On the contrary, God certainly would, and the choice is pretty clear for what I would call “The Right Christioans”, the ones who seek to be faithful to THE Bible and not the gutted, edited, compromised, narrow version of it espoused by the Religious Right. That “other Dale” over on The Village Voice (formerly called “The Right Christians”) states it eloquently:
God Neither Democrat or Republican (?) | The Village Gate
I think most of us agree with the notion that God could not be either a Democrat or Republican.
BUT, our understandings of the character of the God we worship does lead us to certain, unavoidable political choices.
War, unsustainable relationship to our planetary environment, growing economic injustice, growing fear of the Other: we all need to make, seemingly, life and death choices to these complex problems. Choices that usually involve only a yes/no or a either/or choice.
That’s a tough one. I wouldn’t be so quick as to say that “God would vote.” In voting for Kerry, God would still be voting for a person who is willing to go to war to solve problems.
It’s a dangerous game one plays, because in order to be elected in this country, the majority of people think that they need a leader that is willing to kill.
I think God would probably do a write in on this one, myself, and he’d do something like this:
“I am.”
But at this point, being “willing” to go to war but seeking to exhaust all diplomatic means is much preferrable to “seeking war as the only way” to achieve and even support the goals of the neocons — which is exactly what I think the Bush crew was doing, and planned on doing the moment they took office. I cannot think otherwise from the vantagepoint of seeing a step away from those trends is a step away from the wrong direction. Sure, I’m not at all enthused about Kerry, but it’s looking so close; I still pray for a death-blow level revelation of any of the numerous manipulations and lies they’ve successfully floated (at least up to now), and then we can begin to set this thing on a sane path.
I was listening to some MLK today , and what kind of president he’d make. I dount though, that he could have stood for the politics game. That alone would have kept him out, unless he figured he might do a smoke screen to get elected and then attempt to achieve something; but somehow I don’t see him as going through with it. Way too “left” for the genmeral public, although I feel he would have been great if he won over people (like Gandhi did).
Yeah, I kow it’s hard, and I’m still definitely voting for Kerry.
One of my friends was trying to convince me that Kerry won’t be able to be a real leader because of the psychological trauma he inflicted upon himself by engaging in the “atrocities” he admitted to partaking in in Vietnam. Hmm, well, first of all, he only took part in the legal atrocities (still very bad, though), and there seems to be a confusion that most of what he talks about as the “atrocities” are just relaying the stories of others who actually took part in them.
That kind of talk frustrates me to no end for a couple reasons: 1.) Kerry did the right thing and realized the error of his ways and spoke out against what he did– thus admitting his sins before others and taking a genuine path of repentance (he supports a moratorium on the death penalty). and 2.) While Kerry has clearly shown that he’s been on the right path since leaving Vietnam, what about the psychology of Bush and all the lies he continues to tell? He will never admit to any mistakes; his myopic view of reality prevents him from seeing any error in his ways. That is deeply troubling and shows his inability to lead. He talks about not voting for Kerry because the voters need a “consistent” leader– the only thing is, they’d be getting a consistent idiot who consistently fucks up the world by consistently engaging in pre-emptive “wars” and consistently bombs civilians and consistently enrages most of the rest of the world by his unilateralism.
“Way too “left” for the genmeral public, although I feel he would have been great if he won over people (like Gandhi did).”
Forgive my ignorance about the history of India, but I don’t think India has a history of triumphant violence. Americanism consists of a history of “triumphant violence” of sorts. Most people think World War II was a good idea, despite all the firebombing of Japan and Germany where countless civilians were killed. American history books promote violence from the beginning of the forming of the country to now: leaving out the facts behind all the murdering of the Native Americans and all the glorification of the World Wars as Americans as the “victors.” Nobody ever brings up all the killed civilians and stuff. The kind of true-but-left-out-because-it’s-inconvenient history that fills books like Howard Zinn’s The People’s History of the United States.
Anyways. Sorry for ranting. I really believe in what MLK did and what his legacy continues to do. I think Christian non-violence is the only thing that is the true “light on the hill” of handling problems in this world. If only people would listen or let themselves be inspired and put away their prejudices…
Eric,
I MEANT to communicate the idea that King , had he won a political following like Gandhi did (and did it by impressing a core group of leaders so that they became “converted” to “Satyagraha” (Holding fast to truth)…would have led a great movement as well….alas King did not get to live as long as Gandhi (King would be 75 if we were still alive). Perhaps had he gotten the chance, maybe this country would be evolved further, away from violence…..but then again, it has a way of coming back….especially against those who practice non-violence (Gandhi was shot be a radical Hindu whose movement leaders were convinced Gandhi was an infidel/heretic becuase of his attempts to heal Muslim/Hindu divisions and promote cooperation. )
I hear you on the Bush shit. He’s such a “Dark Side” guy, regardless of his “Texas plain-folk” reputation. His descrepencies on the intellectual side make him such game for being a total pawn (which I believe he is — the draftee of the Neocons who have been “tutoring” him for years in the ways of the Dark Side; that evil philosophy that can see only dominion, expansion, wealth, and power.)
Another 4 years will truly screw us up(and much of the rest of the world).
Dale