“Christian right” – are you ready to put your money where your faith is?

On July 21, President Obama signed an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees. The order amends existing non-discrimination executive orders to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The order contains no additional religious exemptions beyond those already contained in existing executive orders.

And of course the power brokers of the Christian right, represented and whipped into a frenzy by the Fox (NOT)News goobers are hollering, again, about how their religious freedom is being attacked.

Ok, let’s go there.

If a Federal contractor who wishes to discriminate wants to continue to do so then they have the freedom to prove their faithfulness and accept the consequences of following their god. Truly, I am just fine with a privately held, “Christian” founded business to choose with whom they will do business and who they will or will not hire. I hope they will be explicit more about it so I know where not to spend my hard earned money or recommend talented, hard working LGBT Americans to seek employment. These “Christians” do not owe me or anyone else anything. And we the people, do not owe them anything. Not one, red cent.

To you who are genuinely convinced your religious freedom is under siege,

If you feel so passionately, so deeply convicted that your god wants you to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people then you need to have the courage and fortitude to accept the consequences of following that faith. According to the teachings you claim to hold above all else, if you are faithful to your god in all ways you will be rewarded for you faithfulness, especially if you willingly suffer for it. I want to invite you, my conservative “Christian” sisters and brothers who believe that you have the right to discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation or any ole thing you think the bible tells ya to condemn, go ahead stand up for what you believe – walk away with grace and integrity from the money that would force you to go against your principles. Of course there are a LOT MORE things than (your limited understanding of  biblical passages about) homosexuality to condemn, but we will save that for another blog, another day. Please, stand in faith and truth and put your money where your mouth is – be wiling to take up your cross and suffer for your faith. Learn to live with less, turn off cable, drive a smaller car, live in a smaller house, eat fewer steaks, drink fewer bottles of artisan water, play fewer rounds of golf, build fewer mega-sanctuaries and go into your room and pray to your god in private.

I implore you – turn not to Caesar to underwrite the practice of your faith. Do not expect a government sworn to uphold the separation of church and state to finically support you for if you continue to suckle from Caesar’s teat then you must live by Caesar’s rules. And in this country, at this juncture in history, you will have to choose who you worship, Mammon who has you chasing the all mighty dollar or your god. And you will have to accept that more and more people are unwilling to give their money to those who peddle in fear and loathing. You may actually have to do with less and turn only to your rule obsessed, blood thirsty god to provide.

As for me and mine, we will choose the God of love revealed in Christ Jesus who healed the sick (even breaking the law to do so), fed the hungry (even breaking the law to do so) and touched those society had deemed untouchable (even breaking the law to do so). And in so choosing we will continue to confront the religious elite who truly worship power and money, not Christ.