Just came back from a mini-tour from Shelby, MT. I found it funny the way my band members railed against the Republicans. I don't mind pointed criticism, which is healthy, but an outlook that says everything Republican is bad and full of corporate greed, while the Democrat position is the solution. I heard comments like, "I think most Montanans are clay pigeons." (reference to Brian Schweitzer's TV ad shooting clay pigeons) Other comments were tearing down "Joe the plummer", Sarah Palin, and the IQ of Republicans.
What I can't stand is not because they hate Republicans, but they think Democrats have all answers. None of them understood free-market, none of them saw the beauty of the community of Shelby, then putting it together that the people of Shelby are primarily Christian Republicans.
We need Christians (not partisan bickering on both sides) to show the world true community. More and more of us need to help our neighbors, not always identifying our enemy.
October 25, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Good ol' Joe the Plumber. What would America do without him? Learn to fix their own darn toilets, that's what. We'll see who Obama calls when the White House tub is overflowing and he needs a quick fix ;)
Seriously, though, I think you've brought up a valid point that applies to the church as much as it applies to the political world. We live in a culture that thrives on negativity. We all know who we're supposed to hate and why we're supposed to hate them, but we rarely place the same emphasis on who we're supposed to love. We've touched on this subject a few times during our Thursday meetings: the fact that Christianity is known more for what it is against than for the positive things that it is in favor of.
It's fine to dislike Republicans, Democrats, Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics or whatever. I wouldn't suggest for a minute that people drop their convictions. But, ultimately, it's not productive to dwell on the "dislikes." We should be asking what positive steps we can take to build a better community, a better America, and a better church.
This is one of the reasons why I chose to leave my previous church. There was a lot of tension and a lot of negativity, but when I tried to propose positive solutions and cast a forward-looking vision for the church, the response was lukewarm at best. Afterall, it's often easier to find conflicts than it is to find solutions :-\
I think it's a good idea to pray for our country, our local community here in Montana, and for our churches; that God would give our society guidance at all levels to move beyond the 'dislikes' and find positive, proactive means for building healthier relationships at all levels of society.
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