The Pharisees Do Direct Mail in W.Va.

Small item in this morning's New York Times:

"Campaign mail with a return address of the Republican National Committee warns West Virginia voters that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November. The literature shows a Bible with the word 'banned' across it and a photo of a man, on his knees, placing a ring on the hand of another man with the word 'allowed.' The mailing tells West Virginians to 'vote Republican to protect our families' and defeat the 'liberal agenda.' The Republican National Committee's chairman, Ed Gillespie, said that he was not aware of the mailing, but that it could be the work of his organization. 'It wouldn't surprise me if we were mailing voters on the issue of same-sex marriage,' Mr. Gillespie said...."

Such defaming of others makes me reach for my Bible, and I feel the Spirit moving me to this passage from Luke 18:

He [Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."