The Neo-Con Creed: Any God Would Do, Even Satan

“I swear by God this sacred oath. . . .”

“I swear . . . so help me God.”

Boy, didn’t the Democrats give the Republican neocon propaganda machine a shovel-ready propaganda point by omitting God from their party platform.

I read about 40-plus angry articles by neocon authors on the issue. (And I know I don’t even read a tenth of all the articles out there.) They were all tripping over each other to point to the Democrat platform as a proof of how godless the Democrats were, and therefore how bad they were. And of course, telling us how righteous the Republican Party is for letting God have His little place on their platform.

God, thank you for making us much better than the Democrats. We mention Your name every once in a while, see?

“I swear by God this sacred oath. . . .”

“I swear . . . so help me God.”

Actually, by that move, the Democrats gained some respect – very minimal, but real – in my eyes. We all knew they were godless and cared as much for God as they cared for the weather on Pluto’s surface. We all knew that whatever “god” the Democrats believed in was not the God of the Bible, and not even the vague deist god-creator of Thomas Jefferson. Even deism is long dead among Democrats. The party is atheist for all practical purposes, and the use of the name of God was just pragmatic, to attract those voters who have some nostalgic feelings about Christmas time in their childhood, or take their church attendance a little too seriously.

So kicking God out was an exercise in honesty, rarely seen among politicians today. “We don’t believe in God anyway; why keep Him there?”

“I swear by God this sacred oath. . . .”

“I swear . . . so help me God.”

I wish there was such honesty among neocons. I am waiting for the day when the Republican Convention will show the same integrity and drop God out of their platform. They use His name now, but what god do they believe in? Is it the God of the Founding Fathers? Is it the God of John Witherspoon?

Judging from the presidential candidate the neocons nominated – Romney the Mormon – the “god” the Republicans proclaimed from the platform is in fact several gods, and they are nothing more than “glorified bodies,” or, put it another way, deified men. Just like in the Greek mythology where a hero could be deified and become a god. (In fact, the original meaning of “hero” was a deified ancestor.)

Speaking of Jesus, Who is god, according to Mormonism, simply because he is a deified man, we shouldn’t forget that he is not the “Only Begotten Son,” no, not at all. He has a brother, Lucifer, who is also Satan. So, if we talk about the “god” in the Republican platform, this includes Satan, for he is every bit a god, according to the Republican presidential nominee.

Just include “god” in the platform, even if it’s Satan. That’s the Republican idea of “godliness.”

Ah, Paul Ryan is different, right? He is Roman Catholic. I mean, the same guy who claims to be a fiscal conservative but voted for every single spending increase, and every single bailout and budget increase and fiscal deficit increase that crossed his desk.

Sure. We can safely bet Ryan is just as honest about his faith in God as he is about his faith in limited government and fiscal responsibility.

“I swear by God this sacred oath. . . .”

“I swear . . . so help me God.”

The neocon’s use of God’s name is not godliness. It is Pharisaism. It is a violation of the Third Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

The neocon logic has it this way: Faith in God matters, but which god it is, doesn’t matter. Even Satan would do.

God’s logic is this: Unless it is faith in God the Creator, better not use His name. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev. 3:15-16). The GOP is about to be spit out of God’s mouth for its lukewarmness to Him; and for its violation of His Third Commandment, for, as the Commandment continues, “for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”

“I swear by God this sacred oath. . . .”

“I swear . . . so help me God.”

Oh, and what’s the deal with these solemn oaths in the name of God?

Here’s the full text:

I swear by God this sacred oath that to the Leader of the German empire and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, I shall render unconditional obedience and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath.

I swear: I will be faithful and obedient to the leader of the German empire and people, Adolf Hitler, to observe the law, and to conscientiously fulfill my official duties, so help me God!

Nazi Germany, 1934. See, Hitler didn’t omit God from his official documents. He wasn’t like those godless Democrats. And Goebbels liked to talk in his speeches about the “godless Communism” in Soviet Russia. He wasn’t like the godless Democrats either. God was present in every official document in Nazi Germany.

And we know what god it was.

And we know what happened to those who used God’s name in vain, in 1945.