What is the Christian Response?
This weekend I became very sad...I was the recipient of a couple of incendiary emails referring to Obama as the anti-Christ and evil among other things. I was also saddened by the following excerpt which was also included in the email:
"Dear Friends,
As I was listening to a news program last night, I watched in horror as Barack Obama made the statement with pride. ... ."we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . . . "
The email went on to urge people to pass the message along and make sure we didn't vote for this candidate because he didn't think we are a "Christian Nation."
I believe in Christian values, but I agree with the statement that we are NOT a Christian nation, we are a multi cultural multi ethnic country filled with Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists. Are we a white nation? No, we are not a white nation, we have many ethnicities in our nation. Are these not my neighbors? Am I not to love my neighbor? To me Jesus is the way and the truth, but when Christians (meaning followers of Christ) represent him by propagating arrogant, misconstrued and exclusionary beliefs I don't find much appealing representation of Christ.
I believe I can vote Democratic and be a Christian. They are not oxymoronic mutually exclusive terms. I believe that a vote for Obama can be a pro life vote in a very full sense. Will Samson on his blog www.willzhead.typepad.com articulates this position with intellectual thoughtfulness that I so appreciate. Pro-life is not limited to an anti-abortion stand. I wish abortion were not necessary. I don't believe for one moment that this is a choice any woman rushes into embracing it as a wonderful option. Women hurt and suffer after an abortion, whether they recognize it or admit it or not. Is the church the first place you would go for healing? I know how I would answer this question. But thankfully there are pregnancy care centers that offer compassionate post abortion support and healing. They are serving as the church.
I read the two emails containing misinformation and spiteful vindictiveness over the weekend and was faced with a decision. Ignore and delete? Certainly that would have been the easier choice. But I felt like a fraud and a cop out making that choice, so I responded.
One email requested prayer for Sarah Palin as she moves forward in the political process. I took a deep breath and responded that I believed we needed to pray for all, yes ALL our leaders, but that I felt a need to state that I was not a McCain-Palin supporter. Then I received the Obama as Anti-Christ email and his remarks about America no longer being a Christian nation and suggested that truth is a value that all leaders should embrace and that the truth of statements circulated ought to be verified and that I respectfully requested that my name be removed from such mailing lists.
I wondered if my passions and positions were so vague that the senders of the mail actually thought I agreed with them. Because I passionately love Jesus (that makes me a Christian, right?) I suspect they did, but it was so far from the truth. Howie suggested that perhaps it was time for me to switch my game plan from defense to offense. Except I don't want to be offensive because I want to be a representative of Christ, who spoke to everyone, who loved his neighbor and who did value all life. All life. So that is how I got here. I value thoughtful dialogue and I respect other's opinions and beliefs. I don't value untruth and derogatory remarks. The Bible is pretty clear as to its view of gossip and I have to say I think half truths and repeating things not verified as true fall under that category.
Do I agree with late term abortion? No. No. Do I wish that abortion wasn't necessary? That for mostly economic reasons women didn't feel they had no other option? Absolutely. I have volunteered for Pregnancy Care Centers because I value and believe in the work they do. But it is such a complex issue. And my vote in November will be based on more than that one, albeit important issue.
Peace.
"Dear Friends,
As I was listening to a news program last night, I watched in horror as Barack Obama made the statement with pride. ... ."we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . . . "
The email went on to urge people to pass the message along and make sure we didn't vote for this candidate because he didn't think we are a "Christian Nation."
I believe in Christian values, but I agree with the statement that we are NOT a Christian nation, we are a multi cultural multi ethnic country filled with Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists. Are we a white nation? No, we are not a white nation, we have many ethnicities in our nation. Are these not my neighbors? Am I not to love my neighbor? To me Jesus is the way and the truth, but when Christians (meaning followers of Christ) represent him by propagating arrogant, misconstrued and exclusionary beliefs I don't find much appealing representation of Christ.
I believe I can vote Democratic and be a Christian. They are not oxymoronic mutually exclusive terms. I believe that a vote for Obama can be a pro life vote in a very full sense. Will Samson on his blog www.willzhead.typepad.com articulates this position with intellectual thoughtfulness that I so appreciate. Pro-life is not limited to an anti-abortion stand. I wish abortion were not necessary. I don't believe for one moment that this is a choice any woman rushes into embracing it as a wonderful option. Women hurt and suffer after an abortion, whether they recognize it or admit it or not. Is the church the first place you would go for healing? I know how I would answer this question. But thankfully there are pregnancy care centers that offer compassionate post abortion support and healing. They are serving as the church.
I read the two emails containing misinformation and spiteful vindictiveness over the weekend and was faced with a decision. Ignore and delete? Certainly that would have been the easier choice. But I felt like a fraud and a cop out making that choice, so I responded.
One email requested prayer for Sarah Palin as she moves forward in the political process. I took a deep breath and responded that I believed we needed to pray for all, yes ALL our leaders, but that I felt a need to state that I was not a McCain-Palin supporter. Then I received the Obama as Anti-Christ email and his remarks about America no longer being a Christian nation and suggested that truth is a value that all leaders should embrace and that the truth of statements circulated ought to be verified and that I respectfully requested that my name be removed from such mailing lists.
I wondered if my passions and positions were so vague that the senders of the mail actually thought I agreed with them. Because I passionately love Jesus (that makes me a Christian, right?) I suspect they did, but it was so far from the truth. Howie suggested that perhaps it was time for me to switch my game plan from defense to offense. Except I don't want to be offensive because I want to be a representative of Christ, who spoke to everyone, who loved his neighbor and who did value all life. All life. So that is how I got here. I value thoughtful dialogue and I respect other's opinions and beliefs. I don't value untruth and derogatory remarks. The Bible is pretty clear as to its view of gossip and I have to say I think half truths and repeating things not verified as true fall under that category.
Do I agree with late term abortion? No. No. Do I wish that abortion wasn't necessary? That for mostly economic reasons women didn't feel they had no other option? Absolutely. I have volunteered for Pregnancy Care Centers because I value and believe in the work they do. But it is such a complex issue. And my vote in November will be based on more than that one, albeit important issue.
Peace.
Labels: Democrat and Christian, Obama as the AntiChrist Obama and pro-life, untruths in politics
posted by www.kathypride.com at
10:30 PM
2 Comments:
So true, so true. It took courage for you to take a stand on your blog and I am glad you did. I not only support you, but am an ardent Obama supporter. And just as people choose to ignore that Jesus was Jewish, there seem to be people who want to ignore that Obama is Christian. We are all one people -- Americans. Except for Native Americans -- ALL of us came from somewhere else and have melded together. Remember learning about the melting pot? Those were powerful lessons to me. Are not we still adding to the pot and still all melting together? Let us not only pray for our leaders but for voters; may they understand the difference between truth and misinformation.
Love ya lots!
Katy
How very sad..I have to say that sometimes comments by other "so called" Christians just grieves me! I know we all can be hypocrits, but when you are representing the King of Kings, well, it just makes want to be a little more careful, a little more loving, and a lot less condemning!
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