There are two schools of thought on how the United States Constitution should be read. On one hand, you have those who interpret the Constitution quite literally. These people – usually conservative in ideology – argue we should view this document as our Founding Fathers intended: word-by-word, literal and with little room for interpretation. On the other side, there are those who view the Constitution as a living document, flexible enough to change as society progresses. Usually liberal in ideology, these people point to changes that reflect an evolution in views: the 19th Amendment which guarantees women the right to vote, for example (seems utterly ridiculous this needs to be enumerated on paper, doesn’t it?). Those who interpret the Constitution as written are usually called “strict Constitutionalists.” And those who use common sense and logic to interpret what was masterfully written over 200 years ago are labeled “activist” by conservatives.
In my many conversations with those far right Christian conservatives who see no room for interpretation of the Constitution (guns for everyone, at any time, in any situation, with zero restrictions), I find it ironic that their views on the writings of the Bible are quite different. On one hand, we have a document that was drafted on September 17, 1787, by men who were well aware of how the hard hand of government could negatively affect personal freedoms. They were smart, educated, worldly and diverse. They were scholars, farmers and pioneers. To argue they lacked foresight as to how this great nation would grow and evolve is insulting.
Then we have a fantastic book of stories that has been interpreted and reinterpreted for centuries by men who claim to have the email address of Jesus Christ. The Bible retells the teachings of a great prophet who talks of love, forgiveness, selflessness and compassion. Jesus walks with the poor. He extends a hand and heals the leper. He goes postal on those who embrace greed and materialism. In short, Jesus Christ was the ultimate liberal.
However, there’s a deliciously dark side to the Bible that any Sith Lord would completely embrace. First, there’s human sacrifice:
Take your son, your only son – yes, Isaac, whom you love so much – and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you. (Genesis 22:1-18)
Abraham takes his own son up on a mountain and builds an altar upon which to burn him. He lies to him and has him help build the altar. Then Abraham ties his son to the altar and puts a knife to his throat. He then hears God tell him this was just a test of his faith. Even though Abraham didn’t kill his son, it seems to be a cruel and unusual punishment that would warrant an extended jail sentence. A Christian act?
Then the Bible talks about murder, rape and pillage:
As you approach a town to attack it, first offer its people terms for peace. If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor. But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. When the LORD your God hands it over to you, kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the spoils of your enemies that the LORD your God has given you. (Deuteronomy 20:10-14).
And the last example is of slavery:
However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46).
What kind of God approves of murder, rape, and slavery?
So what does this all mean and how does it relate to conservatives and the Constitution? In just about every conversation I’ve had with a Christian conservative, they forcefully assert the Constitution is a document written in stone, with no room for interpretation; what happened over 200 years ago applies today. Yet when I innocently point out some of the aforementioned passages in the book they embrace tighter than a Texas teen embraces a Jonas Brothers CD, they tell me I’m reading it incorrectly. “Eric,” they say, “the Old Testament is for the Jews and the New Testament is for the rest of us. Well, except for the Seven Laws of Noah in the Old Testament which apply to everyone.” More twists than “Lost.”
So we have a document that was written relatively recently - one in which we can look at various supporting documents for justification and interpretation that has no room for interpretation or growth. And we have a collection of stories that has been rewritten for centuries and is very explicit in its teachings that is subject for interpretation? One is derived from common sense; the other supposedly from divine intervention.
Now that you’ve indulged me, you’re probably waiting for the point. So here it is: religious conservatives have a double standard. They view the United States Constitution as a end-all be-all set of rules for how this nation should operate. Yet, the Word of God, as they believe, is somehow open for interpretation. Complete freedom from government, good. Gay marriage, bad. Death penalty and torture good. Abortion bad.
Humans evolve. Opinions change and society progresses. If in fact there was a superior power who created us in His superior image, one has to believe it would be cruel to think that image doesn’t have the capacity to grow, flourish and change. Karl Friedrich Benz created the first automobile powered by an internal combustion engine 124 years ago. Today we’re reading Tweets from humans orbiting the earth. We have great potential to evolve and grow and the only thing that prevents us from moving forward is fear.
