Real Life Real Faith November Issue | Page 11

POLITICS HISTORY AND FAITH The first analogy is two brothers who can’t agree. They both want to go to the movies together, but they can’t agree on who is going to drive the car to get them to their destination. So the point of contention is an immature debate centered on minutia. Establishment Republicans and Democrats have proven for decades that they both favor bigger Government (a left of center agenda), but both parties fight about which party’s car is going to take them to the goal of bigger (left-wing) Government. Another good analogy is how World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (W.W.E.) wrestlers like John Cena and “the Big Show” fight one another and promote the façade of being grudge match enemies on television. After the T.V. cameras and the fanfare are gone, both men get their paychecks from (the owner) Vince McMahon, and they all enjoy comradery outside of the wrestling ring. But during the wrestling match, the supporters get all rallied up in support of their favorite wrestler and the game continues week after week, month after month, and year after year. To a degree, this is how the left vs. right arguments work. They might not personally like one another, and they might have a spat or two about some of their differences, but those differences are ancillary details hidden within the structure of big Government. Neither establishment group is working to make the Federal Government smaller or individual liberty larger. That is the main point that the public and the media usually miss! As a believer, my allegiance is to God’s Word, first, last, and always; not to a political party, not to my race or ethnicity, not to a gender or a locale. I’m not a party loyalist who votes a straight party ticket; I never have and I never will. I’m sure that we can all find bad candidates in both major political parties, but the goal should be to find citizens who are informed enough to recognize and to support the candidates whose views are closest aligned to the truth of God’s Word, our founding documents, individual liberty, and sound economic principles. Believe me, there are no perfect candidates who can please every voter, but we can’t depose ourselves of our civic duty and not be engaged in the political process. In addition, as long as the laws of our land are not in conflict with the Word of God and our God-given rights, then we should obey those laws. That’s what Frederick Douglass wanted, and that was a major theme during the Civil Rights Movement: if America’s bedrock document says that all men are created equal, then prove it by protecting everyone’s right to life, liberty and property. I still agree with that sentiment. I know that some people are not completely pleased with an “original intent” interpretation of the U.S. Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. Some people wish to have them interpreted as living, breathing documents. But as long as these documents exist as the law of the land, we should follow them according to the original intent. If a segment of the population wants to do away with or modify these documents, there are lawful ways to make Constitutional amendments. But we can’t support political representatives who possess a skewed view of history and governance, and allow them to legislate and to enforce laws against that which has already been established. So based upon the left (bigger Government) vs. right (more individual liberty) model, how would you identify yourself? How do you see your current elected representatives and your presidential choice measuring up? Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton represent more Government or more individual liberty? Once again, most of today’s Republicans and Democrats are left of center, but the illusion of some substantive difference is nothing more than whose side gets to drive the car to the movie theater. We have to see through these distractions and see the weight of what our political candidates and our neighbors support, and why. It's time to be engaged based upon principles, not based upon party loyalty, race, gender, ethnicity, locale, etc. Peace and love BG