Everyone is owned by somebody, sometimes a lot of somebodies, no one is consistent, no one is “Christian” is the way that I hope and pray that a politician will be and will have a chance to win in a race for the presidency in this country. These are all games. Everyone is being manipulated. The religious right is being courted like a southern belle, and has no idea how to help the poor, wants to kill murderers and yet protects babies from abortion; the left is fine with baby-killing but really wants to help the poor. How does a Christian vote here? The fact is there is not a candidate who expresses clearly what it would mean to be a Christian in politics. A few questions for thinking Christians everywhere:
– Should the rich get richer while the poor die?
– Should innocent children be aborted?
– Do we have the right, in light of the teachings of Jesus, to decide whether a murderer deserves death?
–Should we always seek peace?
–Are environmental and social justice issues spiritual ones?
–Should interest groups, lobbyists, and big money decide who wins elections?
–Should an independent or third-party candidate be able to have a shot?
–Should ridiculous, manipulative, falsified, ads costing millions of dollars be a part of the “public debate”?
–Can Christians legislate morality?
Is there a candidate out there who legitimately and honestly holds these values (among others) that are “Christian”? No, there isn’t. And I am angry about it. Really angry. Angry because I want to vote, but I don’t want to be manipulated, lied to or compromise what I hold to be right. Angry because all I hear is talk, jargon and meaningless rhetoric. Angry because so much of American politics is about “the system,” a system which is toxic and needs to be changed. Angry because “Christians” have dictated that to be a Christian you vote for a rich, pro-life, anti-gay republican who doesn’t care about the poor, the rest of the world or the environment. Angry because I do not see a candidate out there who is consistent, honest, courageous, and “Christian” enough to challenge the status quo and be the kind of leader that someone who loves Jesus and is suspicious of getting involved in worldly politics could vote for with a clear conscious.
I want to vote for someone desperately. Unfortunately, I want to be like Jesus, and for the life of me I can’t figure out who He would vote for. Maybe He will tell me sometime before November.
