Relatedly, I would rather be ruled by a good atheist than a bad Christian. But, of course, best of all would be to be ruled by a smart, competent, and good Catholic disciple of Jesus who wisely draws on the riches of the Tradition to serve, not to be served and not to impose the heresy of Christian Nationalism on a population of slaves.
Speaking of which, here is atheist Hemant Mehta, defending smart, competent, and good disciples of Jesus running for office:
Consistently in the US, you find no unbelievers telling Christians not to believe in God or lifting a finger to stop us in our worship of Jesus. Instead, in overwhelming percentages, you find atheists begging us to obey Christ, to show them Christ, to be like Christ. And when Christians do that their #1 opponents, enemies, and persecutors are the Greatest Christians of All Time, who claim a copyright on Being Real Christians[TM], who dominate social media (but not the actual Magisterium, which they also denounce), and who have nothing but their shrill, ignorant, Pope-hating voices to substitute for any form of ecclesial authority. Indeed, one of their “proofs” that obedient disciples of Jesus are “impure” is that they dine with and attract sinners like Hemant Mehta and Jeffrey Luscombe.
The gospels see this as a win. MAGA Catholics see this as an indictment of the Pope. This line of attack is used continually against the Holy Father by the Guardians of Fortress Katolicus. If it sounds like the twin of the claim of the MAGA cult to define who is and is not a “Real American” based on nothing but their own racism, ignorance, ideological bugbears, and misogyny, that’s because it is. And it is also the complaint of the Pharisees against Our Lord.
Of course, a lot of this goes on in the Wild West free-for-all of American Evangelicalism where any sort of ecclesial authority or Magisterium does not exist. But in Catholic circles it is a sure sign of the toxicity of “faithful conservative prolife Catholic” mini-popes that they so consistently side against the Pope, the Magisterium, and the least of these to offer their toilet paper bulls of excommunication against fellow Catholics who, acting in perfectly good conscience and in compliance with the Magisterium, make different prudential judgments than themselves to implement the Church’s teaching. So swollen with persecuting pride are they that they cannot even admit it when Democrats lower the abortion rate and they raise it. And to defend that pride, they have championed mass murder, corruption, child rape, umjust war, torture, fraud, treason, deportation, war on democracy, economic ruin, and concentration camps for innocent children.
“What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Mt 21:28–31)
An atheist fighting to get Christians to obey Christ is a better disciple of Jesus than a Christian fighting to punish disciples for obeying Christ.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
“Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ (Mt 7:15–23)
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