I ventured into the world of religious politics - it is a very strange place to be. There is a guy who I knew about ten years ago when I lived in a different part of the state and I saw his facebook status that completely floored me. He wrote something to the tune of "I still don't believe that Obama is a U.S. citizen." Is he serious?
So I did the stupid thing and commented. Note to self: people who get all political aren't very open to contrary viewpoints. I thought I started off well - I quoted from Don Henley. I was basically like "let it go" and then quoted from "Forgiveness"
I thought it was harmless enough. But then it got weird. Other people started to chime in that Obama's certificate wasn't authentic, didn't have raised seals, didn't have the right signatures, wasn't signed by the right people. So apparently normal everyday schlubs are now experts at birth certificates?
Now for all I care, Obama could have been born on the moon. I mean really, as long as your mom is a citizen of the country you could be born on a plane over Antarctica and it wouldn't change your citizenship.
But that wasn't the best part. My point was that as people who follow Jesus, we have to have love for EVERYONE whether friend or foe. In fact Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Apparently this is a major strain for some people who follow Christ and don't like Democrats.
For the record I am not Republican or Democrat. My biggest political decisions are in my home - happy wife, happy life. Just sayin.
So I quote from I Corinthians 13 supporting the fact that we should love even those who we disagree with (you know the 'love is patient, love is kind' verse . . . it includes 'love keeps no record of wrongs . . . always trusts' you get the picture).
And then this guy enters the thread saying that what I said had nothing to do with Christianity - that it is our Christian duty to make sure that politicians are on the up and up.
Now process that - I just quoted 4 verses of Holy Scripture and it has nothing to do with Christianity?
It was a weird place to be. The fact that he misspelled 'Caesar' and 'non-sequitur' didn't score big points with me either. I should have just shut my mouth (and my computer) and not responded. But I did. I do think that we can disagree with people and still cheer for them. I believe that we can be convinced that someone is dead wrong and still have a great love for them and want them to succeed. I do believe that you can be a member of a political party and a Christian, but you have to be a big C Christian and a little r republican (or little d democrat).
If it really is the truth, it eclipses all other attachments. Don't let your politics cloud your Christianity.
And when you want to voice those opinions - run it through the filter of Grace (and spellcheck).
Amen! The head-shaking, pervasive vitriol spouted on the political stage by the same people who want to brag about their Sunday morning commitments is some of the most damaging publicity for Christians...that and their fear of a world without a black-and-white ideology. So sad...
ReplyDeleteRight on target with this one, reinforcing and emphasizing why it is important to have a separation of church and state.
ReplyDeleteBut Dr. Wilkinson, don't you know that the more socialist (Democrat) America becomes, the closer the end times are?
ReplyDeleteI am obviously being sarcastic.
I found when people are frustrated, they will grab onto anything that attacks their source of frustration as a form of validation and in this case even if they had a video of Obama being delivered by the then governor of Hawaii with the Mauna Kea volcano as the backdrop, critics would say in their best hillbilly accent “it’s the same tricks they use to make those fancy Hollywood movies”
ReplyDeleteThat mentality is very much easier than being able to offer legitimate solutions or help build up or God forbid, admit you are wrong. I could be wrong but I’m guessing your friend blames Obama for some financial shortcoming himself or someone close to him has suffered. It’s interesting to me how this situation could relate to your book. In this case it could be called No Argument for Birth. There can be numerous technical arguments as to the authenticity of the birth certificate, however we just have to have faith that he is truthful and will do what’s right for the American people.