Recently, I have noticed my Christian friends are very upset and nervous about this upcoming election. If it is true that the signs point to the second coming, (although I am not confident that scripture supportis this) then we need to get our focus off of the election and start spreading the Good News of Jesus. But if this is another corrective political response to the last 8 years, then Christians should wonder what went wrong. Briefly, what went wrong for Christians, is that we failed to recognized that we are a strong minority in America. And if we want to influence politics and culture we cannot align ourselves with such highly offensive people as Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. Christians voted for President Bush, but it appears to me he aligned himself with some fellars who are not inclined to seeking God's will. Instead, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney seem to have used the blessings of Christian followers to their own poltical goals. And now our minority culture is viewed in historical bad light. Jesus wanted us to live out our lives in such a manner that the fruits of the spirit exhibited in us would attract more to him. Under Karl Rove's leadership and influence, we have failed to maintain this way of life.
Consequently, the Christian world view grew gradually offensive to the larger population of people. Our world view is seen as hypocritical, as our President misled the world into a war with Iraq. What should we do from now on? We should lead more people to Christ instead of trying to recruit people to be conservatives or republicans. We should be objectively critical in the pure judicial and journalistic sense towards any politician who wants to court the Christian vote. We should be prayerful in disclosing motives of our preachers to gain political power, instead of spreading the gospel. Some preachers in their desire to maximize their influence are tempted by the glitter of politics as an appropriate forum. We should expect our preachers to biblically scrutinize candidates in a seriously bipartisan manner. And we should expect our preachers to be even handed in their scrutiny. Surely, Republicans have not been so innocent of biblical scrutiny during the last 8 years. We should fight the cultural war for modesty and purety in our entertainment, education, language, music, by persistently pushing back against any offensive material. We should remain objectively and sincerely prayerful that all of our leaders will be favorably disposed to those of us trying to live out our Christian lives in America. At the end of the day we must rely on the message of Christ to change the world not our politicians. We can rest assured that there will be more opportunities to share what Christ accomplished on the Cross. And if God uses an election to inspire us to do that, then we are better for it.
Some women resist the need for a special economic plan for women. This is my response.
My ovaries and mammary glands single me out for different economic needs.
As I walked around pregnant 3 times as an attorney, my big tummy and leaking breasts effected the type of adjustments I needed on a temporary basis to succeed. My body demanded that I shift great resources to nurturing, and caring for the life of others. I couldn't delegate breast feeding to anyone. I had to carry the pump with me, and I had to keep track of whether I needed to pump thirty minutes before the Judge expected me to be in his chambers, or before the deposition started. If I forgot, I leaked everywhere.
Later on, after the kids were born, it was me who had to be there when my children were throwing up, or needed a parent at the school party. Of course the other parent can share the load, but then a system that discriminates against that sort of involvement makes it difficult for the father as well. And if the parent is single, the need to succeed at both, presents a no win situation for a single parent.
I want a economic plan for women, specifically, so that we can pursue the joys and successes of applying our body to care and raise other people for the next generation. Putting forth an economic plan that does not take into account ovaries, uterus, and lactating breasts, is what prevents women for making greater advances in the work place.
Read Care and Equality by Mona Harrington and Cornell West, and you'll understand what I expect.
to raise a child, . . . What does it take to overhaul the Democratic Party's poltical machine?
When we answer this, we'll answer why it is so hard to deliver the knock-out punch. And we give full credit to how ambitious this campaign is.
Let's answer it together!
Mary from Norman Oklahoma
Super Delegates. Hurry up and take away Senator Clinton's keys to her democratic machine.
Hillary Clinton's electability arguments assume that the Democratic Party will be unified. If the Democratic party is war torn beyond repair, she is unelectable. Her only remaining strategies to win inherently compromise the strength and unity of the Democratic Party.
Her Super Delegate horse-trading strategy is absolutely sure to divide the Democratic Party. And while we wait for the Super Delegates to step up and lead, she bides her time with another strategy: hope that Obama will self-implode and continue to lay traps to increase the likelihood that he will take a critical misstep. Her "gotcha" strategy also threatens the unity of the Democratic party, as we painfully wrangle in our seats watching the negativity increase with each day.
More troubling for the super delegates should be that the Clinton camp acts as if HRC doesn't need a strong unified party to beat McCain. She has already thrown MoveOn.org, and black voters under the bus. Next it will be all of the Obama delegates and his million plus contributors.
The pride and delusion that it takes to ignore the complications with this strategy shows her inability to effectively lead our Country through the next 4 years to remedy the last 71/2 year's worth of problems.
Super delegates are responsible first to keep the party unified so that the nominee will win in November. Secondly, super-delegates also have the chance to dismember the Clinton's political machine redistribute power to the next in line. The newly registered voters are a sign that we are ready to rebuild a new generation of Democrats, but it is up to the Super Delegates to exercise the judgment and leadership that will take us down this course.
It is difficult for me to support Senator Obama's view of Christianity and church. Not because I am threatened or worried about the message his former pastor gave. But because of the lack of care his church has given to scripture. I disagree with strategies used by his church to achieve political goals. I also disagree with conclusions reached by the church regarding the ordaination of ministers. I have a very heavy heart about this. I had hoped to avoid this conflict between my faith and Senator Obama's campaign, but it seems that it is irreconcilable. I don't know how I can confidently campaign for him and explain his position to friends and family who worship with me each week.
I am hopeful, however, that Senator Obama will take an independent view of scripture and chart out a better course for himself and his family. I understand his hesitancy to leave his church after having put so much time and energy with them, but if his relationship with God takes priority, then he will consider it.
Depite this troubling decision, I will continue to admire him for his vision of America, his temperment, and his devotion to reaching solutions without fighting and defeating others. I will continue to pray for God's protection for his family, his wife and children, and his leadership in the event he is chosen to serve as President of the United States.
