AND PLEASE, LORD, ABOLISH THE DEATH TAX

One of the more hilarious aspects of the politicization of religion exhibited by some elements of the Christian Right is what evangelicals are supposed to pray for these days. A classic of the genre is the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Friday Capitol Hill Prayer. Last Friday’s called upon the Almighty to, among other things, support “the passage of a law permitting charitable tax deductions for those who do not itemize their deductions ? and the passage of a significant tax cut that will inject life into the economy and appropriately return the American people’s money.” I’m not sure whether Jesus is a supply-sider (I haven’t checked the New Testment for the Laffer Curve, but I’m sure it’s in there somewhere). But the Christian Right seems sure that the Holy Spirit is opposed to campaign finance reform, worried about faith-based government money going to Muslims, and definitely in favor of cutting the top rate to 33 percent. A lot of people criticize the Christian Right for what they have done to politics. It’s nothing compared to the damage they have done to religion.