28th July 05
“The Left mocks the Right. The Right knows it’s right. Two ugly traits. How far should we go to try to understand each other’s point of view? Maybe the distance grace covered on the cross is a clue.”
Bono, lead singer of U2
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God is not a Republican or a Democrat.
So I’m currently reading the book pictured above, and aside from the fact that it repeats itself often – I am enamored by it. Why? Because I actually agree with an evangelical’s political discourse, which is rare indeed.
I just hate partisan politics. It does a disservice to the kingdom of God when Christians parade around spiritualizing their respective candidate or measure. I’m really tired of hearing people talk like God is a Republican. [This is in no way meant to be offensive, so if you are in the following category, please do not be offended.] Ok, so since being home I have ran into several people who are passionately pro-death penalty and pro-war, but are then pro-life. They call abortion murder, the death penalty justice and casualities accidents. Is that not a contradiction, and just another political game of semantics? Can you value one person’s life on the basis of age, or location over another? People are people – whether you’re in the womb or Iraq.
Wouldn’t Jesus be against anything destructive and dehumanizing?
Anyways.. I will get off my soap box, and just thought I’d like to share a passage that has stuck with me. It was taken from an article posted in The New York Times on July 16, 2004 and demonstrated that Christians, and evangelicals are not a monolithic voting block. I read it for the first time in the book, and although it is printed in the plural, I modified it to be in the first-person to explain what I believe is important when discussing politics and elections.
I believe that poverty – caring for the poor and vulnerable – is a religious issue. Do the candidates’ budget and tax policies reward the rich or show compassion for poor families? Do their foreign policies include fair trade and debt cancellation for the poorest countries? (Matthew 25:35-40, Isaiah 10:1-2)
I believe that the environment – caring for God’s earth – is a religious issue. Do the candidates’ policies protect the creation or serve corporate interests that damage it? (Genesis 2:15, Psalm 24:1)
I am not a single-issue voter.
I believe that war – and my call to be a peacemaker – is a religious issue. Do the candidates’ policies pursue “wars of choice” or respect international law and cooperation in responding to real global threats? (Matthew 5:9)
I believe that truth-telling is a religious issue. Do the candidates tell the truth in justifying war and in other foreign and domestic policies? (John 8:32)
I believe that human rights – respecting the image of God in every person – is a religious issue. How do the candidates’ propose to change the attitudes and policies that led to the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners? (Genesis 1:27)
I believe that our response to terrorism is a religoius issue. Do the candidates adopt the dangerous language of righteous empire in the war on terrorism and confuse the roles of God, church and nation? Do the candidates see evil only in our enemies but never in our own policies? (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 8:12-13)
I believe that a consistent ethic of human life is a religious issue. Do the candidates’ positions on abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS – and other pandemics – and genocide around the world obey the biblical injunction to choose life? (Deuteronomy 30:19)
These are the major questions I have to ask myself – they make up my litmus test. I won’t say who I voted for last year, because well, it’s no ones business really.. but truth be told, I am still bitter that I was forced to make a choice between two people I disliked.. when neither came close to fully representing my values. I really believe that things can change and that a third party could arise and produce quality candidates that I’d be proud to support for four years. When will we say “enough is enough – I will not tolerate choosing ‘the least of two evils’ anymore”? *sigh*… soon I hope…
really cute place across from campus. Here are my two new purchases… I just picked up the 
coffee table today from craigslist – a great site for finding things in your local area. Tomorrow I’m going to a few garage sales with my close (and very pregnant friend Alisha 
[pictured]. I hope to find a couple more items to help furnish my place, but I also just enjoy rummaging through other people’s stuff, feeling like at any moment I’m going to find a steal deal. 
