OPINION: Stop hiding behind religion

Many people seem to think that all religious folk are very pro-Pope. That’s definitely not true. The religious school I went to growing up actually taught that the Pope, or the office of the papacy, was the Antichrist, something I’m sure the religious right would love to cling to now. I am still religious and regularly attend church, but I most certainly don’t believe the Pope is the Antichrist.

For the last few decades, politicians have been attempting to use Christianity as the scapegoat for their decisions. These “religious” people will hide behind their image of God in order to make changes that improve life only for themselves.

Once upon a time, there was a general agreement to keep religion out of politics. People like to ask when politics become so divided. I’d say a good date to point to is in 1979 when The Moral Majority was founded by Jerry Falwell. Though the movement was technically dissolved in 1989, the rhetoric of this group has continued to divide our nation.

Goals of this political group included promotion of traditional family values, opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, opposition to state recognition or acceptance of homosexual acts, prohibition of abortion (including in cases involving incest or rape) and support for Christian prayers in schools.

What’s wrong with traditional family values? Nothing, as long as you’re not shaming others who don’t subscribe to the same values as you. Unfortunately, that’s something people in these organizations don’t often do.

But how does this connect to our dear Antichrist? While The Moral Majority was an evangelical Christian movement, many modern-day Christians (my childhood sect aside) generally put the Pope in high moral standing. The Pope’s whole point in life is to preach the word of God, so while only about 20% of Republicans are Catholic, the Pope’s views have generally been in good standing for the right.

The right has also, in the past, rallied around U.S. President Donald Trump. However, these beliefs and loyalties are being shattered as Pope Leo and Trump disagree on the war in Iran.

On Easter, Pope Leo encouraged peace. “Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his immense love for us! Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!”

Though he never actually mentioned any war by name, the U.S. government got the message. Supposedly, members of the U.S. government threatened the Pope, though many sources refute this claim.

Then on Saturday during a prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo continued his anti-war sentiment. “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”

This follows allegations that various U.S. military commanders are calling the war with Iran a fulfillment of biblical prophecies and part of God’s plan.

The following day, Trump responded on social media criticizing the Pope. “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” he wrote. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

The arguments continued, with Pope Leo telling reporters Monday that he stands behind his message.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” the Pope said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today. I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’”

The Pope is now making it difficult for the religious right to hide behind God and the Bible in their acts of terror. Maybe they’ll start encouraging the Antichrist sentiment of my youth.

If you have an opinion or a political belief, say it with your full chest. The leader of the Catholic church is telling you to stop hiding behind religion. I think the Antichrist has a pretty good point.