————————————————————
Guest bloggerette Kim agrees with Brian that I am a hypocritical oaf. I must admit that it’s a rare day that I take flack for not being controversial enough. Still, a good writer knows his audience. I think I now have a better read on mine. (And to think, this all started because I just wanted a clever reason to put up the link to Nun Gunner.)
Her unedited post is below in Purple Text.
Sorry, but I have to agree with Brian on this one. I know how you are about
“picking your battles” and this particular one doesn’t seem to hit your hot
button. I also know how you just keep quiet during the “under God” words when
you have to recite the pledge yourself and I even admire the fact that you can
even do that considering your disbeliefs.
However, even I find it hard to be hypocritical in this instance. I believe in
God, you know that. However, I don’t believe that Religion of any kind has any
place in politics. We’ve talked about that several times. It disturbs me
greatly when the politicians use any religious views or issues to further their
agendas. This being an election year will push me over the edge having to listen
to them use religious issues in their quest to further their Presidential bids.
Gay Marriage, “under God” statements, abortion… clearly none of these things,
and many others, do not belong in the political arena. The only reason they make
it there is because there are too many Christians out there that only care about
Christianity and not real world political issues, like foreign policy, economy,
etc. They need something to cling to in order to pick their candidate, and they
pick only the one that they believe has similar religion. Unfortunately, I
believe this way of picking our political candidates, is far too prevalent.
As I said, I’m a believer, you know that. You aren’t and I know that. The best
thing is that we do respect the fact that everyone can have their own view and
still co-exist. More people should feel this way. I don’t believe in abortion,
but I also don’t want the government telling me whether or not I could obtain
one. That’s a choice only I should make and I should only have to answer to one
“being” for that… that “being” isn’t my government. I like Brian’s point “I
don’t think the government should tell me who, what, where, when, how or IF to
believe in God. ” I think the same goes for all issues surrounding God or
personal values. They don’t belong in the political arena.
Another point Brian made very well… “but because it vindicates those who think
they are better than someone else based on their beliefs. It propagates an “I’m
better than you are because of what you believe,” attitude”. I completely agree
that those attitudes are prevalent in the Christian society. There are even
Christians that totally believe that their church is the ONLY one doing it right
and therefore, if you don’t go there, you’re doing it wrong. Forget that you are
still a believer and worship the same God. If you don’t do it their way, you’re
wrong. That’s the most hypocritical view of all… the very people that have
that view and believe they are better than everyone or anyone else that differs
from them, are the very people that need to refer to their bibles more often.
That attitude is clearly not what Jesus ever taught in the bible I read.
So, if I had to weigh in, I’d have probably been hypocritical too and said it’s
ok with me that it says “under God” in the pledge, because I do believe. But…
if I truly want the religious aspect out of all politics, I’d have to say it
should go. We should be learning to treat everyone equally. We are supposed to
embrace the difference in everyone, so the laws should not prohibit that by
sounding like one group of people is any better than another. That’s not for us
to decide.