There are a few things in this world that really make me angry. For starters, I hate it when people don't put their vehicle registration sticker in its proper place in the bottom right corner of their license plate, choosing instead to place them everywhere else. Why do they do this? There is a spot for it, a spot specifically designed for it, and yet these rebels seem to think placing stickers all over the plate is the better way to go. Why? It's infuriatingly stupid. I will never understand.
I also get annoyed when I'm sitting in traffic after having merged due to a lane closing, and someone speeds ahead in the soon-to-be-closed lane, trying to skip ahead and be all... I don't even have a word for it. Smart? It's not smart. Wait your turn. Merge when everyone else does. We're all waiting. For those who speed ahead, I will never let you in. So there.
But I think the thing that angers me most of all, the thing that really makes my blood boil to the point of bubbling over, is when someone questions another person's Christianity because of a said opinion, action, or belief.
Case in point... I am a regular reader of the blog of one of my favorite faith-filled musicians (Jonathan Rundman: http://jonathanrundman.blogspot.com/). In a recent post he responded to a fellow reader's request that he give some commentary on the election - read: who he will be voting for and why. Acknowledging that political affiliations are tricky in the Christian music business, he unapologetically stated he would be supporting Barack Obama. At press time, there hasn't been a huge backlash of comments questioning Jonathan's choice... However, he linked to the blog of another musician, Tyler Burkum, who had experienced some backlash: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&FriendID=10816715&blogMonth=6&blogDay=1&blogYear=2008
Burkum's blog merely stated he was moved by an Obama speech - not even that he was voting for him, and here was the first comment left:
"Are you kidding me???!!!! I thought you were a Christian? Obviously you haven't listened closely to ANYTHING he has been saying. He is pro-choice, anti-Israel, pro-socialism, higher taxes, and anyone that can sit under a "REVEREND" as radical and un-biblical as Wright....clearly SHOULD NOT have the support of ANYONE that claims the name of Christ. And don't forget...everyone loved and support Hitler and Stalin when they started their "political" careers too....even now as I sit here listening to his "victory" speech...[he] is NOW changing his stance and political position on Israel and the Middle East....who wants a president that "resembles" a mackerel (flip flop flip flop)!!!!"
Are YOU kidding ME?? Are you FREAKING SERIOUS???!!!! This is the kind of crap I am talking about. For starters, is that what this election is going to come down to for some people? Abortion, Israel, Socialism, taxes, and a disgraced former pastor? Really? Is there nothing more important happening right now? Must we run circles around the same issues again and again? Maybe, because these fundy right wingers haven't got much else.
Not all conservative voters are fundamentalists. Not all evangelical Christians are conservative voters or fundamentalists. Still, these little guys and gals sure have a way of spoiling the batch whenever they rear their ugly heads.
I hate it when my Christianity is called into question because I think differently than a fellow follower of Christ. I may not be pro-choice, but I sure as hell am not about to pretend that making abortion illegal will somehow magically eradicate its demand. There will still be unwanted pregnancies - what are pro-life people doing about that? How are pro-life voters addressing the needs of girls and women who find themselves in a situation they can't handle? How do we prevent this, and how do we offer support when it does happen? I'm not saying pro-lifers aren't addressing these issues, I'm honestly asking.
Abortion is a symptom; address the cause and you eliminate the symptom. Address the symptom and the root problem only gets worse.
And Israel, oh Israel. I'll save the tongue-lashing of apocalyptic policy makers for another day. Suffice it to say, political decisions should not be made because of a person's beliefs about the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. It's just good sense.
Why can't a person vote for a Democrat and love Jesus all at the same time? Why can't said Demoract also love Jesus?
Why do so many Christians who question my Christianity because of my political opinions support policies and legislation that are remarkably un-Christian?
What did Jesus have to say about abortion? About socialism? About Israel and the end of the world? About less-than-reputable former ministers?
What did Jesus have to say about taking care of the poor, orphaned, and widowed? About the distribution of wealth and resources? About the government and taxes? About how to treat one another? About handling disagreements?
The state of California will be voting on a proposition this November to "protect marriage" - it will define marriage in the state of California as being between a man and a woman. (Thank God, because the well-being of kids and families everywhere is really being threatened by the commitment two people make to love and cherish each other for all their lives. People please.) An old high school acquaintance of mine has done some serious Facebook promoting of this proposition, which is completely fine. It made me very sad, however, to read her commentary on the motion:
"The homosexuals' agenda is to make speaking out against homosexuality (in churches, even the Bible) a hate crime."
I don't like this "us-them" talk. Why must we alienate people who feel differently than we do? First off, anyone who refers to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as "the homosexuals" clearly does not have (or isn't aware of, or is unmoved by) a meaningful relationship (friendship, family members, etc) with a gay or lesbian person. It's easy to alienate when we don't know them. If we don't know them, how can we care? By calling people "the homosexuals" or "the democrats," (or, as I am just as guilty of doing, "the fundy right wingers") we put up a wall of indifference between us. A wall of misunderstanding (a refusal to understand is more like it). It's us versus them. Us v. Them, probably the most important and overlooking Supreme Court decision of them all. Sarah Palin even knows about it. She uses it every day.
Incidentally, my marriage-protecing high school acquaintence also answered, "Um, no," in an online forum discussion about whether or not Democrats can be Christians. In that case, it wasn't so much the content of the answer as it was the finality of it. No discussion. It's like it's a non-issue. Democrats? Christians? Preposterous! As my old friend Cher would say, as if!
Walls, walls are no fun. Walls, walls hurt someone.
I'm voting for Obama, and not just because I tend to vote democratic. I believe him. I believe in his passion and his integrity. I believe he has the best interests of the Americans who need him most at heart. I believe he gets it. He understands that the only way to treat the symptoms plagueing America is to treat the cause. Pro-choice, sure - but he's not running around handing out 2-for-1 abortion coupons either. Anti-Israel? Pretty sure he's not, but Palestine exists and is full of human beings, too. Can't screw them just because some people are eagerly anticipating Armageddon. Socialist? Read the New Testament and then get back to me. Higher taxes? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe the super-rich should pay more taxes than I do. Sorry if that includes you. Maybe the impoverished need a break, and maybe the millionaires need to start ponying up.
In any case, don't call people un-Christian just because you disagree with them. Jesus had a lot to say about the overly-righteous. And hey, some days that includes me. I'm not above reproach. But neither are the fundys, the right wingers, the left wingers, the democrats, the republicans, the homosexuals, the heterosexuals...
Why can't we be friends?
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