Tony) in an airport, as long as they don’t mind the risk of getting thrown off their flight – or worse.

And then of course there is the “War on Christmas”, that great battlefront situated right smack-dab in the middle of Consumerism, USA, where – according to your ilk – good Christians can demonstrate the true meaning of Jesus’ birth by emptying their wallets in stores that say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays.

Having been raised with the old Jesus – you know, the one you people have abandoned – I seem to remember being taught that the true spirit of celebrating Christ’s birth was to be found in giving rather than receiving, and a sharing with the less fortunate.

I recall being told by the good nuns at school to remind my parents to donate to food banks and homeless shelters in observance of the Lord’s birth.

Funnily enough, I don’t remember a word about running up their credit cards only at the right stores as being an appropriate way to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace – but, hey, maybe that’s just me.

But I can’t argue with your initial point, Tony. The War on God is as blatantly obvious as the “Spend Your Money Here” banners that hang over Nativity scenes at the local mall. It’s as in-your-face as the photographs from Abu Ghraib.

It is fueled by the deceit of fabricated intelligence that leads a nation into war-for-profit, by the corporate greed that infiltrates our society and buys our government officials, and by the godless apathy that allows citizens to go hungry, homeless, and without medical care while wealthy individuals and corporations are given tax breaks paid for by working-class Americans.

Yes, there IS a War on God, Tony. And if you truly have a problem with that, you might try NOT being one of its most outspoken warriors.



Posted in full with author's permission.

Originally posted at democraticunderground.com: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/NanceGreggs/319