Ok…I’m growing tired of this subject…and I know if I am, I’m POSITIVE you are as well!
My point in all of this is this: If we are Christians and we are to be unified in the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’), and we’re called to be like-minded (1 Peter 3:8 ‘Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous’, Philippians 2:2 ‘fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.’, Romans 15:5 ‘Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.’), how can fellow Christians, bothers and sisters in Christ, stand so vehemently on opposite sides of the political spectrum? I honestly believe that we CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT leave our Christianity outside of the voting booth. Come this November, we MUST go in prepared and not just because we are Christians, but it's our responsibility and priviledge as citizens. As a Christian, we should prepare ourselves by discovering what the candidates believe and what their character really is. But beyond that, we need to be in prayer. We need to be on our knees asking God for wisdom. Wisdom in our choice, wisdom for our leaders and wisdom for the people of this Nation.
I see so much hatred and anger each party holds for the other, even those who don’t live in this great country have expressed their hatred…especially for conservatives. What is our response to this? As Christ’s children, should we get caught up in the ‘drawing of lines’ or passionate ‘mud slinging’? Please tell me you know how to answer that...I can't believe that it makes God happy to see His children acting in such a way. His message, through His son Jesus Christ, is one of love and compassion.
So, talk about it! Call your pastor, visit with a friend from church. Enter into good, healthy discussions on the subject of what a Christian's response to America's political system should be. How do both main parties align with the Bible and where do they not? Then search out God's will in His Word and through prayer.
~ V
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2 comments:
I know that as a Christian (but NOT a born-again or evangelical one), conservative politics have been the one thing that have made me question my faith. Quite frankly, George W. Bush and many of his supporters have done more to drive me away from the church than anything. It is, in my opinion, almost evil how conservatives like to wedge issues and insinuate that if you vote for a Democrat you are voting against values. The Republican platform has several things on it that I value just as the Democratic platform has several things on it that I value. It took a summer of church for me to realize that it is OK not to buy the conservative viewpoints hook, line, and sinker....that sometimes God is calling us to speak out against practices that are wrong (the war) or to help our fellow citizens. And I have again come to the place where I think that I am no better or no worse because I support more Democrats than Republicans.
In the end, I believe that God does not want to be used as a wedge issue in our poltical culture. And I think that God doesn't necessairly think that one particular person or party is the one that speaks for people of faith. I think it is silly to think that all people of even a part of one faith should pick one candidate. I don't think there is one way to weigh the attributes of several inperfect candidates. What I value is different from what someone else values. I place more weight on helping those that can't help themselves (an act that is stressed in the Bible) than some might.
I find it interesting that you look towards the world and the fallen people in it to define and justify your faith when you should be looking to the author and finisher of it. People are imperfect, even the leaders of the world...for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If you take a good hard look at both main line parties, I'm sure you would admit that both have done their fair share of 'wedging issues' and honestly, none of it better's America or her people.
I couldn't agree with you more on the issue of helping our fellow citizen. The Bible is quite clear and tells us repeatedly that we are to take care of those less fortunate then ourselves... especially the widowed and orphaned. My issue comes with leaving them in a 'dependant' state, but that's another issue all together!
Evil takes many forms in our political landscape, from racial and abuse of power to active oppression of Christianity and abortion. While I'm not sure what God's thought's are on being used as a political wedge, I do know that He doesn't want us to put Him up on shelf, like a book, during times in our lives where we might be 'uncomfortable' having Him around. I DO beg to differ with you when you say that there isn't 'one way' to weight the attributes of a candidate and that is by direct comparison to how their character stands against what God tells us in our search for wisdom.
~ V
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