The New CCC
AJ Robinson

Back, when I was in Middle School, I learned about the original CCC: the Civil Conservation Corp; how President Roosevelt started it, as part of his New Deal. My dad wasn’t a fan of FDR, but he did see the value in giving young men a simple basic job that put a little money into the economy.

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This story is not about that.

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No, this is about the new one, as I call them, Conservative Corporate Christians. Years ago, I remember first hearing about Conservative Christians, and I was confused by the term. My dad even told me: “They’re not real Christians.” That confused, until I remembered a passage in the Bible that warned about wolves in sheep’s clothing. I had to look it up, but I found it. Matthew 7:15.

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

My dad explained that Jesus was a liberal. Back then, being a little boy, the terms liberal and conservative meant nothing to me. My dad was good at explaining the issues to me.

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The last one confused me.

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He put it this way: Jesus believed in helping the downtrodden, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for children, helping the sick and invalids, even paying your taxes. That last one really confused me!

Again, my dad made things clear. Jesus has said that we should render unto Caesar that which was Caesar’s, namely, the money. My dad didn’t have a problem with taxes. He always taught me that taxes were the price we paid for civilization. Now, he did have a problem with high taxes, and rich folk who used loopholes to get out of paying their share!

Back, when I was a kid, my dad often spoke of how un-Christian these people were. They were against all that Jesus championed. He had no patience for them. These new ones, oh, he would truly go thermal over them. I recently realized that they were a step above the old CC as they had a very different element to their agenda.

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Support of the corporations.

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Time and time again, I’ve heard these so-called Christians call for all manner of cuts to social programs that Jesus would have applauded: Food Stamps, Social Security, healthcare programs like Medicaid, education, and so on. Yet, at the same time, they also call for massive tax cuts for the rich, huge subsidies for large corporations, and the elimination of anything that would stand in the way of businesses doing anything they want.

Jesus would really be okay with polluting the environment. Jesus did not say let the children suffer. If I recall correctly, the King James Version has the line:

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

The fact that all these Conservative Corporate Christians politicians are heavily supported by corporations tells me who they truly support, which “Bible” they really read, and which “God” they actually worship. Based on the “fruit” these people bear, the one thing they most definitely are NOT is Christian. However, my greatest concern about these people is not that they are “false prophets,” as they are, it is that people allow them to get away with calling themselves Christians. They are many things, but followers of Jesus Christ, which they most definitely are not!