exstatic
04-10-2006, 06:33 PM
This is in response to a letter from a Christian last week saying he'd jump ship on Bush when he had a reason.
Name: Jim Polewski
Hometown: Madison, WI
Mike in Boise: you ask for a reason to jump off the GOP ship, but you identify the two most obvious reasons yourself: the "incompetent-in-chief will pretend to care what I believe." Once a person recognizes that the President is incompetent, and a liar who "pretends to believe" there is no reason to stay on the ship. The GOP isn't willing to admit that the ship is on the wrong course, and isn't even willing to ask "the incompetent-in-chief" to look where's he going. (God forbid he use a map, or ask for directions.) The GOP is not willing to admit that its leader has not yet told the truth about any serious matter facing the Republic. What more reason could a person need? But, I have one: the GOP, in pretending to care what you believe, trashes everything the Christian church holds dear. Lip service to protecting the unborn weighs far more heavily than caring for the sick, the hungry, the cold, or even stewardship of this planet, all so that the rich, fat and happy can be more so. My vision of the Christian faith in action in this world is to work to see that those who have too little get enough before those who already have an abundance get more. Conveniently, that's also the Democratic ideal. The Republican ideal is to give bigger tax breaks to the rich. My Christian faith says faith without works is dead, and by our acts shall they know us. What acts of the Republican party can the Christian church point to with pride when judgment arrives? War on false pretense? Increases in hunger and illegitimate children, and decreases in the taxes paid by the most wealthy people on the planet? That doesn't seem very close to the Beatitudes to me. Man is imperfect, and no human institution will ever meet the ideal of Christian faith; the best one can do is get as close to it as you can. Because I count myself a Christian, I'm a Democrat as the best available choice. Tell me, Mike, why is it that abortion and the manner of recognition of gay relationships are so much more important to you than competent government, just and honest government? I ask because I know that you are not alone; that large pluralities of the Evangelical branches of our common faith agree with you and hold me in contempt as a backslider or dupe of Satan. I don't understand why, and I don't understand why those two issues are the ones that drive your vote. I'd like to understand that. I understand that your reason is faith based, as is mine, and that we share at least the outlines of a common faith. What I don't know is the reasoning that leads you down your path.
Name: Jim Polewski
Hometown: Madison, WI
Mike in Boise: you ask for a reason to jump off the GOP ship, but you identify the two most obvious reasons yourself: the "incompetent-in-chief will pretend to care what I believe." Once a person recognizes that the President is incompetent, and a liar who "pretends to believe" there is no reason to stay on the ship. The GOP isn't willing to admit that the ship is on the wrong course, and isn't even willing to ask "the incompetent-in-chief" to look where's he going. (God forbid he use a map, or ask for directions.) The GOP is not willing to admit that its leader has not yet told the truth about any serious matter facing the Republic. What more reason could a person need? But, I have one: the GOP, in pretending to care what you believe, trashes everything the Christian church holds dear. Lip service to protecting the unborn weighs far more heavily than caring for the sick, the hungry, the cold, or even stewardship of this planet, all so that the rich, fat and happy can be more so. My vision of the Christian faith in action in this world is to work to see that those who have too little get enough before those who already have an abundance get more. Conveniently, that's also the Democratic ideal. The Republican ideal is to give bigger tax breaks to the rich. My Christian faith says faith without works is dead, and by our acts shall they know us. What acts of the Republican party can the Christian church point to with pride when judgment arrives? War on false pretense? Increases in hunger and illegitimate children, and decreases in the taxes paid by the most wealthy people on the planet? That doesn't seem very close to the Beatitudes to me. Man is imperfect, and no human institution will ever meet the ideal of Christian faith; the best one can do is get as close to it as you can. Because I count myself a Christian, I'm a Democrat as the best available choice. Tell me, Mike, why is it that abortion and the manner of recognition of gay relationships are so much more important to you than competent government, just and honest government? I ask because I know that you are not alone; that large pluralities of the Evangelical branches of our common faith agree with you and hold me in contempt as a backslider or dupe of Satan. I don't understand why, and I don't understand why those two issues are the ones that drive your vote. I'd like to understand that. I understand that your reason is faith based, as is mine, and that we share at least the outlines of a common faith. What I don't know is the reasoning that leads you down your path.