Danielle wonders if it is possible for society to support one candidate without constantly ridiculing the other. Must we revert to [being] 5 year olds.
When I saw this on my friend Danielle's Facebook status update, I commented, "Ditto." I have been thinking the exact same thing lately regarding this presidential campaign. I mean really, isn't name-calling a childish endeavor? I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind when he said, "And a little child shall lead them." Why do candidates even spend their time doing this? I'm sure there are many reasons. Maybe psychologcial issues, power and control issues, issues related to fear and prejudice as well as outright disrespect. Maybe the fact that it actually works on so many Americans who buy into all the rhetoric of their own candidate (whether there is any real, viable proof of accusations or not), is enough reason for candidates to pursue those votes. But this is disingenuous.
What's really troubling to me is that all of these candidates claim to be not only people of faith, but people of Christian faith - albeit a variety of expressions within the Christian faith. However, what they are doing to one another does not seem very "Christian" in any way. Well...wait a minute. I guess if you are the variety of Christian who thinks it's okay to demonize, ridicule, and misrepresent or even lie about the other in public (or private) it might very well seem Christian. But certainly this is not Christ-like. And the truth is, there is a big difference between what is accepted as Christian in many of our institutional churches and groups that has nothing to do with actually following Jesus. If it is always true that we are guilty by our associations, then the Pharisees were right about Jesus. They said he was a drunk, a glutton, a man who hung out with sinners, Zealots (of which one was a disciple of Jesus named Simon - Zealots were terrorist in their day, seeking to overthrow the Roman government), and he broke the Sabbath laws among other things. This is what the Pharisees tried to convince people of regarding Jesus. And you know what? He did associate with those people and he did break their Sabbath laws. So, do you feel Jesus is guilty by association? I know people who go out and get drunk on occasion, but they are my friends and I love them, but associating with them does not make me a person who does the same thing. I know people who claim to be Christian, but are so full of hate toward some racial groups or homosexuals, or people of an opposing political party, I wonder whether they are indeed following Jesus into discipleship. But, my associating with them does not mean I feel the same way or support their hatred or prejudice. And, on top of that, I have my own sinfulness and lack of perfection to worry about. Maybe I should be focusing on that instead of the perceived sinfulness of others.
Maybe candidates should not be allowed to make public accusations toward another candidate without at the same time producing public documents, witnesses, and specific proof beyond a reasonable doubt. And then, whatever State in which the candidate made that accusation without indictable, provable, unquestioned evidence, that State would automatically be put in the other candidate's win column. I don't want the candidates to tell me about the other one. I want them to justify their own stances and positions on policy without resorting to telling me anything about the other. It seems like the campaigns are in this childish tattle-telling mode that is immature and unbecoming at best. I keep hearing so many people saying they want clean campaigns, no negative advertising, no attacks, just tell us what "your" policies and positions are and why you support them. But strangely enough, when it gets closer to election day, the attacks become even more prominent, and unsupported, unproven accusations fly from every corner. And, we, the voters, eat it up. If negative ads did not work on us, these candidates would not spend millions of dollars putting them on the air.
Let's hope that in the end, we, the voters, are more intelligent than that. We need to see beyond the rhetoric of both campaigns. We need to hold these candidates, both Presidential and Vice-Presidential, accountable to the truth and not accept half-truths and inuendos as fact. I cannot say that I support all the policies and positions of any one of these candidates, but I feel I will need to make a choice because I think it important that I vote and participate in the political process. It is a good thing we have a political system where we have checks and balances. Oh, wait, is that slipping away too? Well, maybe that's a blog for another day.
Maybe these words should rule the conduct code of candidates for all offices in our country They are Jesus' words, not mine.
Matthew 5:43-47 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. [46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (NIV)
Matthew 7:1-5 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [3] "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (NIV)
Pray for the process of the election this year. Don't pray negatively about how we should be saved from the awfulness of the "other" person. We need to pray more honestly than that. Let's examine ourselves first. Let's wonder what would come out about us if our lives were put under the microscope like these candidates. Putting the rhetoric, policies, and positions of any of these candidates above following the path of Jesus is idolatrous. We need real, genuine, truth, not false accusations, inuendo, and misleading statements that only serve to demonize and ridicule others just to get votes from those who are looking for an enemy to hate.
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