I've remained quiet for the most part throughout the recent run-up to the election, but after reading all of the melodramatic status updates and hearing all of the gnashing of teeth and religious posturing of so many within my tiny sphere regarding their personal angst over the results, I have a few things I need to say.
If you have seriously referred to Barack Obama as the antichrist at any point during this process please navigate away from this page. I do not want you here; I have nothing to offer you.
I cannot escape the feeling that most in the Christian community vote Republican based on only 2 issues: their opposition to abortion and their feelings about gay rights--specifically, gay marriage. I do not disagree that abortion is wrong or that homosexuality is a sin--Scripture is clear on those things. What I cannot fathom is that people whom I know to be otherwise astute and intelligent have not realized that the strategy of the entire Republican party, for the past 6 elections at least, has been to use these issues for the sole purpose of inciting such an emotional response from voters that they ignore key issues that are firmly grounded in Scripture as well. And that an unforeseen result of this strategy was that the leaders of the religious right would become hungry to maintain their positions of power and influence within the political arena and subvert their faith to make that happen.
For example, I know of 2 or 3 verses in the Bible that allude to the sanctity of life beginning in the womb, but over 2000 that refer (most of them quite explicity) to our responsibility to care for those who are less fortunate. These verses are replete with specific references to the poor, orphans, widows, aliens (as in 'immigrants', not ET), the sick, etc. etc. etc.
Dr. Dobson literally spent millions of dollars to defeat ballot initiatives providing either marriage rights or partner's rights to homosexuals in states where there was never a hope of defeating them. And even if they had been defeated I suggest that there would have been no change in the fate of the traditional American family as a result. Those millions of dollars spent helping people in need could have made a difference in families if used in a constructive and biblical manner. Perhaps he should change the name of his ministry; he is no longer focused on the family, but rather on politics.
Statistics offer us some interesting insight on some of these political ping pong balls. It is statistically valid to say that during times when the country does well economically and poor people are being helped in real ways--job training; day care for working moms; food programs for children; improved access to better health care; educational assistance--to name a few--abortion rates and divorce rates go down. It is also statistically significant that the Republican party controlled the White House and both houses of Congress during the first six years of Mr. Bush's presidency and during that time they did nothing significant to legally limit abortion or gay rights. I hear people shout that it's the "liberals'" who stopped it, but you know in your heart that that's not true. Ever astute in their political dance, the GOP knows that if they somehow managed to legislate abortion and gay marriage out of existence that they could not be relected. Once their smoke screen was removed and their underlying agenda exposed, only the rich would support them with any consistency.
If you are willing to step back for just a few moments I believe you will see that neither party lives up to its billing. Both have deep flaws that need to be healed. But we as Christians need to be consistent in our causes. We need to be consistent in our ethic--in our call for justice. And we need to consistently hold our elected officials' feet to the fire to see that they are responsive to our beliefs and moral convictions. Does a consistent ethic of life, for instance, say that all life is precious or only the lives of the unborn? Do we say that all life is precious or only the lives of Americans? Is torture wrong or is only the torture of American soldiers wrong? Are we commanded to love everyone or are we commanded to love everyone who isn't gay? Is greed (corporate and personal) always wrong or is greed only wrong when it starts to deplete MY retirement accounts?
And when did it become part of the Apostles' Creed that war is the desirable course of action? When did Christians become the solicitors of doom upon any group that opposes America? When did it become unpatriotic to favor peace? I suppose Jesus was unpatriotic; seems I remember him claiming that his Father is the God of peace; that peacemakers are going to be blessed. I support our soldiers with every bit of faith that I have; my heart breaks at the thought of their sacrifice for my freedom and safety; but I cannot support a political/economic war that had nothing to do with an immenent threat to our country. And I make that statement based on my understanding of the teachings of God.
We have failed our own tests, I'm afraid. We have not maintained a consistent ethic of life or for life. We have sold out to the bidder most capable of inciting our emotions.I believe that you can be a Christian and be a Democrat; and that you can be a Christian and be a Republican. But please be whatever you are because you know what's going on, what the issues are, and because you believe the person you have chosen is most capable of representing those beliefs in a consistent manner throughout the breadth of a well-thought-out and consistent biblical ethic.
Finally, I believe that you cannot be a Christian if you hate--anyone. That's in the Bible too; New Testament; Jesus said it, so did John.
