Jesuscrat. Dumb.

Recently I read about a situation that has really gotten under my skin. The situation deals with something that happened in Caldwell, Idaho about three weeks ago. There was a small Christian conference called “Shake the Nation” that was held in a Baptist church. The speaker for the conference was a controversial preacher who spoke out for school prayer, the Ten Commandments in public places, and other high profile Christian political issues. This man and this conference instigated some contention in the area and were met with protests.

This man said something that is reminiscent of an out-of-touch, arrogant preacher during his time there. A reporter asked him “Are you a Republican or a Democrat?”. He responded with a smile, “I am a Jesuscrat!”. This is an example of an old, unwise strategy that does exactly the opposite of what it intends. Here are a couple of reasons why the last thing Christianity needs is “Jesuscrats”.

1) What’s the point?? It’s not funny. I don’t know if this guy meant it as a joke or a clever play on words, but it is not funny. So he couldn’t have meant it as a joke. Plus, who would the joke even have been directed to? Maybe – on an off chance – some terribly narrow Christians would think this is a funny play on words. But I don’t think so. So what is the point of saying this? Is this a very small attempt at humor for about 100 people that consequently ticks off about 30,000 people?
2) It doesn’t make sense. There is no such thing as a Jesuscrat. There are democrats. There are republicans. There is no such thing as a Jesuscrat. Again, I don’t know why he would say this. There is no such thing. It is simply incorrect. And still not funny or clever.
3) It’s disrespectful. This is such a disrespectful comment. It disrespects the American political process. It disrespects the true Christians who are Democrats and the true Christians who are republicans. It disrespects the entire political everything. Since you can’t really be a Jesuscrat, that would mean that you can’t vote. It’s not a political party. It’s not a viable option. It is just a big disrespect for everything dealing with the running of the American society.
4) It’s arrogant. He makes it seem like Jesus would not be either one or the other. He makes it seem like he knows more about what Jesus would want than anyone else. He makes it seem like Jesus is the only thing that should matter in any and all political dealings. It is a comment that does not bring anyone together. It is a comment that is entirely negative without any positive on the other side. It is an arrogant message that just screams out, “I am a going to totally disrespect everything you are all about to try to make a joke that only my friends will laugh at and portray that only I am living a true Christian life!!!!!”. Dumb.


The last thing Christianity needs is an arrogant, out-of-touch and incorrect representative like this man. And the last thing Christianity needs is a “Jesuscrat”.