God and the Election of 2012

Politicians have used the name of God as an endorsement for years…  though unfortunately, more as a “He’s on my side” than anything else.  While character is an important trait to consider when selecting a candidate for office, in reality, like it or not, the issue of one’s faith is not.  True, there’s the argument that one’s faith is what molds his character. Sometimes, this is true. Yet you can be a kind, generous, honest person and still be an Atheist. You can call yourself a devout (fill in the blank Denomination) Christian, and steal, cheat, and lie like a rug. 

While there are those that ignore, or even deny, it, our constitution does not endorse or condemn ANY religion, or lack of one, and there’s absolutely no reason to think that one would have to be a Christian, other than by those that are prejudiced against those that are not. Labeling oneself with a religious label does nothing to guarantee you won’t get in office and do things that cause great harm to people.

Newsflash: God loves mankind. Period. He is not a Democrat, or a Republican, a Libertarian, a Socialist, a Communist, nor a member of the Tea Party. Truth be told, I imagine He’d do away with political parties altogether since they obviously have nothing to add to furthering His kingdom on earth and have been the detriment to it in many ways. Yet, there have been claims, “If you are a Christian, you must be a _____.”  Well, I won’t say which party claimed that, trying not to demonize one over another, but you probably know which one it said.

More than in any election I recall, people seem to have gone off the deep end.  In many cases, they’ve lost sight of the reason for a campaign, which is to debate the issues and select the best person for the job, or as it is many times, the person that will do the least harm.

Not to get into mudslinging too much, but while all groups are guilty of spreading bad information about the other, there are some that are not content with this. They sank to the level of, “It’s not enough to disagree with someone. We’re going to completely make up stories and pass it around.” Seriously, some of these stories are so far-fetched, that it is ludicrous. (It's surprising that I haven't read that the president's mother was an alien from another galaxy, but perhaps they're waiting on the big news until just before the election?) The fact that the stories are easily and frequently exposed as lies really doesn’t seem to slow down the most zealous of the supporters. I've never seen such hatred and disrespect.

Over the years, I’ve disagreed with people on political issues before, yet we were able to simply disagree and move on. It certainly never affected a friendship and didn’t change how we felt about each other. Yet this election, I’ve seen some otherwise intelligent (I thought) people passing on rubbish as if they were uninformed lemmings, unable to read and understand facts. Yes, friendships have been affected. Unfortunately, there truly are some people I have lost respect for and most likely, will never again see the person in the same light again. It has nothing to do with disagreeing with issues of the election, but disgust at seeing them on a quest to spread lies.

Yes, I’ve posted many articles and comments on politics in recent weeks and months. I’ve never knowingly posted anything untrue.  If I share something negative about someone, it is using their OWN words and actions, not photoshoped not voice-overed, but legitimate, and especially, not some made up fantasy. While there are some really incriminating quotes and positions made by the candidate I oppose, I haven't posted them, mostly out of respect for my friends that like him. (These would be legitimate things he actually did or said, not rumors or lies.)  More than anything, I try to stick to the actual issues, not the candidates, or have so far.

It is one thing to discuss issues of an election. Those with opposing views are welcome to discuss them openly – it is in this way that intelligent, sane people learn and share information. This ability is one of the things that identifies us as being a civilized society living in a country where we are free to discuss things openly. Neither has to get bent out of shape over it. But it is something else to rant on, spewing false information, and ignoring reality. If you are unsure of something, look it up in a reputable location! Ask others. Challenge them by asking where they got the facts and figures they share so that you can discern whether it is a reliable source.

This is NOT a matter about which candidate you support. It is a matter of personal INTEGRITY. When I said that God was independent and didn’t care about the election, I was wrong. Actually, He DID have something pertinent to say and shared it with Moses to pass on to us. "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16.  Yes, it is one of the ten commandments.  (reminder: Jesus said everyone is your neighbor.) 

Just food for thought.