Was Jesus a Jealous Hater? Herman Cain Thinks So.

Republican presidential candidate and cheerleader for corporate corruption (but I repeat myself) Herman Cain thinks that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are just "jealous" and "envious" of those hard working banksters and stockbrokers who helped engineer the financial collapse of 2008 and the current, on-going recession -- the worst one since the Great Depression (also caused by Wall Street).  To wit, he is quoted as saying, of the protesters, "I'm not sure I know why they're there. If they're there because they are jealous of Wall Street and bankers and people who have succeeded, then they're there for the wrong reasons. This country is based on people who achieve their dreams and work."  Of course, if Cain is not sure why the protesters are there, he could ask them or do five minutes of research.  Instead, he chooses to answer his own question instantly and speculate that they must just be "jealous" haters who don't want to "work" or "achieve their dreams".

There was a person that most Republicans claim to admire named Jesus (No, not that dude from Mexico) who also preached against excessive monetary greed and materialism.  He spoke hundreds of times, in the Gospels, about helping the poor and/or of the spiritual dangers of excess materialism and the greed that often comes with it.   Of the Seven Deadly Sins, GREED (or avaritia) is often listed as the second one.  Yes, it's called a sin, not a virtue, contrary to the mantra of false prophet Ronald Reagan who thought "Greed is Good".  The ridiculous revisionism of the Prosperity Gospels to one side, Jesus did not speak very approvingly of the Rich.  I know that Cain and Romney would label it "class warfare" today, but Jesus was quoted by Matthew as saying, " I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mt 19:24).  He said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."  (Mt 6:19-20).  He said, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Lk 18:22).

Jesus didn't say that he's not sure why the poor are here but that they are probably just "jealous" and "lazy".  I know that Herman Cain claims to be a Christian, so the idea that he cannot understand why other people would be critical of the excesses of the wealthy is hard to reconcile.  I know you're probably not sure why Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple, Herman.  However, I am pretty sure that it wasn't because Jesus was JEALOUS of their success or wanted to penalize them for "working hard" or that he wanted to redistribute their profits to the poor.

To take a page out of his playbook, I'm not sure why Cain dislikes these protesters and favors the plutocrats of Wallstreet.  If it's because he hates Jesus and is in league with Satan, having sold his soul to serve Mammon and corporate greed, betraying the interests of the people, then that sounds pretty anti-American and anti-Christian to me.