Religrish

In yet another article on Democrats trying to appeal to the faithful.

…"Democrats believe that Congress should act on the true meaning of Christmas – hope, generosity and goodwill toward others," said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., urging an increase in the minimum wage. "Unfortunately, our Republican friends seem to have forgotten the meaning of Christmas."

Well I would agree with that to some extent, though the problem is before you lecture somebody else on the meaning of Christmas it might be a good idea to know what it is first. His statement on the meaning of Christmas is derived from greeting cards and the storyline of every crappy Christmas movie that comes down the pike. It might be a good idea to start with the Gospel of Luke before moving on to wishy-washy sentiment.

That we should act with generosity and goodwill toward others is a given, but these are not ends in themselves but responses to what God has done for us. I have said before that the reason for the season is sin and that the whole point of Christmas is that we needed a savior and that Jesus wondrously humbled himself taking the form of a slave as St. Paul said in Philippians. To equate not seeing that the minimum wage is not a prudential act in helping the poor with not knowing the meaning of Christmas is simply ridiculous.

Granted many Republicans are at ease with using Christian terminology and having their acts show that it is empty. But it is almost comical to hear Democrats try to do the same thing. I lived in Japan for a couple of years and they loved English words on products, but the way they put them together showed they had no idea what they meant (see Engrish). Many Democrats have exactly the same problem. They want to use the wording, but they have no idea how it goes together – maybe this could be called Religrish.

Now I admit to being a pretty partisan conservative, but I am not blind to the myriad faults of the modern Republican Party. I am Catholic first and cringe when reading/hearing torture apologists just as much or maybe even more than when I hear the abortion apologists on the left. No this isn’t one of the both parties suck posts – instead I say "A Pax on both houses." That is the peace of Christ.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

Though of course as this passage from the Gospel of Luke denotes that peace is conditional.