True faith versus the politics of faith

Frustrated that the Christian right tries to speak for all Christians despite representing a small minority of people of faith, I believe that after Rick Santorum's recent comments about President Obama's “phony theology,” someone needs to clarify how limited his understanding of God and faith is.

I'm not religious, but a person of faith. Faith shouldn't be a tool for divisiveness. It is a facilitator to develop a loving community. During Lent, we should listen to Christ's teachings and pay attention to His way. Doing so, we can see how small the Christian right's concept of Christ is.

Christ was not exclusionary - he reached out to the lepers, the tax collectors, the poor, and the disadvantaged. Everyone was and is a child of God. What is it that Santorum and the Sanhedrin of our time are thinking when they judge and limit who is and isn't acceptable to God? They are not consistent with the faith they profess to be following.

While the Christian right judges us, millions of people of faith reach out in Christ's name. God will forgive Santorum's shallow misrepresentation of faith. Faith is much more than a political faction or exclusionary fundamentalism. It is about forgiveness, God's love, Christ's grace, and being called to community by the Holy Spirit.

Don Taylor

Cedar Rapids