In the excellent Empires Prefer a Baby and the Cross to the Adult Jesus, Rev Dr Giles Fraser says:
The adult Jesus described his mission as being to "preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and to set at liberty those who are oppressed". He insisted that the social outcast be loved and cared for, and that the rich have less chance of getting into heaven than a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle. Jesus set out to destroy the imprisoning obligations of debt, speaking instead of forgiveness and the redistribution of wealth. He was accused of blasphemy for attacking the religious authorities as self-serving and hypocritical.
All the Republican party wants people to hear from Jesus are infantile gurglings and tortured screams. All the Democratic party needs to do to win back a Christian America from the "Christian" right is to help the actual teachings of Jesus Christ to be heard.
