"Neener, Neener, Neener" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Neener, Neener, Neener

I got an email from an old friend who epitomizes the struggle healthy people have in front of us if we want to get our nation back on track. Robert is a former Air Force colonel who taught me to fly. While we criss-crossed the northern Sacramento Valley, he would preach the need for me to take Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I like Robert, even though we don’t agree on almost anything political.

I was disappointed to receive an email from him the day after the election which read in huge letters: "Neener! Neener! Neener! Need I say More. The people have spoken!"

No, I don’t think you need to say more, old friend. Your version of the Christ Consciousness and mine aren’t found in the same libraries of the soul.

Indeed, George Bush’s version of Christianity is virtually antithetical to the ideas put forth by the man whose religion bears his name. Bush has lied about almost everything. He has killed a hundred thousand Iraqis. He disrespected his father. He has smeared opponents and insisted that those who question him were themselves unChristian.

But if you read the news stories about the election, it seems that tens of millions of Americans share that hypocrisy, intellectual dishonesty and moral degeneracy. To claim to be Christian while lying, cheating, stealing and killing...there’s something wrong with this picture.

Just as there is something unChristian in the lack of humility, dignity and grace that would seek to rub my nose in the Kerry loss. But in fact, I don’t blame Robert. He represents an ethos in our country that has enthralled a great many people. Politically, they are anti-choice, homophobic, pro-military, pro-death penalty and decidedly not very Christ-like in their attitudes toward other, dissenting human beings.

I don’t know if there is any way to educate them from their confusion. I tend to think they are locked into their spiritual caves. We should probably try to have a dialogue, but I sure wish there were fewer of them.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.