A Cross With Wheels

I live in one of the most beautiful cities in this great nation... There is no doubt in my mind. I have been to the Mississippi, seen the Gulf, stood above (and behind) the mighty Niagara. I have stood on the beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico and watched the sun rise over the Caribbean. I have been to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. I have been to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. I have seen the golden waves of grain in Kansas and the Big Apple, the City the never sleeps. But of all the places I have been to and all the places I have lived there are none more beautiful than the Holy City, Charleston, SC.

There are, as there are with any city, an array of colorful personalities as you ride through this beautiful city like I do driving a taxi. From the musicians that stand on the streets such as Market St or King. The Gullah that work the market and sell the sweetgrass roses and baskets and other fine crafts.

One personality that you may have the occasion of observing is this guy that walks around town with a big cross draped over his shoulder as he walks. Obviously, the intent is a literal interpretation of Christ's command to "pick up your cross and follow me." I don't personally know the guy so I have no idea if he also follows the first part of that command which was to sell all he owns and give it to the poor, but that is not the point I am trying to make.

The point I am trying to meander to is the cross this guy drags every where with him. It is a smooth ordeal made from some lumber, looks like some 4x4x4, nothing remarkable or spectacular. At the bottom of this cross are two wheels. So this guy wants to represent the torturous event that the Christian Christ is supposed to have suffered... By dragging around a cross on wheels... There is no torture, no real labour, discomfort or burden... He walks around waving at people with a big cheesy grin dragging his cross...on wheels.

So what am I getting at? 

This week a terrible tragedy happened in this city I love. An ignorant, stupid, hate filled angry young man entered a church where 12 African American people were in prayer and worship. He entered, he sat with them, in a way he got to know them or at least something about them... Then he got up, pulled out a gun and proceeded to kill 9 of the people present all while spouting some vile and horrible racist crap.

I say in my bed all night watching the TV with horror as these events unfolded. I finally went to sleep only to wake up about four hours later and turn the TV back on and see what was going on. I went between the channels and then I did something I never do...I switched it over to Fox News to see what they had to say.

Imagine my surprise when I heard them warning against "rushing to conclusions" that this was racially motivated only to, in the same breath, rush to the conclusion that this was a war against Christianity. If there is one thing that is clear from watching Fox News it is that there is NOT a race problem in America...even though all the evidence outside of the isolated white walls of Fox News points to a complete different story.

What is it with this war on Christianity? Did we just get jealous? Did they see a war on women, a racial war, war on the poor, war on the gays and they just felt left out so they coined up some imaginary war on Christianity?

Let's look at how this war is really going...

- You can't win an election to any position in this country unless you profess your undying affecting and loyalty to the Christian God.

- Our money, our pledge of allegiance even our oaths to honesty in court, loyalty to the military and honor to fulfill our duties in an elected position all make reference to the Christian God.

- Churches are tax exempt under a false guise of being non profit even though they make millions and billions of dollars that they spend on multi million dollar buildings, expensive fleets of cars and buses only to bring in more money to spend on more and more fancy and expensive gadgets, buildings and salaries.

- Our president, judges, jurors, witnesses, senators, congressmen... Hell... Everybody that is anybody doing anything has to place their hands on a Christian Bible to swear to the Christian God that they will do their job honestly and loyally.

- Christians are the only group in this nation that can use their religious beliefs to limit the rights of other citizens based solely on their religious belief. If Satanists, Hindu, Muslims, atheists, Buddhist, communists...hell... ANYBODY from absolutely any other ideology, nationality, creed or walk of life tried this we would be screaming about liberty and freedom... But when Christians do it... We are all supposed to stop and listen. 

If there is a war on Christianity...I don't guess it's too hard to figure out who is winning...there are no casualties, no victims... No matter how much they want to scream about it and falsely claim they are victims. Like a cross on wheels...there is no real burden...no real sacrifice...no real war... Just a pathetic group of people that have lost all moral high ground trying desperately to be victim's while still holding all the cards...