I have avoided the area of politics in this blog, not because I don't like it, but because I do not think that I have an opinion that is necessarily interesting or noteworthy. I think, though, I am going to break my vow not to write about it for this second blog today. I will write about it this time because I think what is happening politically is intersecting with spiritual things ( a topic far more intriguing for me).
There is a lot of discussion about the "Tea Party" and the influence it exerts on the electorate. Though not explicitly a Christian group, there are a lot of evangelical Christians invloved in this conservative movement. As I understand it, there is no "official" leader of the Tea Party, but the most notable national figures have been Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. I want to give you this disclaimer before I go much further. I consider myself a conservative and a Christian. I am active politcally and even ran for local office in another life. Having established that, I want to say that I am bewildered and shocked at how Christians have embraced Beck and Palin. I have serious concerns with both.
Glenn Beck is an accomplished journalist and I agree with many of his ideas (though I find him a bit "over the top"). A few weeks ago, though, he led a march to Washington that was really a call for spiritual renewal. It was time for America to get back to God. I watched that rally and was impressed with what was said. It did seem that Beck was calling the nation back to God. It was like a Promise Keeper event in my mind. It was later that day that I discovered that Glenn Beck was/is a Mormon. Now, as far as that goes, he has a right to be what he chooses and there are a lot of good Mormon people. He could run for office or commentate on the news and be a Mormon as I see it. However, in my opinion, what he can't do is call the nation back to God and pray to God because his God and the God of Christianity isn't the same one. Beck doesn't seem to bother me as much as the hypocrisy of those on the right. Mitt Romney was rejected by many evangelicals because he was Mormon, but many of those same folks accept and endorse Beck. I just don't get it.
Sarah Palin is the "mama grizzly" for the Tea Party and its members. She has become a media star and political power. I voted for Palin and McCain in 2008 and I would consider voting for her again. However, my confidence in Palin has wobbled a bit lately. In this week's senate primary in Deleware she bucked the party leadership and backed Christine O'Donnell against veteran congressman Mike Castle. In doing this, she opposed Karl Rove, the architect of conservative victories in 2000 and 2004. Again, she has every right to do this and she should do as she sees fit. However, Palin bills herself as a Christian woman. She cites her faith readily and often in her book. I believe her. She knows Jesus Christ. To endorse O'Donnell, as I see it, violates that faith. O'Donnell has several issues for which she must give an answer. Some of them are in the area of character and values. There were/are areas of dishonesty and lying. I guess it is possible that Palin may not have known about all of these, but if she didn't, she should have. I find it hypocritical again for conservative Christians to stand for "the values of faith" and support candidates who so clearly fall short.
I am not sure that Christians mix very well in the arena of politics. I would be a fool (more than you already think) to deny that they are already in the same pot, however. What is a Christian to do? I think the same thing Micah 6:8 advocates. That's a good beginning.
Thanks for reading....
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