I’m pretty amazed at the polarization of the political campaigns this year. Usually, you see presidential candidates remaining either neutral or vague on their stances on the issues in order to win more votes. But this time, it seems like people are looking for a candidate who is relentless and radical in his beliefs. This means war.
As I was listening to Pandora radio today, I was bombarded with blunt advertisements for Obama’s campaign, such as the one you see here.
I am all for women having the ability to have options and make choices, especially in desperate situations that will change their lives forever. What’s at stake isn’t the “right to choose,” but the right to choose… what?
As the ads passed by, I was informed that Romney and Ryan are going to try to take away women’s “right to choose,” to deny people’s rights to “make choices about their bodies,” and that if they win many of our friends are going to be “denied the right to marry.”
My roommates and I don’t have cable, but it seems that the issues that will decide who wins the election are the two issues that are most associated with religion: Homosexuality and abortion. These are both delicate topics. But instead of treating them with the care they call for, we’re getting at each other’s throats.
It’s sad to me to see that the political tactics I see on both sides employ little more than mere recycled rhetoric and simplified arguments, leading our citizens to antagonize one another rather than to really take into account all of the different ways people will be affected, for better or for worse.
If we are all searching for the right answers, we shouldn’t be afraid of considering the other side. Because if we all collect and present our evidence, it should lead us all closer to the truth, right? Well, not if we’re all attacking each other.
In school, teachers teach new students so they can get the right answers. They don’t fail them at the start of the year for being “ignorant.” And nobody enters into a class knowing all the answers. In the same way, in politics, we must be humble learners, seeking to understand why people believe what they do… or else we’ll just be new students pretending to be teachers.
If you want the best for the future of your country, remember that the USA isn’t just everybody “out there.” It’s your neighbor, too. You say you love humanity — are you now dehumanizing the person who disagrees with you? If you want your neighbor to listen to you and consider where you’re coming from, it’s only fair that you do the same.
Thoughts? I’d love to hear them.
I always love reading your blog, Megan. And I always enjoy the points that you make. Personally, I disagree completely with Obama’s ads. I feel so discouraged that it is acceptable for Women to be killing children. How ironic is it is so sad when a puppy is abused, but perfectly ok for us to kill babies. They are innocent, and just as real as any of us. How is it ok for us to make ‘decisions about our bodies’ not only for ourselves but for others? Babies within the womb are just as alive as any of us, and it is sick to think otherwise. It’s an evil justification.
As for homosexuality, I think there’s a lot of things to be considered. I don’t really care about what someone’s sexual orientation is, it’s about the person. Personally, I think it’s against nature as there’s a reason why children are to be reared by both a Mother and a Father, but that’s me and I don’t expect someone to share my beliefs on that. This is different than abortion since it’s not dealing with someone’s even opportunity to live, but How to live.
So why would I disagree with Gay marriage? It’s not their union that bothers me, but the implications that it could mean. If I vote for someone that supports gay marriage, does this mean I have to ok the teaching that it’s ok in school? Do I want my kids thinking that it’s acceptable? Sure, they can do their own thing, but when it affects my own family I’m not remotely ok with that. What happens when they demand to married in a church, when it’s not what was God meant for his children. We’re on earth to make our own choices, but when they impose on our beliefs..
Now the rebuttal to that, would be I’m imposing on their beliefs. I don’t know what the answer to that would be. I’m just fighting for my own beliefs as much as I expect them to fight for theirs.
Saw your fb message too, I would love to catch up sometime 🙂 Are you ever down in Aurora?
Hope you are well.
Thanks for your insight, Becky. 🙂 It seems like we agree on a lot of things.
I also believe that abortion is wrong. Why do you think it’s so hard to convince other people that this belief is worth putting into law?
I’ve always been somewhat mixed in my beliefs on the government’s role in gay marriage. I also believe that gay marriage is wrong — not just because of a religious standard, but because it hurts God when we misuse the systems He made for us (I’ll have more to say on this in another post).
