Category Archives: Politics

Some thoughts on politicians and bathrooms

1 Reply

Bathroom-gender-signIn no particular order, here are some of my thoughts on the bathroom hubbub going on these days:

  • Sheesh! Don’t we have better things to spend our time and tax money on?
  • Most laws governing who can go to what bathroom are silly. They are. If you start trying to legislate these things, you create more problems than you’ve had before. As we’ve seen.
  • At the same time, the national government’s intrusion into states’ affairs on this has only made things worse. Any time the federal government appears to be bullying the states, the states are naturally going to fight back. Especially if the political leanings of state officials go against the current administration.
  • Most of this furor is political. At lower levels, there are many school officials very aware of what’s going on with their kids. (And frankly, they can handle it better than any legislature can) As you move up each level in the governmental chain, the issue becomes more and more about power and politics.
  • In particular, state officials need to focus more on improving schools and less time debating bathrooms. This is especially true in Texas. (I highly recommend reading the Facebook post by the Granbury (TX) ISD which addresses this issue)
  • There is only a small portion of our population dealing with gender issues. For the most part, there haven’t been major problems in this area. Most transgender adults use the bathroom of their choice and the rest of the population isn’t aware of it. There would be more problems caused by a Caitlyn Jenner entering the men’s bathroom than he/she discretely going to a stall in the ladies room.
  • There is much more danger of male-on-male sexual abuse than that of people taking advantage of the “chance” to use a different bathroom.
  • Christians need to focus on how we are dealing with people. How we talk to our kids about what’s going on. How we deal with kids who are dealing with emotional issues like gender confusion. How we teach everyone to deal with bullies, both in the school and in government. (I highly recommend the article Seven things I’m learning about transgender persons)

That’s probably enough to make everyone mad, right?

I’m worried about this election

4 Replies

votingI have to admit, this is one time I’m a bit concerned about the outcome of an election.

And it’s not because of who might win or who might lose.

I’m concerned about the lasting impact this election could have on the church; specifically, on individual Christians.

  • I’m afraid the fear will last. Many Christians are acting on fear when they think about voting. Fear that the wrong candidate will win. Fear of economic problems. Fear of foreigners. Fear of cultural change.
  • I’m afraid Christians will believe that power and influence are the way to change our world, rather than following the lead of the Lamb.
  • I’m afraid Christians will put their hope in the winner. Too many feel that politicians can fix what’s wrong with this country. Too many think that participating in politics or not participating in politics will determine the moral course of this nation.
  • I’m afraid Christians will believe the talk of American exceptionalism, identifying more with a country of this world than with the Kingdom of heaven.
  • I’m afraid Christians will identify more with those in power than the marginalized. I’m afraid we’ll forget that we are immigrants and foreigners, not full-fledged citizens.
  • I’m afraid the violence and hatred, fighting and division will bleed over into the church.

Christians need to be sure that the Kingdom shapes their politics and not vice versa. No matter who gets elected in November. I don’t care who wins. I just don’t want Christians to lose their identity.

Why I Can’t Support The Right

1 Reply

political Bible In the United States, when talking about politics, the Right refers to conservative views. The Republican Party is considered the party of the Right.

There are parts of the Rightists’ message that resonate with me. Concern for morality. Emphasis on the family. De-emphasis of the role of government.

So why can’t I support the Right? Here are some reasons:

  • Stance toward immigrants and refugees. Yes, this is a personal list, and this topic is of special interest to me personally. I live in a state where the Right uses the question of immigration as its principal fear-mongering tool. As I’ve said before, I favor efforts to secure the southern border of the United States. But I oppose any reasoning which places the blame on immigrants or seeks to characterize them as criminals and/or terrorists. The language of the Right on this issue should be offensive to every Christian. We are called to compassion for those less fortunate, not contempt.
  • Emphasis on violence as a solution. For many, the answer to most foreign policy questions is violence. They seek to impose the will of the United States on other nations, intimidating them by economic and military force. Violence is also the answer for many domestic issues. As a Christian, I can’t support such. I don’t feel that being Pro-Life ends when a baby is born. Christians speak up for life over death at every level.
  • American exceptionalism. I reject the idea that the United States is inherently greater than other nations. I reject the notion that our system is inherently better than that of others. I cannot support policies based on preserving the United States’ position of dominance in the world. (There also tends to be a strong patriotic emphasis by those on the Right, though the Left would lay claim to the same patriotism. I’m very patriotic… but my patria is not the United States. It’s the Kingdom of God.)
  • Disregard for the environment. I feel that Christians have a responsibility to stand up for the good of God’s creation. The Right can favor the economy over ecology. Christians on the Right find themselves in untenable positions, such as denying climate change in the face of all evidence. I admit that radical environmentalism can be harmful, but that doesn’t free us from the responsibility to be good stewards of what God has made.

