The aftermath of an Election and I mention alot of names!
Being here in Hawaii for these last 8 months has given me some new opinions on politics and the church. As a pastor I am learning how people react to politics when it comes to the church. Many times politics and the church are not separate issues. I have been amazed by the incredible amount of people within the church that get excited every four years when a presidential election comes around (some of you actually talk about it all the time and get excited when I speak against your candidate, but who's keeping track). As I watched the election results yesterday afternoon (yes being 5 hours behind has its advantages like not losing sleep) and as I spent the evening helping a friend serve food to a candidate's party I have come to several conclusions about the church and our recent election. Some of these I find humorous and hope you do to. Some of these sadden me and causes me to pray harder for the church and our country. Before I share these know that this is not an attack on people but an awareness I have come to. So here they are:
1. Fox News hates the other networks and the other networks really hate Fox News. I watch Fox News for many reason but it became apparent this campaign that it is truly the other networks vs. Fox News. And thought all the networks say they are not on one side or the other, there is truly a bias and this bias is affecting people.
2. There are Christians that voted for Obama and Christians that voted for Romney. A while back I spoke out against labeling Romney as the Christian choice when he is clearly a Mormon. I was listening to Rick Hamada (I hope that's how I spell his name) on talk radio about the elections a few days ago and heard a Mormon defend Romney as a Christian and proclaim that we are all Christ followers. Most Christian scholars will tell you that this is not true and that there are vast differences between Christianity and Mormonism.
2b. Obama is clearly not a Christian either. I am saddened that just because a man says "God Bless America" that we assume he is speaking about the same God that we serve. Obama has done many things to be labeled a Muslim and does not share the same biblical views that most Evangelicals do.
So was it bad to vote him in and not a Mormon, we will soon find out.
3. Some really think the world is coming to an end soon because Obama is president again. I am reminded by what a friend of mine (Joshua Holmes) is saying. The President cannot save this country or change oil prices. We as the people control that and God is our only salvation. Okay I might be putting words in his mouth but that's what I got from his posts (also that he is a libertarian). Besides, when as Christians are we to worry about our wallets and less about the lostness and hurting in this world. Which comes to my next point.
4. 6 BILLION spent on these campaigns this year. Holy Snikes, we have got this all wrong. With 1 billion people in the world not eating and dying from lack of food and water, we cannot afford to spent this much on ourselves. I hope we can limit this as a country and cap finances by both parties (maybe that will cut down on the nastiness that we heard this election).
5. Christian divide over politics more than they divide over the Gospel. It is clear that many of our brothers and sisters spend a ton of time worrying about government and maybe not so much time worrying about Jesus and His mission that we are suppose to finish here on earth. Many of us (including me) have hurt our brothers and sisters because of this campaign. Please go and make your relationship whole and don't hurt people because of a political opinion. Both sides!
6. I love elections. This is probably because I get to analyze words versus actions. Or maybe because I am an idiot and get too wrapped up in this stuff (my sin exposed).
7. We are truly a divided nation. Do you realize that this election was really the difference of 300,000 votes. If Romney gets 120,000 more in Ohio, 100,000 in Virginia, 50,000 in Florida and 50,000 in Colorado. He is the President and those who voted for Obama would be feeling like many others feel like today.
8. That people can say what they want and then after the election can go back without re tracking their remarks. This should be 5b, but I decided to just say it. We cannot live like we live on Facebook, thinking we can write or say anything and believe that someone is not going to be hurt.
9. Finally, I hate election mail and commercials. I really do and am glad this might be the last thing I think about this election (until we start talking about midterm stuff in 2 years).
President Obama, I hope you learned from America and that many people really think you can get this country back to prosperity and hope. I also hope you listened to the other half that voted against you and that you will be a man that leads from this point on.
Republicans, I hope you have learned that a softer democrat/moderate republican is just a copy of a democrat and you really did not give America a true difference in choice. If you are about being Conservatism, put a conservative candidate forward and learn from the last two election (no more McCains and Romneys)
I love all of you and hope that now we are done with this election we can move forward and reach the world. If any of you has a complaint about what I have written please email it to tpendergrass@urbancrest.org. Just kidding don't email Pastor Tom, I just wanted to mess with him since he messed with me for 7 years. I love you CSP!
1. Fox News hates the other networks and the other networks really hate Fox News. I watch Fox News for many reason but it became apparent this campaign that it is truly the other networks vs. Fox News. And thought all the networks say they are not on one side or the other, there is truly a bias and this bias is affecting people.
2. There are Christians that voted for Obama and Christians that voted for Romney. A while back I spoke out against labeling Romney as the Christian choice when he is clearly a Mormon. I was listening to Rick Hamada (I hope that's how I spell his name) on talk radio about the elections a few days ago and heard a Mormon defend Romney as a Christian and proclaim that we are all Christ followers. Most Christian scholars will tell you that this is not true and that there are vast differences between Christianity and Mormonism.
2b. Obama is clearly not a Christian either. I am saddened that just because a man says "God Bless America" that we assume he is speaking about the same God that we serve. Obama has done many things to be labeled a Muslim and does not share the same biblical views that most Evangelicals do.
So was it bad to vote him in and not a Mormon, we will soon find out.
3. Some really think the world is coming to an end soon because Obama is president again. I am reminded by what a friend of mine (Joshua Holmes) is saying. The President cannot save this country or change oil prices. We as the people control that and God is our only salvation. Okay I might be putting words in his mouth but that's what I got from his posts (also that he is a libertarian). Besides, when as Christians are we to worry about our wallets and less about the lostness and hurting in this world. Which comes to my next point.
4. 6 BILLION spent on these campaigns this year. Holy Snikes, we have got this all wrong. With 1 billion people in the world not eating and dying from lack of food and water, we cannot afford to spent this much on ourselves. I hope we can limit this as a country and cap finances by both parties (maybe that will cut down on the nastiness that we heard this election).
5. Christian divide over politics more than they divide over the Gospel. It is clear that many of our brothers and sisters spend a ton of time worrying about government and maybe not so much time worrying about Jesus and His mission that we are suppose to finish here on earth. Many of us (including me) have hurt our brothers and sisters because of this campaign. Please go and make your relationship whole and don't hurt people because of a political opinion. Both sides!
6. I love elections. This is probably because I get to analyze words versus actions. Or maybe because I am an idiot and get too wrapped up in this stuff (my sin exposed).
7. We are truly a divided nation. Do you realize that this election was really the difference of 300,000 votes. If Romney gets 120,000 more in Ohio, 100,000 in Virginia, 50,000 in Florida and 50,000 in Colorado. He is the President and those who voted for Obama would be feeling like many others feel like today.
8. That people can say what they want and then after the election can go back without re tracking their remarks. This should be 5b, but I decided to just say it. We cannot live like we live on Facebook, thinking we can write or say anything and believe that someone is not going to be hurt.
9. Finally, I hate election mail and commercials. I really do and am glad this might be the last thing I think about this election (until we start talking about midterm stuff in 2 years).
President Obama, I hope you learned from America and that many people really think you can get this country back to prosperity and hope. I also hope you listened to the other half that voted against you and that you will be a man that leads from this point on.
Republicans, I hope you have learned that a softer democrat/moderate republican is just a copy of a democrat and you really did not give America a true difference in choice. If you are about being Conservatism, put a conservative candidate forward and learn from the last two election (no more McCains and Romneys)
I love all of you and hope that now we are done with this election we can move forward and reach the world. If any of you has a complaint about what I have written please email it to tpendergrass@urbancrest.org. Just kidding don't email Pastor Tom, I just wanted to mess with him since he messed with me for 7 years. I love you CSP!
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