Scariest costume out there
It's not a ghost or a werewolf or monster or even a Chicken Nugget (that's what my daughter was supposed to be - but she ended up as a lamb when the nugget costume didn't fit) - it's the good heart, no brain creature known as the conservative Christian who always votes Republican because they think that's the only choice they have. I wish I had a simpler title for it than that, but I don't yet (I'm listening for ideas, if you have one).This group is scary for a number of reasons. One is clearly the voices that they hear. Not in their head - but instead the voices that they listen to for guidance and direction. Voices like good ol' Jerry Falwell.
In his most recent "Falwell Confidential" e-newsletter, he titles it "It's Time for Christians to Get Out the Vote" and launches straight into how he hears stories of doom and gloom for the Republicans, but he doesn't believe them because of his faith in the Moral Majority.
REPUBLICANS ARE NOT THE SAME THING AS CHRISTIANS (and vice versa)!!!!
I'm so tired of having to say this. But as Falwell makes painfully clear in there, there are still MILLIONS of Christians in this country who will focus on NOTHING but gay marriage and abortion (the only two issues Falwell specifically mentions), and based on that alone they will continue to vote straight Republican every single time.
I believe Falwell makes a mistake, though. He writes:
I am urging Christians across this nation to study the candidates and the issues and then go to the polls to vote for those men and women that best reflect our values.
If he means "our values" as a die hard Republican supporter, then maybe he didn't make a mistake. But if he means "our values" as CHRISTIANS, then if what he says there really happened, he would be in BIG trouble.
Because a well educated Christian population won't vote straight Republican down the line.
* They will consider what the Christian perspective on a consistent ethic of life would mean - not simply protecting the lives of the unborn, but also those killed by the death penalty and in horrible wars.
* They will not simply consider the rights fought for of the homosexual minority, but also the fair and equal rights deserved of all minorities - by race, gender, economic status, ethnicity, etc..
* They will consider what the Christian perspective on protecting and preserving God's creation of the environment is.
* They will consider what values the national budget and taxes show candidates to have - whether the effort is made to support the poor or the rich and how we spend our resources.
* They will consider characteristics of the leaders of the parties regarding honesty, diplomacy, a willingness to work with others, and trustworthiness.
* And the list goes on and on....
And a whole lot of them will not be voting Republican anymore.
posted by gurufrisbee @ 7:26 AM
