Do Evangelicals Hate Jesus?

A recent article from an assistant professor of history at California State University, Fresno titled Evangelicals Hate Jesus referenced a February 2011 Pew Research poll on Religion & Public Life showing that "White Evangelical Christians are the group least likely to support politicians or policies that reflect the actual teachings of Jesus". The article says, "Evangelical Christians, who most fiercely proclaim to have a personal relationship with Christ, who most confidently declare their belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, who go to church on a regular basis, pray daily, listen to Christian music, and place God at the center of their lives, are simultaneously the very people most likely to reject his teachings and despise his radical message". Here's the link : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-zuckerman/why-evangelicals-hate-jes_b_830237.html

Another excerpt from the article: "Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Evangelicals don't exactly hate Jesus -- as we've provocatively asserted in the title of this piece. They do love him dearly. But not because of what he tried to teach humanity. Rather, Evangelicals love Jesus for what he does for them. Jesus saves Evangelicals from everlasting torture in hell, and guarantees them a premium, luxury villa in heaven. For this, and this only, they love him. They can't stop thanking him. And yet, as for Jesus himself -- his core values of peace, his core teachings of social justice, his core commandments of goodwill -- most Evangelicals seem to have nothing but disdain".

I have often noted this disconnect between what conservative / religious / right-wing / Tea Party types say they believe in a religious sense and what they actually practice. In my experience they are often intolerant, bigoted, and judgemental. To be fair, they are also often accomodating, honest, hardworking, and ethical in many ways. It is ironic that they so often fail to grasp how contradictory their values and behavoir are to those espoused by their own Messiah. It is tragic that those values and behavior are so detrimental, devisive, and destructive to the long term health of society.