I'm sitting here on the couch in the middle of a mountain of political mail. For the last couple weeks I've been saving the flyers as they came in the mail intending to sit down and sift through them so I can educate myself on the issues and be an informed voter.
My intention was to remain as neutral and unbiased as possible until I could research the facts about each issue and form my own opinion. I'm finding, though, that it's almost impossible to form an opinion on anything without some sort of input from someone else - and by it's very nature that input will always be biased. As I sort through the mail, I see very passionate and convincing flyers on both sides of issues and I'm at a complete loss for who is telling me the truth.
I've discovered that I'm way too much of a feeler to enjoy politics. People feel so strongly about politics and get so emotionally involved they become irrational. It's going on right now on Compassion's blog. I hate how divisive political issues are. I feel like we are giving Satan a wide open door to pit Christians against each other and destroy the unity of the Body of Christ.
I'm putting all this mail in the trash. There is only one source of Truth and I'm counting on it to have some solid answers for me.
Hurry up, November 4th.
I'm going to go find someone to give me a hug.
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7 comments:
Yep, that's exactly what it is. A distraction the enemy is using to take the focus off what's really important. No one, it seems, can have a rational conversation about politics. It's so frustrating. People go from "0" to "foaming at the mouth" so quickly...I don't remember it being so bad four years ago.
ME ME ME! Oh pick me! I'll hug you!
Yes...super divisive. My wife recently had a good conversation with a neighbor of ours who has a very different opinion from ours (politically), and they both walked away better friend than before...pretty impressive wife I have here!
I think politics would be less divisive (and far more democratic) if there were more than just 2 sides to explore and vote on.
I do wish we all (including me) would consult the Truth before a politician and his/her propaganda.
So much for the "campaign reform" that was such a hot topic after the last election. The unfortunate thing about modern political campaigning is "they" will say anything to get you vote their way whether it's the truth or a gross distortion thereof. I would love for the USA to adopt the UK's campaign laws...six weeks is all the time they get to campaign before the election. I'd like to add a dollar limit to that equation as well. Maybe a clause that says if you're caught lying, slinging mud or deviating from actual issues you get booted off the ballot.
I hope you found your hug.
Becky,
I totally agree with you; politics stink on so many levels.
My husband and I just finished our mail-in ballots. It took us weeks of research and plenty of conversations with people who had a little more insight than we did. In the end we came to conclusions about most of the issues. Nevertheless, we did leave a couple blank because we just couldn't figure them out. It's such a frustrating process and there are so many lies going around.
Never in my life have I been into politics. I'm still not. However, this particular election has gotten me more spirited than any in the past and I feel more called to talk about the better candidate for the job. Ironically, I don't like either candidate. I probably fall into the category of one of those people who has gotten a bit more riled up than they should have when it comes to talking about this year's election though. Thus, I can see your point about how it can cause a breakdown in the body of Christ.
This past Sunday my pastor spoke at church in regards to how we speak about our candidates and how much we do or do not pray for them. It was definitely a helpful reminder to me. I can have my opinion, but I still need to obey God's laws while doing so.
I did go to the link you posted for Chris' Compassion blog. It was pretty interesting stuff to read. There were definitely some comments that were over the top on that blog. But, I did think that some were well-said and I can certainly understand why people feel so passionate about some of the issues that are up for grabs with this election.
For example, I've always been against abortion and I always will be. But, ever since having my own children, the passion I feel for protecting unborn babies has tripled. I can't think about abortion without tearing up a bit. Something changes in you when you have your own children.
Basically I'm just saying that people generally have a reason for their passion and they feel so strongly about it that they want to share that desire with others. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the poor decisions that we make sometimes and the quickness to anger that I have been apt to lately. But, knowing that you (Becky) are on the fence about who to vote for makes me want to swoop in and share my thoughts. Which, by the way, I do have an article that I'd love to e-mail your way if you're up for it. I don't want to risk our friendship though by sending you even more political thoughts that point to a particular candidate. =:)
With that being said, I cannot wait until these elections are over. I'm tired of the television ads, the pamphlets in the mail, the constant conversations. I have a feeling that I'm going to be disappointed with who gets elected this year. I think our nation will morally take a turn for the worse in the next four years. Fortunately our God will still reign supreme no matter who's in charge in our country. That's one promise that will not be broken!
Karen
I am with you Becky. It is impossible to know what is actually true. The candidates pay big money for people who's greatest skill is grey area. Then you have the "unbiased" media championing their pick by sheer media coverage. I am totally for Ric's idea about campaigning. What a complete waste of millions of dollars. Just think about how much good they could both do in this world with that kind of cash. Lets have a party for the end of the election Nov 5th.
Heidi, I LOVE the end-of-the-election party idea! Talk about a reason to celebrate!
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