Politics, Jesus, Entitlements, and Idiots

I like to try and keep my life drama free. At this point you should understand that two female humans and one female canine live in my home so my life isn’t completely drama-free but we try. I have been trying to think of a way to reduce the amount of drama in the world today and I may be close to a solution. Against better judgment, I will share it with you but you have to realize that this is a work in process. Before you respond with an uprising the size of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, you must remember that I am just a person trying to make the world a better place (hehe)! But, here goes anyway…

            We have come to a time in the world when we are too sensitive, which creates drama. If someone disagrees with us we assume it is an attack on our person so we, in turn, launch a counterattack against the newly declared enemy. If we don’t agree on everything then we cannot be even acquaintances in this cowardly new world. And, and, and, if we don’t agree, we don’t confront. We text, Facebook, tweet, blog, or email. I do marriage counseling with couples who actually fight via text. Basically that means that they say type the most hurtful things without having a clue how the other person is feeling or reacting, or the environment that they are reading it in. If you do this, stop! Now! When Tammy or I sense that an argument, fight, disagreement, or whatever you call it, is starting we call. If you say, “I may not be in a position to carry on a conversation at that time.” Fine then, let it wait. We are raising a generation and even becoming a generation that have no idea how to act in a social setting (social being actual people there and not on a website). Common courtesy is quickly becoming not-so-common. We act like jerks and get offended ourselves when someone objects to us being jerks. “Well, I speak my mind.” Well, sometimes you shouldn’t! Anyway…

            Back to the drama, assumed attacks, and how to help this problem in the great USA. There is a part of me that would like to go into politics but I have never taken the plunge. I know, just about everyone in politics says it’s awful, terrible, and that no one should ever do it but yet I don’t see many of them stepping away from it. I have rarely seen a politician declare burnout (that is before they lose an election) and walk away from the “terrible” life. I have already decided on my campaign manager and that same person will be the office manager of whatever office I decide to get elected to. I am ready, I just don’t know if I want to go that way or not. If you watch the political arena it is full of drama. I mean full of it. Apparently the popular way to become the best candidate is to try and destroy your rival. Nevermind that I am the best person for the job, I must tell you all the crap on the other guy/gal.

            It has been so long since I have written anything and I have so much on my mind that I am struggling to stay on task. But here goes one more time…

            I suggest that we self impose a new regulation on our speech. Self imposed, not government imposed. And here is how it would work...

• If you don’t vote, you don’t talk about any elected official. You don’t put up funny demeaning pictures. You don’t campaign for or against anyone. You don’t get to express your opinion to the masses, with one exception. You go to the home of a family member of someone who is serving or who has served or even died to give you the right to vote and to speak, and you explain to them how busy you were on election day and through early voting and why you didn’t exercise the right that their husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother served or even died to give you. If they give you permission then you may now have the floor.
• If you don’t read your bible regularly, you don’t get to use it as a weapon against anyone other than Satan himself. I am tired of half-hearted so-called Christians being whole-hearted idiots and perverting God’s Word to suit their selfish Christ-less agendas. The bible says to hide it in your heart. And it says that it is as powerful as a two edged sword but nowhere does God say to use it against each other. I feel very strongly that if more people would try to live by God's word themselves instead of trying to get everyone else to, then we would see a difference.
• If you don’t pray at home with your children, don’t complain about prayer not being in schools. Kids whose parents pray at home will pray in school, and before sporting events, and before tests, and before driving, and pretty much all the time because it will be a part of their life. Don’t get mad because someone else isn’t doing what you aren’t doing either.
• And finally, simply, just plain bluntly; if you are claiming to be a Christian, speak the truth in love. And if you can’t speak in love; DON’T SPEAK! Spite, anger, cynicism, hate, racist, mean, hypocritical, ignorant statements do not promote Christ. If you don’t know and love someone who is homosexual, then search yourself before you speak about them and then quote a scripture that you couldn’t find if you had a bloodhound and a map. Quoting scripture for the sake of putting it out there doesn’t help anything or anyone. I believe Jesus spoke a parable about seeds and sowers and the ground that yeilds the best return. Yes, Christians are unfairly treated in the US and it is a sad state of affairs when free speech applies to everyone but Christians. However when Jesus was wrongly accused he “opened not his mouth”. If Jesus was being crucified in 2012 it would say something like, “He tweeted not!” “He never updated his status!” “He called not a news conference!” How’s that for Christ-like?

In the end, I am asking people to stop being as fake as a female gymnast's hug after an event. Be real. If you don’t participate then stop trying to participate. If you’re a Christian, then love before you speak. Changing the heart will change what cometh outeth the moutheth (had to throw in a little King James).

And about that whole politics thing… do you know of an office where I can do nothing, express my opinion about everything, and only show up one or two days a week? Me neither. I guess my run for the White House will have to wait.

Pastor Dad