a disappointing day for america
If you get on Facebook today, and have many Christian friends you would think that the world was coming to an end because Obama has won a second term in office. A friend of mine asked the question if the way one votes demonstrates their hearts. The responses were pretty insane. People, real life people in the 21st century, believe that God will condemn America for voting in Obama over Romney. Here are some great quotes from the responses:
It breaks my heart to see how far away from the Lord our nation has gone.
Choosing him [Obama] shows that so many people don’t understand economics, history, or God.
The elections indicate how far we’ve gotten from a consciousness of God
Why is today a disappointing day in America? It has nothing to do with who is in office. It has everything to do with how seriously backwards and screwed up American “Christians” are. I mean, I guess they were all screwed up way before that, but we’re seeing it in full color today.
Since Constantine “endorsed” his brand of Christianity, governments have been using Christians for political gain, and somehow STILL many Christians let them do that. Christianity has nothing to do with government. Your ability to follow Christ, in no way, hinges on who is in power of the country you live in.
Government is an entity of violence. Violence is the very root of government. Basically what government says is, “do what we say, or face imprisonment or death.” Often it doesn’t have to get to that, but at the very core of it’s existence, government is an entity of power of some people over other people through the threat of violence. How can you think that has anything to do with your Christianity?
A government social program is not the same thing as charity. Having your money taken from you by force to fund some government program, no matter how good of a program, is not the giving that Christians are called to do.
Government legislation on moral issues is not the same as obeying and following Christ. If gay people can’t get married, that does not mean they are following Christ. We are called to share the good news of Christ, not force others to obey what we understand to be the Christian moral standard.
So much of the rhetoric by both parties would have you believe that no good Christian would vote for the other guy. Obama is obviously going to destroy our country, God’s country, and let the Muslims take over. Romney is just a rich fat cat who doesn’t care about those in need.
Don’t let your faith be used for the political gain of others. Don’t minimize who you are in Christ to which circle you fill in on a piece of paper. It is so disappointing that today, in the year 2012, people are still being manipulated, using Christianity, to follow certain political leaders.
Maybe now, Christians will wake up and realize how much they are being used by politicians. Nah. Probably not.
Yeah, that is very doubtful.
So! God is sovereign, except where elections are concerned?
Maybe God decided Americans deserve the government it got?
What would you know, you’re from Australia?! We’re God’s favorite nation, everyone knows that! (Don’t tell Israel).
Aussie,
Indeed, indeed. This recent Presidential election says more about us as a Nation than about President Obama. We did get the government we deserve.
What does it say about us as a nation?
It says 52% liberal, 48% non-liberal.
What does Liberal and Non-liberal mean?
Also, your assessment seems a bit over-simplistic. Many did not vote for the representative of either major party.
It is simplistic, Dan. 52% of America voted for President Obama, a well-known liberal. 48% did not. You know what liberal and non-liberal means.
Well, only about 60% of eligible voters turned out, so we only know that 52% of that 60% voted for Obama. Also, liberal has many meanings. It is a fairly generic term and therefore requires some clarification when used. If you would prefer not to share more precisely what you mean, that’s fine.
Dan, is it impossible for you to not be passive-aggressive?
I just want to know what you mean when you say something. I cannot agree or disagree with someone unless I know what claim he/she is making.
dan, the aussie means you are being a dillhole. excellent blog post, written without offending anyone and yet gets the point across better than most of your posts and then you go back to normal in the comments.
“then you go back to normal in the comments.” I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone by giving the impression that I can write without being a total asshole!
How about this: America got the President that God WANTED us to have!!! And not because he is punishing us for being so godless. As you’ve indicated, his purposes go so far beyond the ins and outs of American politics, and encompasses the entire world. As your sarcasm implied, there is no “favored nation status” with God. His people are His ONLY nation, and all else pales in comparison with His purposes for THAT nation.
I love your discussion on the violent nature of government, a concept termed Power Over by Greg Boyd in ‘Myth of a Christian Nation’. In contrast we as followers of Christ are to exercise “power under” in our relationships with each other and the world. We are to lead by service and example, just as Christ did. Let’s get past our self-identification as Americans, and see ourselves primarily as sons and daughters of God, citizens in His Holy Kingdom (I think I will start a group called that, or HHK for short, and only those who attend our group will be cool). I think there is scriptural precedence for this somewhere (not referring to my HHK group)….
Yeah, I agree with you on the purposes of God, Mark, and I think it is foolish to think in such simplistic terms as “We are being punished because we have leadership that I don’t like.”
I’ve got to read that book, I think this is the second time you’ve mentioned it to me. It sounds really great!
The real point of my post is that government and Christianity have completely contradictory roots peace vs violence, so it seems crazy that so many people think that government is the way to get people to live Christian lives. Craziness.
and I agree with your message! If you do get the book, and research other books by Greg Boyd, understand that I don’t endorse all he has written. He wrote a forward to the infamous Rob Bell book, so in that respect his judgement is suspect, but as far as this book goes he is right on.