Whenever I hear someone refer to George W. Bush as the Christian candidate, I think of the parable Jesus told about the pious Pharisee and the despised tax collector who went up to the Temple to pray.

The Pharisee prayed, I thank God I am not like other men, and went on to list all the ways in which he was more righteous than other people. The tax collector said simply, God, be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus made it very clear that it was the second attitude that met with Godžs approval.

Bush and his supporters on the Christian right do not seem to have read this part of the Bible. The president never misses a chance to tell us how godly he is. About how much he prays and what a moral man he is, and how he is Godžs righteous instrument. If Ižm exaggerating, then why do so many people proudly endorse him exactly because they believe this is what he is saying?

There is a reason why Jesus told that story. Christians believe that the transforming love of Jesus is the most powerful force on earth. But like all power, it is subject to abuse in the hands of sinful humans. The temptation to use that power to advance ourselves and our personal agendas is difficult to resist, especially for those seeking power and status. Over the centuries, people have used the name of God for their own ends in just about every way imaginable.

When politicians, in defiance of Jesusž warning, identify themselves as the candidate of God, itžs fair to ask whose agenda they are following: Godžs or their own. One canžt help but notice that many of the Christian rightžs core issues are issues that Jesus never addressed specifically (homosexual rights), never addressed at all (whether life begins at conception) or could not conceivably have advocated (the right to bear semiautomatic weapons).

On the other hand, many of the policies for which Jesus spoke passionately, such as income redistribution (Luke 18:22), rejection of the death penalty (John 8:7), and nonviolent resolution of disputes (Matt 26:52), are vigorously opposed by the Christian right.

Now you can legitimately argue the merits of the Christian rightžs position on any of those issues in the political arena. But when a group claiming the mantle of the Christian party champions issues that Jesus did not champion and opposes issues Jesus did champion, itžs fair to question whether they are trying to manipulate the sincere faith of believers to use God to advance their own agendas.

On the other hand, John Kerry, in accepting his partyžs nomination for the presidency said, I donžt want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on Godžs side.

When I listen to the acceptance speeches of Bush and Kerry, I am amazed at the vividness with which the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector comes alive. Remember which of those postures was pleasing to God?

Am I saying, then, that Kerry is really the Christian candidate? No. Ižll leave the boasting about who is the Christian candidate to the zealots and Pharisees of the Christian right, and leave them to the consequences of defying Jesus warning against doing that.

But it is clear that John Kerry understands what Jesus was teaching in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. He has exhibited a mature faith in following Jesusž warning to beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them, (Matthew 6:1) even though such a stance costs him votes.

That is not something that can be said about George W. Bush.

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