The day after Tuesday...
Talking politics usually makes my head explode, but it's been a while since I've posted anything intellectual in nature on here so in the spirit of the season I'll write about the elections. Most of you know that I have an identical twin sister. While we began our lives looking the same, we've since developed very differently physically and socially. Most of that can be attributed to the fact that she lost 30 pounds and I found it, I've devoted the last 10 years to studying the liberal field of sociology while she moved to Atlanta to teach 3rd grade. My sister gets upset with me anytime I vote because we don't vote the same. It's not a big deal to me. I've long since reconciled the fact that most of my significant others do not vote the same as I do. It's a difficult world that I live in. Better yet, it is difficult WORLDS that I live in. I often find my beliefs compartmentalized. I learned what this meant several years ago from my mentor Chuck T. It continues to make me frustrated and confused on a daily basis. Everyday I read scientfic research on how the world is, and everyday I read spiritual research on how the world should be. The problem is that these two just don't match up. I store some of the info in my mind, some in my heart, and some inbetween. So, when I go to vote I typically vote from that inbetween place.
I have a bumper sticker in my office that says, "God's not a Republican or a Democrat." Care to argue? I didn't think so. Last semester I had a student who said that she didn't know any Christian who didn't vote Republican in the last election. Really? I wonder how many people she asked how they voted. I'd like to think that God is bigger than party politics. Identifying as one party or the other is not going to get you one step closer to or further from heaven. I can promise you that. You know why? Because I know Jesus, and I can guarantee that he wasn't a member of a political party. He never talked about politics. He did get in the trenches though. He loved and served poor people. He ate with prostitues and adulterers. He protected the dejected and scorn. Tell me what's political about that. Not one thing.
I'm not a member of a political party. I'd love to be able to sit down with each candidate and ask him or her the following questions:
1. How many poor people will you personally pay bills for in the next year so that they don't become homeless?
2. How many young men and women will you mentor so that they don't get pregnant and turn to abortion?
3. What will you do to make sure your home church loves all people, including homosexuals, addicts, and the impoversished?
4. How will you develop jobs in the inner city and provide work skills to those who need them?
These are just a few. I think until we're willing to ask ourselves the exact same questions, until we're willing to actively work in the trenches with Jesus, we shouldn't be pointing fingers on how Christians should vote. I really don't think Jesus would be worried about it. He'd be too busy to get to the polls.
7 comments:
I don't disagree with how you vote. You're an intelligent person and can make intelligent decisions. You didn't mention that I teach very poor, very underprivaledged kids. I don't have any white students in my class. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love those kids to death! I don't "hate poor people and minorities" when I vote for Republicans. When I vote, I look at politicians who first profess to have a belief in God and religion (whether they really do or not is not for me to judge). Why is that the first thing I consider? Because you can't really love and care for others if you don't know God. I also don't think you can make really good decisions in a very corrupt world if you don't listen to God (not that God can't use everyone for His purpose). The reason I mainly vote Republican is because those are the candidates (in my small corner of the world) who are usually open about their religious beliefs. Not that democrats aren't religious, but they ususally don't talk about it. You think we look at the world in such different ways, but we don't. You look at societal issues from a scientific view, and I stare them in the face every day. Same view, different angles.
Oh siser, don't get mad. I wasn't saying you're wrong. I was trying to say that people are entitled to vote how they want because everyone votes for different reasons--like you said. I agree with everything you said. And yes, I do remember all the time where and who you teach and use your experiences to teach my students about who they should be as educators when they finish school.
I really didn't want my Governor to be named Kinky. That is why I voted. The End.
Ok, not really...but a good point, right?
Wow Amy! Those are some really good points...and by April too. I'm constantly at a struggle with politics. I don't vote for a particular party, but vote for the person. I love the questions that you would ask the candidates. It made me think more and point fingers less.
Hey! I voted for Kinky...JUST KIDDING!!!!! I agree with both of you girls. I also think it is a very big sin that the politicians are allowed to spend enormous amounts of money on their
campaigns. Just think of all the homeless people they could feed, all the schools they could build and the sick people they could help.
I might have voted for Kinky--he's got some good ideas, but Texas gets made fun of enough without our governor looking like he's wearing a cowboy costume and smoking a cigar 24/7.
Amy - not sure if you remember me from ACU, but I read your blog from time to time, via other blogs. It's a woven blog world we live in! I just read this post, and I agree with everything you said, and your sis. Thanks for having the courage to post what you feel!
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