My friend Rebekah is a woman and a Christian that I highly admire and respect, and who is truly one of the most awesome people I have ever met. When I came across this blog that she wrote yesterday, I felt that I wanted to share it with all of my friends who wouldn't have otherwise gotten to read it. She puts to words what I have been feeling and thinking, but for whatever reason wasn't able to so coherently and concisely elaborate on as she so wonderfully has. I'm not sure who Jim Wallis is, but I really really like his 'Five Rules for Christian Civility', not only applicable to this election but really, to all of life in my view. Enjoy this thoughtful and thought-provoking read.
(from Rebekah's blog)
"Hi. My name is Rebekah. I am a Christian and I am undecided.
Share
Yesterday at 4:51am
I have seen a lot of notes, posts, comments, etc. from many different perspectives and friends over the past few weeks. Many have been helpful and thoughtful contributions to my Decision 2008. This post is not directed at any camp or person... just a response that has been bubbling up over the past few weeks.
Here's my great confession:I am undecided on who to vote for. Much of the time, I can't quite stomach voting for EITHER of our two popular options (and some of the less popular ones). I still might write-in Jed Bartlett. But I have seen positive things on both sides, as well. There are so many serious issues facing our nation right now that I can't see narrowing things down to one issue. Which is the greater moral issue.... abortion or the war in Iraq (and policies that go along with that) or the ungodly way in which so many in our nation view and handle money or .... the list goes on. Neither candidate ticks all my boxes, so I have to choose one... the one that I think will address what I determine to be the biggest issues facing our nation at the moment in the way that is most consistent with my convictions which are shaped by my Christian faith. And here's the kicker... you are likely doing the same thing and we might not agree in the end.
I sometimes feel like even in admitting that I'm undecided (which from my conversations is a more common position than you might think, especially this year), I'm taking a big risk. I remember a friend of mine admitting to me after the last election how she had voted, and saying she had been afraid to talk about with her Christian friends for fear of their reaction and judgment of her. I don't know if it's avoidable... of course there will be people and groups who will form strong opinions and communicate them. We SHOULD do that. But to not feel safe or respected in a Christian circle admitting who you voted for just doesn't seem right to me.
Whether I vote republican or democrat, I will be (and have been for months) researching and considering the options and I will vote according to my conscience after careful consideration. The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Jim Wallis... I found it refreshing.
"Since Friday, I have been asked by many journalists what I think of Sarah Palin as the choice for the Republican vice-presidential nomination. I’ve confessed to knowing little about the new Alaskan governor but have said that she seems to be an interesting, decent, and compelling person, and that her nomination is another milestone as the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket, as Geraldine Ferraro was on the Democratic ticket in 1984. Like the milestone candidacy of Barack Obama, she, too, will be evaluated by Christians on a whole range of moral values issues, including poverty, the environment, the sanctity of life, strong and healthy families, human rights, health care, the war in Iraq, and more. Christians, including evangelical Christians, are not monolithic and most Christians will not be single-issue voters in this election. Rather, we will evaluate both presidential tickets according to our moral compass and broad agenda. The Republican Convention, like the Democratic Convention, should offer the voters clear choices, and I suspect it will.
So maybe we should have some rules of civility for this election. Let me suggest “Five Rules of Christian Civility.”
1. We Christians should be in the pocket of no political party, but should evaluate both candidates and parties by our biblically-based moral compass.
2. We don’t vote on only one issue, but see biblical foundations for our concerns over many issues.
3. We advocate for a consistent ethic of life from womb to tomb, and one that challenges the selective moralities of both the left and the right.
4. We will respect the integrity of our Christian brothers and sisters in their sincere efforts to apply Christian commitments to the important decisions of this election, knowing that people of faith and conscience will be voting both ways in this election year.
5. We will not attack our fellow Christians as Democratic or Republican partisans, but rather will expect and respect the practice of putting our faith first in this election year, even if we reach different conclusions.
On Nov. 4, Christians will not be able to vote for the kingdom of God. It is not on the ballot. Yet there are very important choices to make that will significantly impact the common good and the health of this nation — and of the world. So we urge our Christian brothers and sisters to exercise their crucial right to vote and to apply their Christian conscience to those decisions. And in the finite and imperfect political decisions of this and any election, we promise to respect the Christian political conscience of our brothers and sisters in Christ."
Full article: http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=1981
I hope that we all continue to share our thoughts and articles and links that we find helpful with others. I hope that we also remember that there are people out there who are genuinely wrestling with the issues from a perspective of faith, and they won't all come to the same conclusion. What a blessing and responsibility we have in voting for our leaders! "
Thank you, Rebekah, for your insight. You are a blessing!
No comments:
Post a Comment