Now, the truth is that many people in our country really don’t give a darn about whether or not their lifestyle hurts their Maker. We have the freedom to either accept Him or reject Him. That’s a foundation laid by the fathers of our country — many of whom were followed Christ themselves. Ultimately, the law you and I follow comes from God. But human law is different, because we can’t force our citizens to love God.
God hates all sin, and homosexual behavior is just as bad in His eyes as heterosexual lust, which is just as bad as giving false testimony, which is just as bad as having an abortion. They are all the same rebellious, independent mark on our hearts. And if lying were illegal, we would all be in jail.
Some of God’s commands can grafted into the law of the land, but some can’t. How does our government usually pick and choose which of these to put into law?
Oh, and I’m coming back next weekend for my birthday!
I just saw this, I’m so sorry I missed you! Happy late Birthday!
I think that because it has already been made acceptable to kill-abort- that society has a hard time coming to terms with realizing they OK’d the killing of their young. I saw an interesting post the other day, regarding blood sacrifices. We read in horror our history books that describe ancient- and sometimes not so ancient- rituals that included the sacrifices of humans. How could they kill them!? Or even on a Christian theological point, Herod killing all the infants in an attempt to eliminate Christ. We read this in such sadness and recoil. How could any society be alright with such a thing? What god would justify the murder of the innocents? The post continued to make the point that we still make blood sacrifices, but now our God is Sex. We are so obsessed with Lust that we would kill to justify the sexual gratification thereof. It’s a frightening thought.
As for your questions about how to follow God’s commands within our Laws, while still respecting the separation of church and state- that’s difficult. We can’t expect a double standard for those who don’t share our beliefs. We’re all granted unalienable rights endowed by our creator after all. I just wish we wouldn’t affect each other. You want to get married to the same sex? By all means, just don’t ask me to agree with it. I’ll love you as the person you are, not your choice. Love the sinner, hate the sin, right? It’s such a difficult position, I’m not sure what the solution would be..
It’s scary when the responsibility falls into the hands of any person (or persons) to define who is and who is not a human. When you have no God, though, that is precisely where the power falls.
And you’re right. Our distortion of what sex is (and where it lies in our priorities) is a huge source of this mess. Many women are led to believe that their bodies are the only thing they have to offer, and that it’s the only way to feel loved and accepted and safe. And men are pressured both externally and internally to exploit women so they can feel like and appear like they are worthy of respect. How sad that so many people believe this and are empty because of it! And at the expense of a population that has no voice. Satan has us so deceived.
When it comes to government, restricting laws won’t change people’s hearts. Colossians 2:22-23 says this of mere rules: “All these regulations refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are commands and doctrines of men. Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” If there are laws preventing gay marriage, but people still want to have homosexual relationships, those people will not just decide, “Oh, okay. I guess it’s wrong. I’m gonna stop being who everyone says I am, leave my closest friend, and show up at church to be judged.” No, they’re going to blame the government for keeping them from living how they know to live.
In Romans 1, the apostle Paul talks about God delivering people over to their sin (v. 26). If gay marriage continues to be illegal, there will be no repentance. People will only keep blaming the government for their problems since the government has taken (as we have given it) more and more responsibility for our problems. Free will gives us the liberty to choose whether we want to be slaves to our passions that kill us, or free servants of Jesus Christ, the one who died for us. The first option is scary, but since love requires choice, it is necessary. If gay marriage is legalized, then whatever consequences follow will have no scapegoat. We will have to accept the consequences of our actions. We will have no one to blame but ourselves. And we will realize in the end who is good and right: us, or God.
It is merciful and well-intentioned to try to prevent people from experiencing the consequences of their wrongdoings to alleviate suffering. Most loving parents would unabashedly pull their child away from an open fire if he tried to touch it. But the government is not our father, our teacher, or our provider — as much as many make it out to be.
To control other people’s behavior and hearts has never been never a Christian’s responsibility — nor has it been God’s heart. I think sometimes Christians can get scared of a world with germs. Yet we were all once unclean and diseased, and have only been made pure by God’s grace. (And the only Man who was ever clean and pure seemed to hang around more germs than anyone.)
Praise the Lord that He knows better than I how to live an abundant and full life! He is the only one whom I will allow to define me or label me or direct my life’s course every day.