Can You Hear Me Now

The longer you’re in one place, the harder it is to leave.

Gene Clark

I should not be surprised at the hate and vitriol that continues to come from the Republican party, but this newish bit of garbage blew me away. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky recently said that former CDC director Demetre Daskalakis “had no business being in government due to the “lifestyle” he led.

And what exactly is that lifestyle? Dr. Daskalakis is gay. Never mind his extensive pedigree in medicine and disease prevention, Senator Paul hates the idea of a man who loves men. Pay no attention to the work Dr. Daskalakis has done in combatting HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, meningitis, and viral hepatitis. Senator Paul prefers people who in his words, are “moving in an ideologic direction where they want to see the undoing of vaccination.” We are being led by ignorant, dangerous people who value allegiance to their cult leader more than the safety and wellbeing of the American population.

Don’t get me started on Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade’s recent call to kill homeless people. That kind of thing used to get people fired, but when you are on Fox it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow.

You would have to be sleeping under a rock to not see how the Republican party is wielding Christianity as a weapon of power. They use their interpretation of the Bible to claim that homosexuality is a sin and not tolerated by God.

Of course, they willingly choose to ignore the parts that do not fit their controlled, myopic narrative. Try convincing a Texan good ol’ boy to give up his barbecue ribs even though it’s pretty clear that according to the Bible, eating pork is strictly forbidden.

“‘And the pig, though it has a split hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.’” (Leviticus 11:7-8)

Let’s not forget about those uppity women like Marjorie Taylor Green or Nancy Mace. How is it that as “good Christian women” they accepted jobs that allowed themselves to tell men what to do?

“I permit no woman to teach or have authority over men; she is to keep silent.” Timothy 2:11

The Ten Commandments

At the center of the drive to put their form of Christianity into American’s lives is The Ten Commandments. Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas already require them to be posted in all schools and it won’t be long before similar legislation makes it through the governing bodies of more southern states. Christian nationalists have made it clear that they want a country based on their interpretation of the Bible. They get to decide what it says and what it doesn’t– who it builds up and who it tears down.

It has been awhile since I read The Ten Commandments so I did what every modern person would do. I searched for them on the Internet.

Given that there are so many different translations and interpretations of the Bible, I was not surprised at the many Commandments versions I found. There was “thou” versus “you,” “kill” versus “murder,” and the things that one should not covet varied quite a bit. I split the differences and eventually settled on this one.

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Thou shalt not murder.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Thou shall not covet.

As for “murder” versus “kill.” I went back and forth on that and eventually decided that there are times when killing is sadly justified. The Nazi regime needed to be stopped and killing was the only way that was possible. It’s also my understanding that murder is the more correct translation. Two birds, one commandment.

As I have written many times in the past, I am not a Christian and do not believe in a supernatural, omniscient being. Love is at the center of my spirituality and a quick substitution turns the first four commandments into something I can believe in.

Since it is often said that “God is love,” I cannot imagine how anyone would find these changes offensive. Actually, I can. Too many people seem to prefer a vengeful God. Even me, the fallaway Catholic, know that that’s not what the New Testament preaches.

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27

One more thing. Having grown up with a dysfunctional father and having my own dysfunctional parenting issues, I added a caveat to number five. This makes it a much healthier and sustainable commandment.

Here they are one more time (with a little modernization of the language):

1. You must not place anything above love.
2. You must not mistake love for unhealthy or degrading behaviors.
3. You must not denigrate love.
4. Embrace and honor love in all aspects of your life.
5. Honor your father and mother (even if honor means setting strong boundaries).
6. You must not murder.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You must not covet.

Would my list passed the Moses Test? Perhaps. Even with my love substitutions, I believe I have stayed true to the original intention.

Note: It goes without saying (although I am saying it anyway) that I have failed myself and others many times throughout my life. I am human and therefore flawed. What I aspire to be is not necessarily what I achieve. We are all works in progress.

The All Golden

Another oft quoted part of the Bible is what is referred to as The Golden Rule. From my understanding, it is found twice in the New Testament:

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31

Combining The Golden Rule with my love-enhanced, language-modernized version of The Ten Commandments, I have a set of directives that works quite well for me. However, unlike those southern states, I would not force my list upon anyone. I strongly believe in the separation of church and state and the right to religious freedom. On a personal level I am very comfortable with these messages, but that is my choice.

Without words or proximity
without the need for sight
sound or touch
without the expectation of difference or change
Without the anticipation of more than I’ve been given
more than I am entitled to take

Here
and here I choose to remain
endless
unwavering and unbroken

Swimming in the perpetuity and gratitude of love

Bringing it All Back Home

One thing became very clear to me as I went through this exercise. Nowhere in The Ten Commandments or The Golden Rule is there anything that says we need to prohibit people from loving who they chose to love. Which Commandment says “Thou shall not be gay”? “Thou shall not build a loving family with someone of the same sex.” Where in The Golden Rule does it say, “Attacking LGBTQ+ people is justified”? “It’s okay to bring harm those who do not love as you do.”

Yes, there are specifics not covered in either The Ten Commandments or The Golden Rule, but the broad message is one of love, tolerance, and do no harm (except for rarely necessary killing). I read nothing that justifies hatred, oppression, or exclusion.

And if you are going to ignore the parts of Leviticus you don’t like (e.g. tattoos, pork, mixed fabrics, etc.), don’t go dragging out the part about men lying with men. You cannot have it both ways.

Choosing Love

Back to Rand Paul and his rhetoric. Despite his claiming to be a Christian, what he is saying is very Un-Christian. It is contrary to the core tenants of the messages he and his caucus are telling America it needs to believe and follow — the messages they are requiring schools and courthouses to display. Senator Paul is choosing hate over love and is doing things unto others that he will not allow to be done unto him. He is bearing false witness against his gay neighbors and trying to steal their dignity. His degrading words are murdering the spirit of an oppressed people and in some cases are responsible for inciting the murder of their bodies.

I am continually reminded that love is not just a feeling, but a choice. It’s a choice we make every day when we decide to prioritize kindness over cruelty, compassion over hatred, inclusion over isolation, and acceptance over rejection. Like my choice to love Senator Paul and Brian Kilmeade despite their misguided beliefs. There is still time for them to turn away from power and money and towards human kindness. Along with love, I will forever welcome hope.

Senator Paul may think he knows what love looks like, but I believe that true love is about embracing the diversity of human experience, rather than seeking to control or condemn it. That is what I feel commanded to do and I willingly accept the charge and all the responsibilities that come with it. Are you with me?

Thank you for reading.

It’s easy to be misled
forget who you are and who you were called to be
it’s easy to give up and give in
to bleed when cut
to lash out in anger
it’s easy to break down in tears

Choose the brightest lamp to light your way
red cotton sheets to warm your bed
choose the path that always takes you higher

Choose love
and let love be your compass