Alright y’all, I am about to break one of the most
fundamental “rules”, if you will, that my daddy taught me growing up. I am about to talk about, not just religion,
but about politics as well, in polite company.
*Gasp!* The presidential election this year brought to light, for me, some
issues in regards to religion and politics that I never closely considered before. Perhaps it is my new-found faith and
dedication to Christ that has opened my eyes.
Maybe it is just the fact that that I am hitting “middle age” (Eeek!) and
I am raising two daughters so I am more aware, shall we say, of the world in a
more mature way. Whatever the reason, I
feel like I need to comment on this topic, and some of you might disagree or
even get angry or offended. For that, I
apologize, but I do promise that my words come from a place of compassion and
love and a desire for that compassion and love for all.
During this past presidential election, I began to wonder if
it is possible to be both a Christ-follower and a “liberal”. I have always considered myself to have more
liberal views and opinions. Peace and
equality have always reigned supreme in my political focus and I have always
floated much more to the left than to the right. In my new walk with Christ, I have been
challenged to take another look at my ideals and values, and re-evaluate them
in a more biblical and Christ-like way.
You know what’s really cool? In
my self and biblical exploration, I am discovering that, despite what some
Christians, especially right-wing “Christian” politicians might say, being a
Christ-follower and being more liberal-minded are not mutually exclusive! It seems that I was probably mostly on the
right track from the beginning!
Hang with me for a minute.
Let me unpack this.
You might be thinking that it is not possible to support the things that
liberal folks tend to endorse and follow Jesus.
In some ways you are right, but let’s talk about this for a minute. Let’s talk about Jesus and who, exactly, he
chose to hang out with and minister to during his life on earth. Couldn’t we say that Jesus spent most of his
time with the poor, sick, needy, lying, thieving, adultering, murdering, lowest
of the low people on the planet? In
fact, many of his disciples were crooks and criminals, people who many folks
warming the pews of Christian churches all over the world today would not dream
of hanging out with. Jesus also chose to
seek out and spend time with women, a big, big “no-no” back in those days. We could argue that Jesus was really the
first in the Women’s Rights movement. We
could also affirm that since the Lord created this beautiful planet and all who
inhabit it, that He is likely pretty darn concerned about how we treat the
environment and the animals.
So you might be thinking, “what does all of this have to do
with politics”. I believe that
typically, and this is where some people might start to get offended, typically
the more right-wing folks are not supportive of social programs, laws, and so
forth that support these groups of people.
Issues for women’s and children’s rights, equality, and healthcare;
issues for the poor and infirm; issues for those who have been convicted of
crimes; environmental and animal protection issues all tend to be more
left-wing concerns. I'm not saying that "Tea party" folks are not concerned with these things. I am saying, though, that these issues tend to be a point of contention between parties and that the lefties tend to be more supportive of these groups and areas.
Let’s unpack this just a bit more and consider a few specific
issues. Because I live in the South, I
would be completely remiss if I didn’t at least mention the issue of gun
control. First let me say that Jesus
never used anything resembling a gun, any weapon, or even his hands in a
threatening way against another person; not even the people who were torturing
and murdering him! With that being said,
I do believe that in today’s scary world, it should be perfectly legal to own a
firearm, UNLESS you are mentally or emotionally unstable or a convicted
criminal. If you are not in one of these
categories then STOP worrying about it!
No one is trying to take your guns away! Yes, guns will still get into the wrong hands
through illegal means, but we can and should do our part to make that as
difficult as possible. Sure, that means
it might be a bit harder and take a bit longer for everyone else to acquire
one, but get over it and learn to be patient.
While I’m talking guns I might as well mention animal rights,
a more liberal concern. It’s pretty
simple really, God created animals and He commanded us to look after them. Using “we must control the population” and “we’re
at the top of the food chain” as excuses for hunting are, frankly, a
joke. If you like to hunt for sport,
fine. Just call a spade a spade and say
you like to hunt for sport. WE don’t
need to control the population. Nature
will do that. And yes, we might be at
the top of the food chain in some respects, but let me drop you into the middle
of the African plains with only the clothes on your back and no weapons and let’s
see what happens. J I have to admit, though, I do enjoy a good
burger or steak from time to time!
On a related note, let’s talk about the environment. Regardless of what one might believe about
global warming and such, the fact remains that we are destroying the
environment with our chemicals and our wastefulness and our technology. I do not believe that God would want us to
treat this beautiful world that He created in this way. He wants us be loving stewards of the land –
to use what we need, but to nurture and replenish it as well.
