Defending SpongeBob
Somone asked me today defending James Dobson's attacks on SpongeBob Squarepants:
Would Jesus allow the 'preaching' of homosexuality as moral and normal behavior, being taught to elementary school children?
(or any public school)
Good question.
Brings up the "What Would Jesus Do?" mantra.
I'll tell ya ... I can't rightly say what Jesus would say, do or "allow" and I
am aware and acknowledge the big assumption behind the highly popular notion that Jesus is a judgemental God who surely is
giving the high hand of support behind an invisibly divine curtain to those obsessed on a very narrow and preferred morality.
Such is not my assumption and in this regard the only words of Jesus that come
to mind are rendering to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.
I suspect that what you described as being "allowed" by Jesus falls into the category
of God's and that means it's God's to deal with and not mine to presume to tell others what God allows.
Having seen publicly pious pharisee's leap to their feet and proclaim God's voice
condemning American sinfulness right after the fall of the two towers, I know what the socially acceptible answer should be.
I also think that folks who really believe that some form of formal, legal coercion
of other folks to some commonly supported orthodoxy of belief do not trust God's power and ability to assert His own will.
I think that there's a lack of faith there that doesn't come up to snuff despite the pious preachings.
I also suspect that this is precisely the reason why Mr. Dobson stays safely within
the realm of SpongeBob because the realm of the killing in Iraq is too dangerous for him to speak on behalf of God.
Same thing for Falwell hiding behind a defense of Christmas and Robertson pounding
loudly about Supreme Court Justices while neither offer even their own flock some form of reconciling the killing with the
God everyone sings and waves about in stadium size churches.
