Politics and God

I try to stay out of politics on the blagosphere, as often it is an outlet for endless belligerent debate; making clowns from all sides of the political field. Left, Right, center, undecided, apathetic, it is an endless argument.

Instead of choosing sides, I'd rather point out, for a few minutes of your time, that maybe our lives outside of Washington are at fault, and it is trickling into every aspect of our existence. Growing up in Christian ed, there were many ideologies thrown down as truth, as indisputable evidence that our way of life was not only divinely appointed, but in no way consisting of fault. Fortunately, History is both a looking glass, and a mirror for which to inspect ourselves. For so long I believed what my teachers and pastor told me, until I saw the other side of the mirror from which I had been staring at so long. I remember when my faith in these things cracked.

I was on vacation in the desert lands of northern Arizona, bordering Utah, and area known as "Monument Valley." You've seen it, in the third "Back, to the Future" movie. The desert scenes all take place there. On the other side of that valley lies the ultimate effect of a wonderful term we all know as "Manifest Destiny." A waste land, with little vegetation, scalding hot rocks, sand scratching the skin from the whipping strong winds. From what I recall, this was a patch of land, one of the few holes in the ground left to the Navajo people. They lived in plywood shanties, with no jobs, no future, only a bloody past. A beautiful people brought to ruination because it was God's Will for the white man to possess this entire continent. Now, they pile thick their shattered bottles of alcohol. Their cattle, if that is what they are, were no bigger than large dogs, and were discolored, green tinted, frail. When I witnessed, not only there, but all across the state, these desolate lands, these sovereign territories of the Natives, something broke within. I could no longer believe that a loving savior had done this to these people who did nothing to deserve the disease and war that fell upon them not so long ago. When my history teacher brought this subject up the following school year, this asinine assumption of my races' dominance, I told this same story, without flinching, without a second thought, asking how can you claim christ and this doctrine? only to be answered by silence and a dumbfounded silent gaze.

How do you go your whole life believing this horse shit?

Capitalism does not reflect the teaching of Christ. For a religion that longs so dearly to control the majority of a democracy, it is perplexing to think that its members would yield this model that goes against the very nature, actions of its Messiah. We all can reasonably notice on our own that the wealth, the means to a greater good, only floats to the top. The rich become richer, the poor, they are left to carry on with their poverty, just as imperialism, aristocracy, monarchy. The middle class is the scape goat for all the excess and all the vapid caverns. The wealth doesnt trickle down, no one in their right, greedy mind, makes over 500k and seeks to give most of it away, to settle for a modest life, so that others may live in modesty, instead of sickness, hunger, and depravity, lack of education.

Christ calls his followers, if you interpret as strictly as other passages, to sell your wealth, give it away and bless the poor, to take up a cross and follow the same as himself. I'm so sick of hearing my fellow Americans who claim christianity ignorantly speaking fear of socialism. If you really wished to run a government that reflects the attitude and character of God, you cannot allow the poor to suffer at the table of the rich.

Socialism is not facism, it is not communism.

Things are not as they seem. The history of this "Christian" nation are tainted with innocent blood, ill doctrine, deciet, greed. Politics will not solve it, economy will not solve it, greed can never satisfy, war can never be fully justified, dominance in a global community cannot be tolerated, and I fear that it will not be much longer before we learn the very hard way at the hands of nations that seek for peace, just as we claim to.

The christian mainstream has been seriously derailed from any common sense, sooner or later you have to understand it. Or maybe you don't. I interact daily with people that think my faith is a joke, that there is nothing legitimate about Christ, his teachings, his followers. So while Christians are taking the candy coated bait, I'm left speechless, apologetically begging unbelievers not to look to the mistakes of so many.

For God's sake, and the sake of all He has done for us, use the mind he gave you.