Will the real voters please stand up?

Barrack Hussein Obama must be the Antichrist.

How else can you explain the number of political E-mails and articles I’ve received from mostly my Christian friends? You know what I’m talking about. Perhaps you’ve forwarded a few yourself.  Obama is a radical Muslim bent on leading America down the road to perdition.  Obama never wears a flag pin. Obama never says the pledge. Obama has curious ties to radical friends.

Politics and religion are lightning rod issues. And for good reason. They can be uncomfortable, confusing or irritating. I’m old enough and I guess ornery enough to spout off about both topics in this alloted space.  I welcome your feedback; whether tacit support or seething disdain.

You see, I’ve always been fascinated by politics and campaigns. Though I’ve never worked for a campaign, I could see myself doing that for the right candidate. There’s something invigorating about getting behind a cause you believe in.

I find this a very uneasy America just weeks away from the presidential showdown.  The economy is upside down, either election result will be historic (African-American president or female VP) and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

But back to those E-mails from my Christian friends.  Did I miss a moment of Biblical proportion when God ordained John McCain as the next president of the United States and leader of the free world?  If so, I apologize.  I didn’t get that particular E-mail.

Let’s face it, if you’re a Christian in the conservative deep South, you must be a McCain-Palin backer. Right? Really?  I’m sorry, but that strikes me as a stereotype. And I’m not particularly fond of stereotyping.  But we’re all guilty of doing it. I’m a television reporter; a member of the media.  That means I must be a flaming liberal, right?  I’ll bet you think I have an Obama-Biden sign in my front yard. (Sorry, the only signs in my yard are signs of hungry bugs eating the last of my decent grass!)

Can we have a political and religious discussion without anger and judgmental attitudes?  I sometimes wonder.

Guess what?  There are actually Bible believing, praying, patriotic, family men who will cast their vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden this November. That gasp you just heard was from some conservative Christians who somehow have the notion that such a vote is a slippery slope away from blasphemy.

I’m a big fan of people who think for themself.  Why do you support a particular candidate?  If it’s because that’s the one all your friends are backing, that’s not exactly a great reason to my way of thinking.  God gave us a brain to reason with.  If you know nothing about either candidate, I challenge you to do some digging.  Believe me, if you have access to the Internet, you will find an abundance of information on both candidates and their positions on the issues.

I wrote in an earlier column about the religious influence of my parents.  Dad the staunch Catholic raised me and my siblings in the faith.  My mom, a Protestant attending a small United Church of Christ congregation is also a believer and a spiritual woman.

Politically, my father is a solid Democrat. He is an AFL-CIO man who carried a lunch box and worked at an asphalt plant all his married life to support our family.  He came from a farm family with 12 children.  He knows the meaning of hard work, earning your keep and helping a brother in need.

I would describe my mom as a closet Republican; though she might take issue.  Most of the poltical discussions in our household were dominated by Dad, who has taken great joy in criticizing the “W” in recent years.

I’m a product of that mixed denominational, mixed political party family.  But I was taught by both parents to think for myself. They emphasized the importance of education and making good decisions.

We had a discussion of current politics and faith in a recent Sunday school class I have the privlege to co-teach.  The lesson included me writing on the board the various religious denominations proclaimed by the presidential and vice presidential candidates.  I found it interesting that the vast majority of the class was unable to match the denominations with the candidates.

By the way, the four denominations matched with the four candidates are:  Baptist, United Church of Christ, Roman Catholic and Pentecostal/Non-Denominational.

You’ll have to do your own research if you can’t make the matches with the four.

Pray for our country.  Whether it’s President McCain or President Obama, we face difficult days ahead.

But I’m a strong believer in the spirit of Americans. We can overcome any adversity with the help of almightly God.

Research the candidates, pray for guidance and be sure and vote this November.

- Steve

About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.