    • There are other issues. These are just some major ones that stand out for me.

    Does that mean I support the Left? Far from it. Please read the companion post: Why I Can’t Support the Left

    And no, I don’t believe in choosing the lesser of two evils. You still end up choosing an evil. That’s not for me.

    Why I Can’t Support The Left

    4 Replies

    political Bible
    In the United States, when talking about politics, the Left refers to liberal views. The Democratic Party is considered the party of the Left.

    There are parts of the Leftists’ message that resonate with me. Concern for the poor. Concern for the environment. Opposition to most forms of violence.

    So why can’t I support the Left? Here are some reasons:

    • Abortion. Yes, that has to top the list. I don’t believe in one-issue politics, so I won’t say that the list begins and ends there. But it’s a major issue. Beyond the legislative questions, I’m troubled by the emphasis on a mother’s rights versus those of her child. I’m troubled by the effort to completely remove questions of morality from sexuality and reproduction. Christians are to speak up for the weak and powerless; none fit that category better than the unborn. We should also speak up for life over death.
    • Emphasis on government as solution. There was a time when the family was expected to take care of most needs. What couldn’t be dealt with by the individual family was handled by the church family. The Left tends to replace the family and the church with the government when discussing social problems.
    • Antagonism toward public expression of religion. As a Christian, I can’t support the idea that faith is merely a personal matter to be practiced in the privacy of one’s home. The Left has done more to limit religious expression than it has done to promote it; I can’t stand with them on that.
    • Support for the Gay Movement. The Left has unquestionably accepted homosexuality and has often pressured Christians to do the same. I do not favor the mistreatment of homosexuals any more than I favor the mistreatment of those that commit other sins. But as a Christian I will not whitewash immorality in any form, including homosexuality.

    There are other issues. These are just some major ones that stand out for me.

    Does that mean I support the Right? Far from it. Please read the companion post: Why I Can’t Support the Right

    And no, I don’t believe in choosing the lesser of two evils. You still end up choosing an evil. That’s not for me.

    Voting

    3 Replies

    votingWhen I was young, I was an avid voter. I was raised with the notion that being a good citizen was part of being a Christian. (don’t know that I was told that, but that was the message I heard)

    At school, we were instructed in the political process and our role in that process. Through my high school government teacher, I even got to participate in the county political convention for one of the parties when I was a senior in high school.

    During the years I was in Argentina, I didn’t vote. It wasn’t impossible, but it certainly wasn’t simple, especially because I lived a long way away from the U.S. embassy. (9-10 hours by bus, which is how I would have travelled)

    When I returned to the United States, I began to be confronted with different views on Christians and politics. I came to realize that there wasn’t unanimity on the question throughout Christendom or even within churches of Christ. The more I studied the less comfortable I became with participating in the political process.

    In recent years, I’ve come to feel that Christians shouldn’t align themselves with any one nation here on this earth. We are strangers and aliens, ambassadors from another kingdom. Just as I lived as an alien in Argentina, I believe that I should live as an alien in Texas.

    At the same time, I believe that we have a responsibility to be informed about the issues of the day and willing to speak out on them; not to support any one candidate or party, but to support certain principles and ideals. I also believe that we should be working actively for the good of the city where we find ourselves; because of that I have begun to vote in non-national political contests and on referendums that affect my local community.

    That’s been my journey, in brief. I don’t know that I’ve reached a final position on these questions. But that’s where I am today.