The Costume of Christianity
Mrs. Kayla Moore in defending her husband Judge Roy Moore in his bid to take a seat in the United States senate said:
“He has always been an officer and a gentleman…He is a loving father and grandfather and most important he is a Christian.”
Labels are like costumes. They do not allow for an in depth view of a person. It is important to be able to identify roles to which one has been assigned or which one has assumed, They tell one very little about the level of integrity one brings to those roles.
The same is true for a religious label such as Christian. Christianity has been used to ground one’s defense of slavery, racism, sexism, and other behavior, which posited that some of God’s human creation are worthwhile while others are not. It is also the same tradition, which has molded courageous social justice leaders.
Likewise, the phrase “an officer and a gentleman” tell one nothing. Roy Moore received an appointment to and a bachelor’s degree from the U. S. Military Academy. I assume the incoming class of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point was given the same “talk” that the incoming classes of the other Naval, Coast Guard and Air Force Academy were given. I recall being told the first day I arrived at the Naval Academy as a Midshipman: “You are now somebody. You are officers and Gentlemen.” The intent was to instill a pride based on being better than the enlisted men and women or perhaps all those who did not attend one of the service Academies. This designation has not prevented behavior borne out of a staunch belief in sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination and prejudice. Although the Academies eventually accepted women, this action did not create a belief that the worth of females was equal to that of males. Females have had to continue to fight to be granted equal status and treatment. The level of sexual mistreatment and abuse of women (and some men) continues to be very high in all branches of the United States Military.
Roy Moore served as a military police officer and as a commander of the 188th Military Police Company of the 504th Military Police Battalion. It is alleged “he insisted that his troops salute him on the battlefield, despite training to the contrary, since such recognition might facilitate being targeted by the enemy.” (Wikipedia)
After the military Mr. Moore went on to be awarded a Juris doctor degree.
Throughout his professional life he continued to look outside of himself for proof of his importance. He has used the God of his understanding and his Christian beliefs to justify his anti-Muslim, anti-homosexual and other “far right views”. As seems true for many he continue to use his religious beliefs to justify treating others as less then so he could feel worthwhile/better than.
I accept that Mr. Moore is human and could easily fail to fully accept that all people are created as equally deserving of unconditional love and respect. To have reached his stage of life without being able to trust that fact and to continue to use the God of his understanding to justify mistreatment of others while denying that very same mistreatment is very sad and leaves him unfit to serve as a leader.
Telling me he is “an officer and a gentleman” and a Christian does not tell me who he is, but only the costumes he wears. Sadly we are all more and all less than our costumes.
Written November 19, 2017
Mrs. Kayla Moore in defending her husband Judge Roy Moore in his bid to take a seat in the United States senate said:
“He has always been an officer and a gentleman…He is a loving father and grandfather and most important he is a Christian.”
Labels are like costumes. They do not allow for an in depth view of a person. It is important to be able to identify roles to which one has been assigned or which one has assumed, They tell one very little about the level of integrity one brings to those roles.
The same is true for a religious label such as Christian. Christianity has been used to ground one’s defense of slavery, racism, sexism, and other behavior, which posited that some of God’s human creation are worthwhile while others are not. It is also the same tradition, which has molded courageous social justice leaders.
Likewise, the phrase “an officer and a gentleman” tell one nothing. Roy Moore received an appointment to and a bachelor’s degree from the U. S. Military Academy. I assume the incoming class of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point was given the same “talk” that the incoming classes of the other Naval, Coast Guard and Air Force Academy were given. I recall being told the first day I arrived at the Naval Academy as a Midshipman: “You are now somebody. You are officers and Gentlemen.” The intent was to instill a pride based on being better than the enlisted men and women or perhaps all those who did not attend one of the service Academies. This designation has not prevented behavior borne out of a staunch belief in sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination and prejudice. Although the Academies eventually accepted women, this action did not create a belief that the worth of females was equal to that of males. Females have had to continue to fight to be granted equal status and treatment. The level of sexual mistreatment and abuse of women (and some men) continues to be very high in all branches of the United States Military.
Roy Moore served as a military police officer and as a commander of the 188th Military Police Company of the 504th Military Police Battalion. It is alleged “he insisted that his troops salute him on the battlefield, despite training to the contrary, since such recognition might facilitate being targeted by the enemy.” (Wikipedia)
After the military Mr. Moore went on to be awarded a Juris doctor degree.
Throughout his professional life he continued to look outside of himself for proof of his importance. He has used the God of his understanding and his Christian beliefs to justify his anti-Muslim, anti-homosexual and other “far right views”. As seems true for many he continue to use his religious beliefs to justify treating others as less then so he could feel worthwhile/better than.
I accept that Mr. Moore is human and could easily fail to fully accept that all people are created as equally deserving of unconditional love and respect. To have reached his stage of life without being able to trust that fact and to continue to use the God of his understanding to justify mistreatment of others while denying that very same mistreatment is very sad and leaves him unfit to serve as a leader.
Telling me he is “an officer and a gentleman” and a Christian does not tell me who he is, but only the costumes he wears. Sadly we are all more and all less than our costumes.
Written November 19, 2017
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