Church and state (Sept 6, 2006)

Okay. Let's talk about church and state, shall we? As a Christian, I am called to live out my faith 24/7 in everything I do. Live a Christ-like life, you know? Obviously, my faith in Christ influences everything I do. It even influences my voting and my political stances. This isn't so big a problem for the average little voter like myself. Our beliefs and opinions make us vote the way we do and support the causes we support.

It's a problem for the people we vote into office, though. This drives me up the wall. I mean, we elect people based on our beliefs and values (and fears), and they then go on to represent our beliefs, values and fears to the people who make decisions and stuff. Unfortunately, if half the population is conservative and elects a conservative representative, then the other half of the population is totally unrepresented.

I'm kind of thinking as I type right now, so bear with me.

I'm sick of representatives, congress-people, and senators furthering their own narrow-minded agendas because of their personal beliefs, values, fears, and desires for success and world domination. Okay, maybe not world domination so much, but success for sure. Like this Harris chick from... Florida is it? Talking about how the church can't be separated from the state, to separate church and state is sinful, and to vote for a non-Christian is even more sinful.

People forget that we live in a nation that is as diverse as it is wide. A nation based on freedom and liberty to live they way you want to - as long as you're not impinging on anyone else's way of life. (With that in mind, it's funny how we "employ" poverty-stricken third world people for pennies a day so we Americans can live a better life and pay less for it.) As long as we're not impinging upon an American's way of life, I should say, and a white American at that. Because if you're not an American and if you're not white, chances are you're going to get screwed over eventually.

People can't push agendas that totally run over other people just because of their own religious beliefs. Those little pilgrims left England for that very reason - they wanted religious freedom. (Let's just leave it at that for now.)

So why do our politicians think it's okay to push legislation that takes away a person's basic right to live?

Your faith should influence your life - but make sure it's GOOD faith. Make sure it's not discriminating faith. Make sure it's a faith based on unconditional love and that you're also taking into account the basic principles the country you live in was founded upon. Then cast your vote and write your bills.