Earlier in the week, a commenter (and former Republican) referred to himself as a “compassionate Christian.” I
think this term is a bit softer than my last blog: “Being a Democrat is the
Christian Thing to Do.” Boy, did I make some right-wing fundamentalists angry
on social media with that post.
I also had a comment
here on my blog complaining about my choice of topics. The poster wanted me to
only write about the Followers of Christ group in Oregon City. I do understand
that expectation since I have written about it for more than a year. The fact is I
sometimes feel like branching out and talking about other things that are still faith-related. And writing about politics and religion, on occasion, is close enough.
For today, I will
continue and complete my list of reasons that being a Democrat is the Christian
thing to do:
Universal Healthcare – when people
complain about universal healthcare and the problem of insuring ten million more
people, I am confused about their motives. Just because some people are lucky
enough to have health insurance provided through their employer and others are
not so lucky, doesn't mean that ten million folks do not need medical care or
that the lives of the "privileged" are more important that the lives of people who are really
suffering in this economy.
Education – the way out of a generational poverty is through education. Yet, often Republicans will complain about the “high wages” of educators. I vote Democrat because the candidates on this ticket promise and deliver better funding for free and appropriate education for all.
Social Justice – As I watched the Republican National Convention this
year, it was pretty obvious that the audience was 98% white. This was
underlined in the fact that the cameras zoomed in on the same black man in the
audience several times (perhaps they thought audiences would believe he was
several different black men). I don’t know if it’s true, but I do know that
many of the Republicans I know and speak to, are afraid of other races taking
over “our” country. It is the Republican party who loves to point out that
(they believe) Obama is not a true American.
War Policies and
Practices – I am a pacifist. I hate war. I do not want to kill anyone or send
our young American men and women off to kill and/or be killed in wars. Democrat
leaders are less likely to declare war than their Republican counterparts.
The Death Penalty – I am
against it because it takes the old law (an eye for an eye) as its basis. I am
against it because it forces innocent people to kill (executioners, jury
members, judges, etc.).
The Republican Party
wants to keep minimum wages low and tax all income equally. The Democratic Party strives to enforce a livable minimum wage and tax people according to their income
levels. The Republican Party claims it wants “smaller government” in one
sentence, yet in every other sentence attempts to control and regulate the personal
choices and behaviors of others.
This will be my last
political blog for a while. I will write about the Followers on Sunday’s blog.
