Nothing makes me more nauseous than candidates wrapped in a flag, clutching and thumping Bibles, while pontificating on “Christian Values.” Yeah, I’m talking about the current front-running Republican candidates, who fixated on inflicting their religious doctrine on every citizen in the country. Values can have any number of prefixes which are meaningless. Values are just that – values. Now, if you want valueless, just become a daily Daily Discord reader.

Whatever anyone believes are his/her values. And guess what! An individual value can occur in more than one value system. One Christian denomination holding a discrete belief does not make it a global “Christian Value.” No religious denomination has a copyright on any individual value or the right to declare their individual value a part of the global Christian value system. How pompous/pontifical can they get?

When we get into the Christian religious arena (no, I’m not thinking of the Roman Coliseum), the closest thing we have to an all-encompassing Christian value system, are the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule. All else is theology.  The province of God is faith, hope, charity, love; theology is the province of Satan. The attempt of man to manipulate Christianity to individual or small group beliefs, has divided Christians into vitriolic segments, as is most assuredly depicted in the current political fracas. Note that theology has historically been perpetrated by men, as is clear from certain theological, as opposed to logical, values, or lack thereof. Thanks to the Romans, the prominent place women held in the early Church was given to men.

The talk about “Christian Values” is redundant. I have observed that Christians do not necessarily live by “Christian Values,” and that one may have what Bible-thumping Christians term a Christian value system and not be a Christian. Indeed, one may be a follower of any other religion or no religion at all and observe what could also be termed a Christian value system. Ethics, honesty, fairness are not owned by anyone, only practiced by those who practice them. Simple, isn’t it? No label needed.

I have a wildly radical proposal… No, not the one where I suggest the Discord contributors lay off the hooch and take some grammar classes, though I still think that’s a good idea. This proposal: Let’s just drop the labels and try to observe an ethical and civilized value system in campaigning. Makes the race virtually impossible, doesn’t it? OK, if you can’t comply with “Christian Values,” just go to church. I don’t care what anyone’s religion is, just focus on the issues.

My die-hard Republican parents who religiously sent me to church and Sunday school while they stayed home, provided me with a thorough education in hypocrisy. You might say it was, and still is, my favorite subject. I love the inherent comedy and sarcasm, but abhor the subject in political practice.

Let’s just take the relevant Commandments one at a time:

1. You shall have no other gods before God.

That means neither wealth, nor power, nor arrogance, nor political ambition should come before Christian doctrine – remember, I’m just considering the Commandments and the Golden Rule. Looks to me like three-quarters of the current viable candidates lose here. I’m semi-confident you can figure out who you are.

2. You should not make images of anything on earth, or in heaven above or water below and bow down to it.

Shall we discuss campaign photographs, campaign posters, and appearances widely disseminated on television and in the media, all touting your supposed magnificence? It’s enough to gag a maggot. I wonder what the Almighty thinks of that. Don’t bother guessing – another broken commandment, and we’re only on number 2. In fact, we’re stepping in number 2, right now.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

How many times have you appeared on television or make campaign appearances on Sundays? I can’t count that high either. Thankfully, on the Sabbath I avoid all cable news programs and knock off liquor stores.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

I am not suggesting that all the candidates violated this commandment; only one has well-documented violations of adultery – I think.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

Remember, everyone is your neighbor, according to the Ten-Commandments Christian value system. The front-running Republicans have demonstrated that they can’t campaign, even within their own party, without violating that Commandment. In my many, many years of observing the circus that is politics, I don’t believe I have ever, except for the last election, heard so many false witnesses against an opposing candidate than I have heard from the Republican hoard against President Obama, or such lack of respect for our nation’s President. Oh, and by the way, I have a copy of his birth certificate. From my viewpoint, campaigning on issues seems to belong to an alien religion, as far as front-running Republicans are concerned.

You may note that I have ignored Commandments 3, 5, 6, 8, and 10. That is not a commendation. I just lack sufficient evidence to document Republican lapses of those commandments, and I would not want to bear false witness. Of course, a 50% violation of the Ten Commandments is not a record about which front-running, Bible-thumping Republicans should be proud. In fact, if you were to compare their ethical nature, point for point, against the staff here at The Daily Discord… Okay, bad example.

Then, in addition to those pesky Commandments, is the Golden Rule, variously stated as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or, in the vernacular, Treat others as you want to be treated. It’s not any easier for one of the front-running Republicans to follow than the Commandments, maybe even harder.

Focusing on the issues of the campaign doesn’t work for most of this election’s Republican candidates for the following reasons:

1. Republican candidates simply don’t comprehend the issues. It is just about impossible for them to comprehend the facts of the issues from the viewpoint of anyone but a wealthy man with a strong sense of arrogance and entitlement.
2. Republican candidates don’t agree with rational solutions to issues that address the problems of those citizens who are being affected by the Republican-generated financial debacle, but do not preserve the enormous entitlements the wealthy Republican candidates enjoy, and have historically enjoyed at the sacrifice of the citizenry. In short, they are not kind, they do not share, and they certainly do not practice in accordance with the Golden Rule.
3. Republican candidates lack viable plans to deal with national issues because they don’t want to surrender their positions, taxpayer financed perks, and personal wealth for the benefit of the country and its citizens. They are selfish and inconsiderate.
4. Focusing on the issues of the nation and its economy would require rational thought. According to an excellent psychologist with whom I once worked, 70% of the population is not capable of rational thought. For proof of this, read some other Discord articles. I’m kidding! You really shouldn’t do that. I would excuse only one of the Republican candidates from that group. Guess who that would be. I’ll give you a hint: not a very front runner.
5. Focusing on the issues of the campaign would make the front-running Republican candidates look bad in a debate with President Obama. He is a man  who can express his opinion clearly, concisely, and powerfully. He conveys genuine concern for the citizens of the United States. He looks and acts, well, Presidential.

Let’s face it, none of the Republican candidates should be let out of the pen on the World Stage. They reflect very badly on Americans and the United States. They are the personification of arrogance. They do not project an ability to negotiate, as much as they project a desire to dominate. I know it’s hard to accept, but we are citizens of the world, as much as we are citizens of the United States. The time is long past when we can bully our way through international relations. One false move, and the world could have the second Big Bang and have to start all over again – or disintegrate. Do you really think we can take out Iran before they can detonate their bomb? Well, do you?

I’m an old woman. Global Thermal Nuclear War – for real, not a movie – would not shorten my life by much. I cry for what it could do to those who have more time to live.