Posted on 09/12/2004 12:04:22 PM PDT by wagglebee
Four million evangelicals didn’t vote in the 2000 presidential election. Great ... way to go Church! Onward Christian soldiers [or should it be backward?]. It’s a scary thought: we almost had Al Gore playing Frankenstein around the White House because a few million folks who should have known better refused to get up from the couch on which they were playing potato, go to the polls and vote.
Why the vacuum at the voting booth in 2000, people of God?
Were you stunned into placidity the Sunday before the last election because of a tedious three point sermon, delivered by a coma-inducing pastor, who left you bereft of hope? Then, reeling from such freshly mainlined pessimism, in your depressed state, you pampered yourself with the Lumberjack Slam at Denny’s which immobilized you with violent flatulence and more material stuff, all the way through election Tuesday.
Or, Christian, was your refusal to register and vote based on the no-duh deduction that politics is dirty business and since it is such a DB you shouldn’t be involved in it. News flash! Within the church’s stained glass walls, there are Machiavellian battles, ecclesiastical squabbles and denominational sniping that make Republicans and Democrats look like the Brady Bunch, and Bush and Kerry seem like Paris and Nicole.
Sadly, church can be a very dirty business, sometimes even more political than politics … but you still go to church, don’t you? Or have you abandoned God’s house, as well?
Or, is it that you will not vote for a President unless he is Mr. Perfect according to your pristine, subjective view? If so, I suggest you do a doe-si-doe out of la-la-land and into reality. Hey! It’s the president we’re electing, not an unblemished savior to make atonement for the world’s sins. That was Christ’s job, and he’s already finished it and hopefully enjoying his retirement. When you’re vacillating in the valley of decision wondering whether or not you are going to vote, remember: we’re electing a president not a messiah.
Given the massive role that politics play in creating a place that is good and secure and the privilege/duty we have as American citizens in either promoting or demoting our leaders, it is criminal for the Christian citizen who is 18 or older to sleep through an election as if it were their church’s announcements.
Let’s consider a few questions, Evangeli-fish:
· Do you like not living in terror of terrorists?
· Do you believe Hitler wannabes in other nations should be dethroned?
· Do you want to see the traditional roots of our great American experiment stay firmly in place?
· Do you wish to continue worshiping whom you want, when you want and where you want?
· Do you prefer to be governed by the rule of law, or by loopy leftist runaway judges?
· Do you believe marriage should continue to be defined as between man and woman? Or are Mr. Brad and his wife Mr. Chad, cool with you?
· Do you want America to be UN-free?
· Do you wish to keep your hard-earned cash or do you prefer having the government tax you more than your little sister did making you sit through her first clarinet recital?
· Do you think affirmative action should entail an alarm clock?
· Do you believe an unborn baby should have more rights than a convicted murderer … or an unborn whooping crane?
· Do you think first degree murderers should actually be executed, or allowed to watch Jerry Springer on cable TV in their air-conditioned cells, during the next 20 years of pointless appeals?
· Do you want to be able to purchase firearms for hunting and protective purposes? And …
· Dew u thank publik skewls ned masiv raform?
Christian, if you said yes -- or no, for that matter -- to some or all of the above, then make sure you’re not busy going to a Christian rock concert, or the single mingle night at your local Take a 100 Year Nap Community Church on November 2nd. Make sure you’re registered and ready to vote that day.
My ClashPoint is this: evangelicals from Martin Luther to Francis Schaeffer have been the society-driving force for good with whom the cultural degenerates had to reckon. Unfortunately, there has been a significant retreat from following the examples of the standard-bearing, hard-working spiritual forbears by today’s evangelicals. The result is that what once was a societal force has become a marginalized farce.
If we are going to see change come to our nation and if righteousness is to exalt and protect this land once again, the Evangeli-fish among us need somehow to develop spines. The non-whining, non-whimpering, non-wussy Christian faced with ecclesiastical or political corruption doesn’t bail out of these God-ordained institutes. Instead, he and she pray, labor, reform and speak out, as they seek to bring forth righteousness and righteous leaders … and kick, via their voices and votes, the lawless skanks to the curb.
Do you respect someone who says he believes in something and yet stands for nothing? Not I. If we’re going to be true followers of Christ, we cannot avoid the biblical injunction to labor for a safe and good place which at least somewhat resembles what God wants and likes. And that entails at least minimal political involvement within the land in which we dwell.
This is the third anniversary of the greatest challenge our nation, under God, has ever faced. For your sake, for your kid’s sake, for God’s sake: this November 2nd pry yourself up from your duct-taped Lazy-Boy steel beam reinforced recliner and vote!
Yes he does.
Amen. Preach it, Brother Giles!
If that's the case, then this guy's characterization of them is right on the money.
This tea-sipping Evangelical voted for Bush in 2000. I can't wait to do it again.
He did say "no matter who you vote for", but our church by and large is Bush country.
Voter registration applications were also available in the foyer after the service.
The wife and I are going to vote absentee ballot - using the absentee request provided by the friendly folks at Bush-Cheney HQ in downtown Columbus.
Bump for later reading
I'd much prefer an educated electorate voting, this ensures that they can't be swayed by a charismatic church official.
In almost every election, we must all overlook some things about the candidate we are voting for, this is not "the lesser of two evils," it is merely due to the fact that there will never be a candidate whose views are identical to our own. And in voting for an incumbent, the very nature of politics will have driven every elected official to support positions we disagree with.
That being said, I would prefer a person not vote than ignorantly vote for a "party slate" predetermined by his minister, congregation or any other group, regardless of which party they support.
As a christian the DUI did not deter me one second for voting for Bush,I know a smear when i see it!
What about the "conservatives" that sat out the '92 election because Bush wasn't conservative enough? What about the people threatening to do so this election?
It is easy to blame a group, specifically Christians. It isn't necessarily productive at this time.
The reality of the matter is that none of us makes the right choice everytime. G.W. was wrong not to admit the DUI before the press could hang him with it. Some Christians, not all, were wrong to let it be the deciding factor in their vote. I voted for G.W. I prayed for him throughout the nightmare of the 2000 elections and firmly am of the opinion those prayers played a decisive role in the outcome. Other Christians did the same.
This isn't 2000. I would wager the majority of Christians that sat out the 2000 election have matured since then, as seemingly conservatives seem to have matured a little since '92. G.W. has a proven and sincere record with the Christian community. I know of few more determined to help him win this election than the Christian body.
This article might have served a purpose in 2000, but it comes across as doing more harm than good with it's tone now.
I don't see how this article would do more harm than good. The sorts of people he's talking about don't read FReep, and probably don't read much of anything.
I say, they're due for a nice hard bytch-slap. They damned near gave us President Gore.
Nuff said.
If the same Christians that sat out 2000 were about to do the same, yes, they'd deserve a reality check.
This is 2004 and any Christian, and it wasn't all, that sat out that 2000 race has learned from their mistake. They are actively campaigning for the President this time. There is no need to teach them a lesson they already have learned. It's counter-productive.
Do not assume they do not read.
Absolutely! I'm sure cramming as many insulting stereotypes as possible into a column and ridiculing Christians is an excellent motivational technique. Most evangelicals -- especially pro-life types -- are solidly behind W. I'm sure those who for whatever reason haven't decided to get active will eagerly throw in their support in response to being ridiculed like this. Preach on!
Same here! (LOL at 'tea-sipping Evangelical ;)
Yeah!
That's right!
Don't think for yourself, do what you're told!!
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