I used to buy into the propaganda. “Democrats kill babies.” But as I grew up and moved on into the “real world.” I started to meet some democrats. They weren’t the incarnation of evil after all.  I eventually became a huge fan of a TV show that had, as it’s main character, a Democratic President. Slowly and thankfully My eyes have been opened. And while I may not agree with some basic democratic principles there are a good many areas where the GOP would do well to sit down, shut up and take notes. As I look at Fox News and other people who represent the Republican Party (inside my family and out) I become more and more sickened. So many Republicans that claim to be so devout seem to leave their faith at the door when it comes to dealing with people with different political views. I have heard insults, lies, exaggerations and downright slander from supposed Christians that would make a sailor blush. Put it on FOX news and it must be true. Have O’Reily spin it his way and that spin must be true. Obama or Hillary said it …. it must be a lie.

This is one of my major problems with the two party system we have in this country. A two party system breeds opposites. Pro life : Pro choice. Big Government : Small Government. On and on and on and on and on ad nauseum.   Too often, however, the answers are in the minutia of the middle. But that is impossible to achieve in this age of partisan politics and backbiting. Lately I have become fed up with it.

Jesus didn’t speak about political parties. Jesus spoke about people. When He spoke about people He spoke with something called compassion. Scene after scene in Jesus ministry find Him associating with those who should be, and spiritually were, his enemies. Did he slander them? No. Did he scoff at them? No. Did he spread lies about them? No. He met them where they were and spoke to them as humans.

Christians are shaming themselves because of “their animosity and hostility toward the people who are the people [they're] supposed to reach.” I have heard my in-laws spout such hatred and venom at democratic politicians that it makes me sick. In the end JFK was right. ” So let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s futures. And we are all mortal.”

Speaking of the “Religious Right” John MacArthur had this to say. “I don’t notice that they’re really hard against pride, do you? I haven’t seen a great effort in the religious right against materialism. I haven’t seen a great effort even against divorce. In fact, they rarely say anything about adultery. They’re really against homosexuality; that’s so bizarre and abnormal. They’re really against pedophilia; that’s sick and abnormal. They’re against killing babies; that’s safe. Who can imagine doing that? They’re against filth and pornography. And there’s a certain satisfaction in their morality about that. But there are a lot of other things they don’t talk about. At one point in America, the greatest advocate for the religious right, the national spokesman, well-known politician was, while he was developing the contract on America, involved with a woman who wasn’t his wife.”

I will vote on election day. I will not vote for either of the “big 2″, but I will vote. But until such time as those around me can strive to  engage the political process with the compassion that Jesus had I don’t want any part in the discussions.

Finally, let me close with and encouragement from C.H. Spurgeon.

He hath compassion. “Ah!” say you, “they will pass me on the stairs; they will give me a broad pathway, and if they see me in the street they will not speak to me-even his disciples will not.” Be it so; but better than his disciples, tenderer by far, is Jesus. Is there a man here, whom to associate with were a scandal from which the pure and pious would shrink?; the holy, harmless, undefiled one will not disdain even him-for this man receiveth sinners-he is a friend of publicans and sinners.

MT