MOVING BEYOND ELECTION DAY...

 One of my pet peeves is inconsistency.  (For example, it is intellectual-dishonesty to vote for the sanctity of life on one hand, and in the other, vote pro-war and capital punishment)

In light of that (preventing further inconsistency), I'd like to walk you through a critical thinking exercise…

1. Some argue that America is a city upon a hill; that God has blessed our perfect union; and that we are a beacon to the rest of the globe - bringing about God's kingdom through OUR nation, leaders, and policies.

2. If you agree with statement #1, then whoever wins today's election, is part of God's providential plan for renewing His kingdom. 

3. If YOUR candidate didn't win, the logical conclusion is that your vision of God's will is not properly in sync with God's.  (most likely 1/2 of our nation will fall into this category).  This may be hard to swallow, but logically, this is the only valid conclusion you can arrive at.

4. If you disagree with statement #1, you probably don't believe that America is God's nation; that America carries God's beacon into the rest of the world; that America being founded as a Christian nation is more myth than reality; that God's economy is not necessarily man's (which means God doesn't pick and choose American candidates, He's not concerned and/or involved in our American Democratic process - but rather, up to something WAY BIGGER, WAY more counter-cultural, WAY more revolutionary); and that American nationalism and political strength is not in line with the way of the cross.

5. The most important take away in moving beyond election day is to understand that as followers of Jesus, we vote every single day.  We vote with our interactions.  We vote with our purchasing.  We vote by the ways we show and do not show love and mercy to others.

Let's move forward intellectually, honestly, and understanding that regardless of the political lever we pulled today; that how we treat others tomorrow, the products we consume in the years to come, the shalom we work towards, and the love we show, casts a much more important ballot.

Peace,
Ross

DEBATE #3 [RECAP]

Last night I watched the debate with the St. Louis Cardinals game on mute in the background (so forgive me that my attention was split).  Here's my takeaway…

1. BOTH candidates are aggressive
2. BOTH candidates want more drone attacks
3. BOTH candidates see a future Chinese-aggression
4. BOTH candidates believe that Jewish-life is more valuable than Arab-life, and will stop at nothing to preserve this belief
5. BOTH candidates want a bigger military
6. BOTH candidates believe that America's role in the world is to "bring" freedom (even if that means launching #1-5)


So who are you going to vote for?

Peace,
Ross

In God We [DO NOT] Trust

 Over the past two weeks, it seems the debate over America as a Christian Nation has erupted.  Conversations I've heard, have supposed that voting for Romney will somehow immediately return us to our "Christian-foundation."  The arguments continue to suppose that only an uber-right-wing version of congress will ensure God's destiny for America, and that some sort of revival will spread from sea to shining sea.

Come on.  Really?

I think (as a nation - or perhaps, as Christians), we've too easily repeated the mantra's of the pundits that argue such "facts."  Instead, we might be better served to return to 9th grade civics class and re-read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the founding father's other letters; to understand the myth of America being a Christian nation from its inception.  (I'm assuming none of that will happen, of course)

America (whether it was, or ever has been, a "Christian Nation") is further than 1 election cycle away from turning this ship around.  Just for brevity, I'll make my argument based on the statement we find on all of our currency (ironic): IN GOD WE TRUST.

The New York Times ran this article yesterday, which is sobering for a nation who believes for even one second that it's a Christian nation, much less, one that actually trusts God.

"U.S. arms sales make up most of the Global Market...Weapons sales by the United States tripled in 2011 to a record high..Overseas weapons sales by the United States totaled $66.3 billion last year, or more than three-quarters of the global arms market, valued at $85.3 billion in 2011."

[The report was prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, a division of the Library of Congress. The annual study, written by Richard F. Grimmett and Paul K. Kerr and delivered to Congress on Friday, is considered the most detailed collection of unclassified arms sales data available to the public.]

The first rebuttal to this should be that just because the US is in the war business, it doesn't represent Christians.  However, polling shows that over 80% of Christians support war and the overall military complex - 2/1 over non-Christians and Democrats.

I'm all for being more Christ-like as a nation, but the unguarded betrothal to nationalism is unhealthy, and antithetical to the way(s) of Jesus.  It's lazy and brings us to a state where we should reprint our money to read: IN BOMBS, DRONES, SUB-MACHINE GUNS, AND FIGHTER JETS WE TRUST.

Peace (and I do mean it),
Ross