If educated congressmen, presidential candidates, governors, and even local representatives can be as nasty and polarized as they have publicly shown, there is little reason to honestly discuss an issue, since the potential for alienation and misrepresentation is at an all-time high.
No one seems to be listening, having crystallized their presuppositions with a crafty skill of spinning any topic into their agenda. Ironically, our children are watching adult leaders model behavior we wouldn’t let them get away with.
In my mind, the poor are the ones being hijacked in all of this. Wealthy politicians from both major parties certainly are not arguing or creating policy from the viewpoint of Jesus. Thinly veiled religious statements have become part of the shallowness of American politics. It seems “Under God” doesn’t mean, “I submit to the teachings of God to love my enemies, serve others, and model the sacrificial lifestyle of God in the Flesh.” We have wrapped the Bible in a flag and replaced faith with “civil religion” which ultimately becomes anti-Christian.
Will Christian Americans ever stand up for the poor and marginalized? I doubt it. It is not from cynicism that I make that statement. It’s just that I believe that most politics and religion today are driven by wealth and selfishness.
And amidst all these social dilemmas in our nation and State, there is little room for substantive discussion and compromise, only blame, anger, and creating anecdotal myths that seek to validate our stances, with very little accomplished in the end.
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