A Christian's Guide to American Politics

11/17/04 - Introductions Part II - My opinion, my values

I live in a pretty conservative area. It's small town America. There are lots of churches. And there are lots of very conservative Christians. My city is pretty economically depressed. There are alot of working poor. About half of the people I know who are my age are high school drop-outs. The other half are college grads who are now working poor. I'd say that about 60% of the mothers (under age 30) that I know became pregnant before their 18th birthday. This is the reality of Appalachia. With evidence of poverty and social problems all around us, I find it troubling that the conservative Christians in this area seem to have forgotten Jesus' instructions regarding charity and love. It seems religious and social conservatives in my area have been duped by the political noise machine and the foundation of Christianity has now taken a back seat to witch trials and character assasination. A recent letter to the editor in my local paper absolutely infuriated me. A man wrote in attacking Senator John Kerry, claiming that he "did not stand up for Traditional American Values". Now, if you have a preference for George W. Bush's poilicies, that's your own business, but don't attack a man who defended our country both with a rifle and by telling the truth about the war when he returned. He stood up for traditional American Values when he was ORDERED to forget them. His testimony before Congress after his return from Vietnam was confirmed over and over again by countless soldiers, war photographers, reporters, and even commanding officers. He worked as a criminal prosocuter, helping to keep criminals off the street and learning about our nation's unparalleled justice system. He faithfully served his constituents in Massachussets and he garnered respect from both sides of the aisle in Congress. It was not until this immoral and deceitful campaign that anyone would listen to the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth and their vicious lies. Unless I assume the worst about this individual (which I try very hard not to do) I can only assume that the author of this letter meant the abortion/homosexuality/security issues that seem to be so prevelant in today's politics. To that, I responded with my own letter, which was published today. I may not aggree with alot of the laws that govern us in this country, but I know the difference between my own personal values and the values on which this great nation was founded. I clearly outlined the difference between fundementalist Christian values and American values and also pointed out several of President Bush's policies that, whether I aggree with them personally or not, do not uphold traditional American values in the truest sense. I feel that our leaders are responsible for upholding American values in the strictest sense.... Our personal Christian values are our responsibility, and we can't, according to our American values, impose them on anyone else. As I said before.... I believe in strict interpretation of the constitution. I also believe in strict interpretation of the Bible.

The Bible is very clear that we should leave the judging to God. Even Jesus was not given the power to force others to believe in him or accept his teaching. Faith is personal. I would be offended if this country endorsed Muslim docterine or Buddist docterine in its law making. So would you. So our forefathers adopted values common to all religions as our national values. Using these mutual truths, they penned two of the most extraordinary political documents in the world; The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. Where faiths differ, the founding fathers did not discriminate. The most profound truth to which they all aspired was the truth that faith can not be governed. With that said, we, as Christians, have a responsibility to uphold the teachings of Christ in our everyday lives. We are responsible for maintaining our own, personal relationship with God. We are responsible for educating the young about faith in our own homes and through our own example. These are things that the government has no jurisdiction over and thus, no responsibility for. Therefore, we can't look to our government to teach the Glory of God in our schools. That's not a lesson to be learned by the brain. It's a lesson to be absorbed into the heart. We can't look to our government to dictate what marriage is. Marriage is a union in the eyes of God. It's a religious event. Our government has no control over that. Therefore, we can't hold our government responsible for defining marriage. Our government can not determine when life begins. As Christians, we are taught that before we are concieved, God knows our name. For many devout Catholics, this means that even birth control is murder, because it prevents God from creating life wherever He pleases. Most Americans, however, see birth control as a vital healthcare need, so much so that most health insurance policies cover it. When abortion was illegal, the practice did not stop. In fact, since the beginning of time, women have cast out children that they could not care for. This often led to public health concerns due to back alley procedures executed by untrained amateurs. You may think abortion is horrible, but there is no such thing as a mortal sin. God gives all who love Him a chance to repent. Our forefathers did not address abortion specifically in the constitution, because each faith, and even different denominations within faiths, had different beliefs regarding the state of a soul "in vitro". Because of these conflicting views, the subject of abortion could not be broached in a way that protected American values, and was, therefore, left to the individual. It is a personal choice. One that a person has to reconcile with her own belief system. One that a person can make only with the help and guidance of God. Sometimes, when the law of the land and the law of our hearts clash, we have to follow our hearts, and accept that we can only make our own decisions, not anyone else's. That means that no one else can make our decisions for us, either. Which brings us back to the American values of freedom and liberty. See how it all connects? Simple, right? So where have we gone wrong?

Well, that's not so simple. Somewhere along the line, the true message of Christianity has fallen by the wayside. Throughout history we can see examples of what happens when a small minority of religious fundementalists try to impose their will on others. Jesus Christ was killed by religious fundementalists who were so wrapped up in the law and out of touch with the spiritual needs of their people that the prospect of a new covenant was unthinkable to them. During the Crusades, European Christians slaughtered thousands in search of relics, blinded to the truth that the most precious artifact was a world of peace and understanding where all could know God. When the first settlers came to the Americas, so intent were they on converting the natives and protecting their faith that they persecuted their own, burning them at the stake out of fear and lack of reason. Over and over, again and again, a misunderstanding of faith becomes tragedy. So many who could know the love of Christ do not, because they have been turned away by our least favorable but inexplicably most visible spokespeople. These are the "false prophets" I mentioned yesterday. These are people who promise economic prosperity as reward for living a "moral" life. These are people who preach hellfire and brimstone, using fear to control their flock, depriving them of the safety and security of God's love. These are people who use their spiritual influence to corrupt the faith of others. I am not intimidated by these people. They try to monopolize the "morals market". They misinterpret the scriptures so frequently one can only assume it's intentional. Their brand of Christianity so sharply contrasts with the actual teachings of Jesus that it barely resembles the truth at all. I will discuss, in detail, over the course of time, why I feel this is the case. My purpose and mission are to expose these false teachings and prevent them from doing any more damage to my faith and my country. I also want Christians to be proud Americans, not just proud Christians. I want American Christians to understand that our constitution protects the freedom of all Americans. It wasn't so long ago that Christians were persecuted all over the world for their beliefs. Our constitution, if interpreted responsibly, assures that will never happen again; not to Christians, not to Jews, not to Muslims. Just as Osama Bin Laden does not represent all of Islam, so these "false prophets" should not represent all of Christianity, and American Christians have a unique opportunity to uphold American values and preserve Christian values all at the same time. That's where this Blog comes in. I pray that God will help me to find the right words to speak to Christians of all backgrounds and bring our faith back to where it should be.... not built into our government, but inside each of us.




**Keep Coming Back..... Regular postings will begin Monday, 11/22/04**

posted by Sweet Tea @ 8:37 AM