John Piper on the 2008 Election; Ben’s Political Manifesto
I think perhaps I confuse a lot of my friends with my political ramblings, so I want to make a sort of political manefesto to clear the air:
I don’t think the Republican Party or the Democratic Party offer much hope for America. I think Jesus does.
I don’t think the ideals of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party represent a Christian worldview. I think parts of the ideologies of both parties are both beneficial and/or horrible depending on the issue we are dealing with.
I hate to think that a majority of the Christians I know seem to be adopting the viewpoints of conservatism in its entirety without deeply considering all the issues. It’s not just a 2 issue thing, it’s multiple issues. (Yes we must be anti-abortion if we believe in the 10 commandments, and yes we will reject the radical homosexual agenda believing that it is destructive to society and sinful, but believing those two things shouldn’t necessarily make us Republicans who adopt wholesale all Republican ideals).
America is not a Christian nation. What is a Christian nation anyway? America is a nation where (at least still at this point) there is freedom for competing ideas. If we take away one group’s freedom, we simultaneously endanger our own freedom.
We should vote to protect a Christo-centric morality in America, but we shouldn’t be surprised if society rejects that morality and votes differently. Moral laws in America are decided upon by vote, so go vote!
Ultimately, as Piper says above, our trust and hope and happiness are not in the political system. We’re involved in the discussion, but not overly involved. I believe we have freedom to embrace some of the policies of a political figure, while hating other policies of that figure. How should you vote? I don’t know. Search your own heart and head, and pray. But don’t pretend as if all Christians must vote one specific way.
Whether it drives people crazy or not, I’m just in the middle, and I’m very much questioning both sides. There’s more that could be said, but this is a start. If anyone is interested to know, I did not vote for McCain or Obama. Comments and discussion are welcome.
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1 commentObama our first Postmodern President
While watching election coverage tonight, I heard Charles Gibson mention that some have been calling Obama the “first postmodern candidate.” The term “postmodern” is about as loaded a term as imaginable, and it has a ton of positive and negative connotations depending on your worldview. I found the statement interesting, googled “Obama postmodern,” and found this article. I think it’s insightful and worrisome in some aspects, just as postmodernism can be insightful and worrisome. If Obama is our first postmodern president, then he reflects the postmodern worldview that has largely invaded Western popular culture.
p.s. – I am not trying to be anti-Obama, nor am I anti-Obama (at least as things stand right now). I do believe that the election of a black man in America is a huge step forward for race relations in a country that is still largely divided in many areas.
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No commentsSarah Palin & the End of a Culture War
I just read this op-ed piece from the Washington Post on culture, politics, and why Sarah Palin was the wrong choice for McCain’s running mate. This is an excellent piece of writing and I think it perfectly captures a shift that is happening in American ideals. Here’s an excerpt:
Why has America turned on Sarah Palin? Obviously, her wobbly television interviews haven’t helped. Nor have the drip, drip of scandals from Alaska, which have tarnished her reformist image. But Palin’s problems run deeper, and they say something fundamental about the political age being born. Palin’s brand is culture war, and in America today culture war no longer sells. The struggle that began in the 1960s — which put questions of racial, sexual and religious identity at the forefront of American politics — may be ending. Palin is the end of the line.
Check out the rest of the article here.
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1 commentMcCain’s Suspension of Campaign
Let me start by saying I’m not voting for McCain or Obama, but I still have strong opinions about both of them. I think McCain’s announcement today that he’s suspending his campaign to deal with the financial crisis is absolutely ridiculous. Clearly this is a ploy to try to make himself look good. McCain’s trying to make himself appear as the candidate that really cares about the economy, when in actuality Obama has been talking about economic trouble for some time. McCain has been trying desperately to ignore the issue. This latest announcement is nothing more than political maneuvering by McCain to shift focus from away his previous positions; now in the future McCain can praise himself as the candidate who really cares about the American people.
McCain is considering postponing some of the presidential debates now too. I think it’s completely absurd to postpone the debates at Ole Miss University and Belmont University, both of whom have spent huge piles of cash in preparation for the debates that are supposed to be coming to their respective campuses. Perhaps the real issue is that McCain is scared to debate Obama. Since he appears to have no convictions about anything, will stoop to any level in dirty campaigning, outright lie about factual information, and fails to represent the ideology of the Republican party in any way, I guess it’s really not that surprising that he would pull a stunt like this.
Just had to add this:
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