Alone in the Middle - Part 1 - Politics

Oddball?  Or goofball?

  I am a misfit, a non-conformist, an oddball, a foreigner in my own country.  As a child I was a loner at school, and I got used to being alone in the middle of a crowd.  It must have been a sort of foreshadowing if not a preparation for my adult life, because I still don't seem to fit very well in a lot of settings.

Politics

  The shunning by my friends is especially evident to me during an election year.  In a conversation about politics I have few comrades, since I do not have an allegiance to any political party.  My candidate doesn't exist.  During every election campaign I hear the rallying cry, "Vote your values!"  and I realize again, that if matters of conscience govern my political involvements, than I cannot vote at all, because the major parties in my country represent values that I think are a long way from what Jesus would want.  As a life-long pacifist, I cannot vote for either of the major political parties in America.

  I cannot vote for a Democrat because they support abortion and are too militant and put the interests of America over the interests of citizens of foreign countries on their own soil, basically trespassing on foreign lands around the world.  Jesus said to love your enemies and do good to those who abuse you.  This flies in the face of military retaliation against terrorists.

  I cannot vote for a Republican because they are even more militant than the Democrats and seem eager to advance the national interests, exploiting the citizens of other countries to do so.

  Republicans also seem to have little interest in helping the poor, either at home or abroad.  They yell, "Socialism!" if government programs are proposed to spread out the wealth.  But Jesus helped the poor.  A simple look at the New Testament reveals that the early Christians were all about sharing the wealth in a sort of sanctified socialism that was aimed at making sure nobody went hungry - and nobody had too much.  It was nothing like capitalism, but it was Christ-like.

  I'm not a Christian conservative, because I don't think it would be a good idea to put prayer back in the schools or the Ten Commandments on the wall of the courthouse.  Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution and prevents any religion from levying its beliefs and practices on the unbelieving citizen.  If Christian prayer is permitted in school then so would be Muslim prayer.  A fair compromise would have to be reached.  Hmm, maybe Christian prayer on Mondays, Muslim on Tuesdays, Hindu on Wednesday, Satanist on Thursdays and Atheist on Fridays.  That oughta work.  No really, it's best to keep religion out of the schools and the government.

  And on the flip side of that, I think it's best to keep the government and politics out of religion.  I think it's a bad idea (and against the law) for preachers to speak on political issues as they alienate their constituents who are of a different persuasion.  One of the major reasons that people are leaving the church is that it has become too political.  Voters should not be made to feel that they are partnering with the devil if they want to vote contrary to what their pastor says or if they see that there are other valid issues to be considered than just abortion and gay rights.

  One other observation about religious conservatives: They are the nastiest, meanest people in America during an election year.  Check Facebook to verify this.  Yep, the most unloving, unChrist-like people I know are conservative Christians.  The Bible is clear that God puts governments in place and Christians are to respect their government leaders (Romans 13:1).  But is that what you see happening among your Christian friends on Facebook or at breakfast at the local diner?  Not so much.

  Jesus was not involved in politics during his life on earth.  He seemed more intent on promoting a Kingdom that was above all earthly kingdoms and a citizenship that was not of this world.  He spoke of treating others the way we want to be treated (the Golden Rule) and loving others ahead of ourselves (the second Great Commandment). But that's not the American way.  And it's the opposite of what I see happening in American politics.

  Christians in America equate patriotism with faith in God.  Pacifists in the evangelical church who have the audacity to criticize the war in Iraq or Afghanistan are made to feel as though they are traitors to their country and to God.  That doesn't seem very Christlike.

  

  Okay, so now you see why I am an outcast from all major political groups.  And that's just the beginning; politics is only one of several fields that has me on the outside because of conscience and my ability to think for myself... and my determination to pursue the life of Christ.  Really.  No, not the way the local church preaches it or the way the Republican Party promotes it.  I  mean really!

  There's more coming:

  

  

Alone in the Middle - Part 2 - Religion

  Religiously speaking, I'm neither a conservative nor a liberal.  I think Christianity has reproduced the leaven of the Pharisees in its organized institutions, a virus that permeates every denomination and parish, putting them right back to where religion was when Jesus preached against it.  I'll write about that next time.

Alone in the Middle - Part 3 - Creation/Evolution

  You guessed it, I believe the most popular versions of both creation and evolution are scientifically flawed.  I will tell you what hybrid view I think makes the most sense in this future post.

Alone in the Middle - Part 4 - Topic to be announced

  There are several other ways I'm out of the mainstream; I'll decide later which subject to share.