If I haven’t already made you mad, let’s get into a hot
button issue. How about gay marriage and
homosexuality? Guess what? Jesus loved everyone! Every single person! Regardless of their choices and sins! What does the Bible specifically say about
homosexuality? Well, I have done A LOT
of studying on this topic and really, it is a little less clear than some might
say. Basically, the Bible says that
homosexuality is biologically erroneous since sex was primarily created for
procreation, and it lists homosexuality in line with other sexual sins including
adultery and impure thoughts (and y'all pornography and even "trashy romance" novels and movies - hey there Magic Mike and 50 Shades of Gray - fit into the realm of sexual sin! Ouch!). Regardless
of what I may or may not believe about homosexuality in and of itself, it – the
issue of gay marriage – does not belong in politics! Why should the government – the law – care about
who wants to get married? That choice is
not hurting or even impacting anyone else.
Churches do not have to support it, though I do believe that churches
should welcome ANYONE and EVERYONE through their doors. Gay marriage does not threaten the sanctity
of my marriage to my husband or anyone else’s marriage in the least, and it’s
just not the government’s business.
Let’s talk a bit more about the issue of women’s
rights. I already touched on the fact
that Jesus was probably the start of the Women’s Rights movement. There are those religious and political folks
that speak of the parts of the Bible that say that women should submit to men,
particularly their husbands, in every way.
While this might be true in some respect, what about the parts of the
Bible that spell out how men should treat women – that women should be revered
as queens, as daughters of God, as precious gifts to be treasured. After all, we women are the FIRST and ONLY
things that God did not create from the dirt!
God saw that man could not live life alone and He created women from the
man’s body! How cool is that? As women, we have the power to bring forth
new life. Our bodies and our minds are
amazing and God created us that way because He knew that we were strong enough
to handle it. Christians often refer to
the man as the head of the family, and that should be true. However, if that is true, the woman is the
neck of the family, and the head would be aimless, unsupported, and essentially
worthless, without the neck.
So if you have made it this far and you aren’t mad or are
even just a little miffed, thanks for hanging in with me. I feel like, however, I need to go out on a
long, shaky limb and talk about one more very sensitive subject. Abortion. Goodness y’all this is a tough one, one that I
still have some conflicting feelings about.
Let me say first that I believe that abortion is wrong. I especially believe that it is wrong to use
it as a form of birth control, or even “oops” control. I think it is a sin to take a human life,
period end of story. For me, though, the
waters get a little muddy in a few special cases. Take, for instance, rape or incest. It is only by the grace of God that I never
had to even consider this issue, but what if, at 15 years old when I was raped,
I had gotten pregnant? I cannot honestly
say what I would have done then. I don’t
think any choice would have been easy or “right”. This choice is never easy or right for any woman who must face it. I mean, if I had chosen to abort then I would
have had to live with that decision, that choice to kill my baby, for the rest
of my life. If I had chosen not to
abort, however, I would also have to live with that decision, that choice to
carry and raise a baby (most likely without a father) that was created out of
selfishness and violence, for the rest of my life. Would I always
look at that child and see my abuser’s face?
Would it have impacted my feelings or my mothering of that child? I honestly have no idea. Thank you God that this did not happen and that I did not have to make that decision. Thank you!
Other girls are not so lucky.
There are women, too, that despite taking every precaution, still become
pregnant and that pregnancy totally threatens her health and even her own life,
as well as the life of the child. Should
the government say that this woman cannot abort? Like I said, I’m still very conflicted on
this issue. I value life and really the
biggest part of me screams that abortion is NEVER OK. Never. That there are plenty of families out
there that would give anything for a child and so there is always the option of
adoption. As a woman, though, I’m not sure I can say
that it is the government’s job to tell a woman what she can or cannot do with
her body. Here’s the thing, though,
if I say I value life, then that really should be across the board. I believe, then, that I cannot be OK with taking
a life for any reason, even capital punishment.
Let’s chew on that for a little while.
We just have to keep in mind that Jesus was not OK with capital
punishment. How many Bible accounts are
there of Jesus interceding when someone was going to be stoned; of Jesus
befriending the lowest of the low criminals? It's incredibly cheesy, but it still rings true: "What would Jesus do".
So……… I think I touched on some of the political issues that
tend to get tangled up with religion, particularly during election time. I think, for me, it comes down to the
question of how involved the government should be in our day to day
living. Yes, we do need some sort of
body to keep us in line and help us avoid anarchy, but, really, is every little
thing the government’s business or responsibility? Should the government help us make our moral
choices and determine our values? I don’t
know. Really, I believe that if more of
us would work harder to be more like Christ, then we wouldn’t need much of a
government at all………………and if I’m being totally honest, it makes me really,
REALLY angry that politicians, that people in general, use our loving Savior’s
name to be judgmental butt heads! Go
ahead and spew your hatred, but don’t blame it on Jesus, or God, or the
Bible! Don’t you dare! GOD IS LOVE!
And that love is for every person and every thing. Period.
Peace and love y’all!
