Once again, dear friends, it’s an election year.

Which means it’s time to endure endless rhetoric, lying snakes, and nutjobs, all pandering for our votes. Frankly, the entire modern political process in the US makes me sick, makes me tired, and makes me see red. What is even worse, to me, is the spiraling descent of conversation in Christian circles when the subject of politics is broached. If you impugn a favorite candidate, or the entire process, you must be 1. ignorant, 2. biased, or 3. Want the democrats to win.

Frankly? I don’t really CARE who wins, past the local level. They all do what they want, within the confines of the power we’ve “granted” them (as if there was truly a choice about the whole thing to begin with, in a two-party system). To vote, I have to hold my nose about something to do with the candidate, or take them at their word - which, if they are a politician, is about as likely to be kept as for me to win the lottery without even playing. It’s not going to happen.

For those who object that it’s not fair, or useful to generalize - I sincerely ask the objector to examine the collective records of the golden boys of conservatism, libertarianism, and see if my maxim holds true. Perhaps there are exceptions. All well and good. However, I believe that if there is really no guide to certainty as to their decisions, once elected, we have no way to endorse such people, as Christians, without potentially compromising our stance as followers of Christ. 1. Power breeds corruption. 2. Politics breeds compromise. 3. People, politicians in particular, LIE.

Further, I will remind you that in a government such as ours, our positive endorsements of specific people have very real consequences, and are very real indicators to the world on our willingness to compromise our God-given principles in one area for a potential advantage in another. We pass by, in our choices of governmental leadership, things which we would never pass by, in choosing a church leader. Or in a Sunday school teacher. Or even a friend we hardly know. Which, to be completely honest with you, is why I am very cynical concerning the whole concept of “elected” governance at all, the older I become. In a system such as ours, where corruption is rampant, and even encouraged - where anti-biblical statements are the cornerstones of platforms in both parties, can we really endorse anyone, with a good conscience, in that atmosphere?

I say no. I’m also gravely tired of the endorsement, of the lack of endorsement, of political campaigners being grounds for harsh words, name-calling, and vituperation. This is the reason i’ve had a long-standing policy on this blog of a “no political comments, unless the subject is politics” rule. It brings out the worst in people - including me. So, I’m done with it for the year. Period. I’m also disabling my usually-neglected poltiical blogroll for the duration.

Politics:

I do not want to see politics discussed within any topic I don’t have listed within the “Politics” post category. I am not here to talk politics, and you aren’t either - or your comment will have any political commentary removed - unless I specifically say the subject is politics.

The largest percentage of major blogs are politically oriented. Yes, I sometimes link to them - because I read them - but I don’t write about it often. If you’d like a political discussion, I suggest you visit one of the blogs listed to your right under “Politics”.

I hate to be a spoilsport, but that’s not what this blog is here for. This blog is here to discuss why you think the way you think, why you believe the way you believe, and why you hold the moral values you hold. If you’d like a discussion about one of the things above - feel free to comment. Otherwise… don’t.

This IS a politically categorized post, but I’m disabling comments on it - because, really, I don’t want to have to respond to any comments about it. I’m sick and tired of it.

No, I’m not voting for a candidate in the Presidential elections. I don’t trust any of them enough to vote for them. I have one exception, on policy - perhaps. I could almost like Ron Paul, but there is no way in God’s green earth he’s going to get the nod. Even if he does, he doesn’t have any experience in that sort of office, and although I like many of his ideas - he doesn’t have the experience to govern a nation. He’s a dark horse, albeit a very conservative/libertarian one - but one with little experience in an executive office of any sort. That’s all I have to say about that.

I’m done. I won’t respond to any more of it in chat channels, because it puts my blood pressure up through the roof, and I’m really not especially interested in being the Lone Ranger, and going it alone, with my contrarian view, against all comers. I’m done with it, I want to spend my time on more productive things, and I really don’t want to tick off my friends because they don’t agree with me, and I’m such a bulldog about what I believe. I’d rather take a stand on something other than how much I despise a bunch of slimeballs who are able to deceive enough people to be elected. I’d rather be an apologist about something that matters, thank you.

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. “What majestic trees! What a powerful river! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot grizzly charge towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer.

He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out: “Oh my God!…”

Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky: “You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don’t exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light, “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian, but perhaps could you make the BEAR a Christian?”

“Very well,” said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together and bowed his head and spoke: “Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

Source: The Conservative Voice
(HT: Google Alerts)

Ripped from my comment at Joe’s Evangelical Outpost, and slightly revised.

They will realize what we’re saying, eventually, and quit reciting the media mantra of “ESC promises great results” like mouldering zombies. One day. That would involve them realizing that there is, actually, no evidence whatsoever for ESC promise, and every evidence for adult cell promise.

It would also require a mindset which ceases to disregard life.

I find it absolutely apalling that there is a group of Americans who will make any excuse, and take any road which involves the destruction of human life - just to be able to say “I have that right to choose” ( their death). Not their right to choose life - that is the road of ASC, or abortion alternative counseling - or even adoption proponents! Instead, they consciously, staggeringly, and even viciously end the life of another human being - just because they can then say they chose it.

Pro-Choice. Yeah. I’m Pro-Choice too. Except my choice is for life. I get to choose too, you know. That’s fine, though. Call yourself “Pro-Choice” - we know better. It’s not about our choices, though. It’s about theirs - the ones the “Pro-Choice” movement never offers a choice to at all.

It’s easier to talk about as a “fetus”, or a “blob of protoplasm” - or even “research with such great promise” (true or not). Never mind THEIR choices. Just pack em into the freight cars. We know what it is you’re doing. We aren’t quiet about it, though. Is that why you’re so hot to drag us away from in front of the abortion clinics? We’re actually refering to the “Solution of Choice” sans euphemisms? In public?

That just won’t do, will it? Then people would know about the freight cars and the suction hoses used to rip babies into pieces, and the saline solution used to burn them to death. They would know that you were creating babies solely to kill them, for some ephemeral chance for “a cure” with no history of success. They would know that for every baby that is successfully brought to term with IVF, that the others are simply discarded like garbage.

That’s the problem. We’re using non-euphemisms, and speaking about the “Solution of Choice” before the country is fully “sanitized” of all these “religious fanatics”- we are not following the herd. The herd curiously referred to as “Pro-Choice”. The levels of irony involved in this whole set of issues… especially from the side that calls itself “Pro-Choice” - and gives the victim of that choice no choice at all… staggering. No wonder there’s the huge media push to silence the “religious extremists” these days. We don’t speak of the “Choice Solution” in it’s “pretty” little euphemisms. We call it what it is. Murder.

That, my friends, is what they can’t stand. Any more than that grain of truth to make the lie sound believable, and they get uncomfortable. They don’t want to know - and they’re mad at us for dragging it all out into the light of day, instead of the comfortable euphemistic corner they’d buried it in.

My heart bleeds for their comfort zone - really.

P.S. - Tried a trackback to Joe’s post - got errors. I’ll check back later.