Joe the Plumber is, as I’m sure you know by now, not a plumber. But he is a Christian. The God-O-Meter enlightens us on how Joe’s faith relates to his perspective of, say, the war in Iraq:
“Everything that Americans take for granted, I mean these guys haven’t had it—now they’ve got it. That’s an incredible thing. I don’t know if you guys are Christians or not, but that’s like someone coming to Jesus and being saved. These guys have freedom.”
No question Iraqis have a different life now than they did before Saddam was deposed. But let’s be clear about two things: I’m not sure any Iraqis, even those who have had the chance to vote and only now feel safe being in public for the first time in five years, are enjoying “everything that Americans take for granted”; and, more to the point, even if they were enjoying every possible freedom a human begin could, Christianity teaches us that such a life still would pale in comparison to the fullness of life in Christ.
Sorry, Joe. Whether we agree or disagree about the value of fighting in Iraq—though, I think we disagree—it can’t be compared to “someone coming to Jesus and being saved.” I love America, but her values, after all, are not my god.
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