I have started working on a personal or exploratory essay, for my own sake. The impetus for this little essay (essay-ito?) was Missy’s little blog question about homosexuality and women’s suffrage. It certainly isn’t finished yet, however for now I want to hear other people’s opinions on a certain question.
How have you dealt with the issue of religion in your life, the separation of church and state as a policy, and the urge to vote and participate in government? This is a question I have faced the last two elections and I have been so torn I haven’t voted. I fully realize how inappropriate this is as a way to deal with the situation, hence my exploring this issue so I will be better prepared to vote next time around.
So, how have you dealt with this? I would be interested in hearing others contribution about how you have or have not incorporated your religious convictions into your political stances. If you feel it might be too inflammatory a response you are always welcome to just email me. I’m not looking to start a big political argument here, just to hear what your personal take is on this issue. I know that steak, grant and alex will definitely have opinions, and I’m guessing that several others may as well, so please – let me hear.
Friday, September 09, 2005
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6 comments:
trying not to sound as liberal as i might like, i'll say this--it's impossible to find the perfect candidate that fits your Christian convisctions. by default, dems have always had peace, the economy, the environment, etc. cons have taken abortion, gays, um, i think that's it. so you can't find a Christian party across the board. personally, i try to read the gospels and decide, as cheesy as it sounds, by who would Jesus vote for. my conclusion? as follows
-abortion is bad, real bad, but it's an economic issue as much as a life issue and anyone who fails to realize this is BLIND.
-gay? this is a none issue. you want to preserve our moral identity? start by witnessing and showing Christ's love. i don't remember Jesus going to Rome to pass legislation on tax collectors.
-environment-suprise, it's important. Al Gore doesn't seem like such a punch-line after last week, huh?
-ECONOMY-this is the one that does it for me. to me, economy is the root of 99% of the ills in the world, and that only makes sense as money was the thing Jesus talks more about in the Bible than anything else. and guess what he said? not privatize, not small community/big business, not rich get richer, he said give the F*&$ing stuff away. i actually had a conservative pastor tell me once, to my face, that he voted based on moral issue and (very smuggly) stated that he would trust God to take care of his finances and the economy. finances ARE A MORAL ISSUE numb nuts. and you're not letting God take care of it when you vote big business, you're doing the oppisite. you're voting for men, and one black women, who would rather cut taxes to turn a bigger percentage over to the private, mainly already rich, sector instead of putting our taxes to use in schools, gov't, disaster relief, etc.
The way I do it? Logic. You have to get involved, find out what's going on (in religion and politics) then use the brain that God gave you.
Church and religion can exist together, as long as we don't force them. this has become an issue b/c the Right obviously wants a theocracy and not a democracy. christians need to stop playing the minority victim, b/c WE'RE NOT. oh, i'm sorry you can't pray in school. try being the little Muslim girl. this is not an insult to God people, it's called Democracy and it is what has allowed Christianity to flurish thus far.
How can you top that Mikey?
Seriously?
I, on the same hand, have made it a point to not vote with religion because I know that happy people are good people and happy people are only around when a Democratic President is in office. WWJD? Not go over to Iraq and kill thousands of people. Abortions? That wouldn't have even been brought up if someone dumped a big smelly pile of carcasses that were once alive Iraqi citizens on the front door of every person that voted with "their heart" or "moral issues in mind". Please.
And what about this....there are 62% of people that disapprove of Bush's job in office currently. That leaves the other 38% smiling like idiots that they put him back in office. The last time I checked you needed 50.000001% to win an election. I bet 12% of those people are super psyched about that decision.
Also, has anyone talked to a hard core republican since the Hurricane? They are seriously unappologetic for the people of New Orleans. Those are the type of people that voted on God issues. And now they are turning their minds and bodies away from people in need. I haven't been more upset with Republicans in my life.
Now, for a serious thought. If a person is voting with religion in mind that person is that person wrong. The answer to me is yes. I vote based on character, leadership abilities, their national plan and credentials. If a republican has all those then fine. If someone came to me with just a paper resume of John Kerry and GW and said "hey, which one of these guys looks the most qualified for the job?" I would've picked Kerry. And I did. Those who vote based on moral issues are not only trying to form a more biased United States but are doing everyone (including themselves) a great disservice by not allowing (possibly) the most qualified and better candidate to win. GW's job is to run the country, make sure it doesn't go to the crapper, and make everyone happy. But the whole time he has been in office he has faceplanted the country, started a war, and now 62% of the population is unhappy. All the while, Abortion is still legal and you still cannot pray in school. Out.
EXACTLY Andrew-you're almost there, just take it a step further. now, why did you only hear about social and "moral" issues? b/c without God, guns, and gays, Republicans have nothing to stand on. let's talk about the economy? yeah right. HEY let's privatize social security!! that worked. no child left behind? the onlt thing that got left behind was the funding...NOTHING!!
I have to disagree with Andrew here and the "only thing both sides are talking about". Democrats almost always start debate and discussion with topics that are vital to longterm stability of the nation and of bleeding-heart importance, ie. economy, foreign policy, environment, crisis in Africa...etc. Which is 100% bad news for Dems because what is put over the airwaves by republicans is like a national media tabloid full of "juicy" issues. Which leaves the Dems talking about crap issues like jobs/SS/environment while Repubs are going on about gays and abortion which hits heavy with a large portion of the United States. Those people then vote with "morals" and lead us deeper into debt and more hated by the national community because there was a failure to actually analyze what their national plan would do to our country. Which leads to things like $3.00 gas and the racial undertones of Hurricane Katrina.
It just amazes me how little republicans care about our country and instead deflect everything with rhetoric and propoganda.
true indeed. remember "the buck stops here."? (that was a democrat by the way.) i'm SO sick of bush blaming everything on everyone else. yeah, clinton was an adultoror, and he tried to deflect a little ("is"), but in the end, even clinton bent over and took it in the ass when it was necessary. you're the pres of the united states and most powerful man in the free world (and this pres has control of congress and the courts, something most don't). so how about being a man and taking some blame when you deserve it. i try not to cuss a lot, but he drives me to it...what a bitch.
I do find it somewhat interesting that during the Hurricane Katrina thing they actually tried to spin, deflect, and smile in the beginning. However, that was completely backfiring on them big time and now Bush is saying "Sorry, my bad" What in the crap has post-9/11 homeland security done for us? Nothing.....ugh.
Also, it's not like dems go out at night like coyotes and search for little babies to kill, churches to burn, or little kids to flunk out of school. They are just as sane (if not more sane in a golden rule type of way) as republicans.
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