Can I buy a Senate seat on Ebay?

Well, in yet another great political move, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for conspiracy, bribery, and fraud. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, he is being indicted for what politicians do best.

Gov. Blagojevich has the honor of appointing a new senator to fill the seat vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama. Rather than garnering political favors or making shrewd deals for his Party, Gov. Blagojevich instead coined the phrase made popular by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the early 90's: "Show me the money!" He was holding out for cash options, a corporate appointment for his wife, campaign funds, or an ambassadorship. He essentially put the Senate seat up for sale to the highest bidder. Whoever was willing to put up the most cash or benefits was the next appointee to our illustrious Senate.

Gov. Blagojevich and Obama had always seemed to get along. However, in a recently released wiretapped conversation transcript we find out what Blagojevich really thinks: "They (Obama and his staff) are not willing to give me anything except appreciation. F_____ them!" Wow, what a pithy statement. I can see now why he was elected Governor.

So... Gov. Blagojevich and members of his staff are now being indicted for numerous counts of fraud, extortion, and conspiracy. But, let's be honest... isn't Blagojevich just doing what every politician does naturally?

Think about it this way. Every bill that comes up before the House or the Senate must garner a 2/3 majority to pass. No party has EVER held a 2/3 majority, so the authors of a bill must begin to put political pressure on their co-legislators. Each legislator holds out for something better for his own state or district. Thus, EVERY SINGLE BILL comes equipped with millions of dollars in pork spending simply because our legislators want to play hardball. What's in it for me or my constituents? "If we don't get anything out of it (except lower taxes, tighter punishments against those committing violent crimes with weapons, health benefits for children) then it simply isn't worth it. You aren't getting my vote!" Aren't we simply indicting Gov. Blagojevich for what every single politician in American already does?!?!?

Granted, his actions are criminal and he has demeaned his public office. But I find every Congressman or Senator who holds out for useless pork projects for his/her own constituency just as demeaning, yet we accept their actions as part of the system.

Isn't it time for Washington to grow up and start acting like everybody else?

I Demand a Recount!

Chalk one more up for the Republicans: John McCain narrowly defeated Barack Obama in the state of Missouri by 3,632 votes, an astounding .12% of all votes cast!

Just goes to show that Republicans ARE winning at some things this post-election season...

By the way, this makes the margin
Obama: 365
McCain: 173

And even if we doubled McCain's score he STILL couldn't win. Dang it... =)

Christianity and Politics

Today we are going to tackle the two subjects you are never supposed to bring up: religion and politics.

At this point we all know that Barack Obama has won the Presidential election. The campaign has been going for over 18 months and has crisscrossed every state and territory of the United States, and we have finally decided who the next leader of our country will be. All I have to say is, “I’m glad that it’s over!”

Many of you are excited over the outcome of the election. Others of you are disappointed. More than one person has told me that it is the end of the world, or at least the end of the American way of life. But I want to let you in on a little secret: who the president is matters very little in the Kingdom of God.

In Romans 13, Paul tells the Christians in Rome to obey their earthly rulers because they were appointed by God. Paul writes this about Nero, the Roman emperor who will eventually put Paul himself and hundreds of other Christians to death for their faith. Paul reminds them that they are called to be good citizens but not to worry so much about who is in charge.

We must remember that ultimately our citizenship is in heaven. As Paul writes to the Philippians (another persecuted people), he tells them, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Our savior is not the newly elected President, Senator, or Congressman, it is Jesus Christ!

We must remember that we are American Christians, not Christian Americans. The emphasis is VERY important. We are Christians first, and as such we are primarily concerned with the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdoms of this world. We need to be more concerned with making the Kingdom known in our world.

So, fellow Christian citizens, remember to work for the Kingdom of God this week and always wear your citizenship there on your sleeve.

Christianity and Politics

This post is simply a copy of a lesson I delivered on Sunday, November 2nd, at Southside. Many of you have asked for a copy of my notes, and others have been involved in discussions with me concerning the political future of America and the election of the new President. I hope these makes sense, and I hope they spur you on to think more critically about a Christian's role in government. Please dialogue with me and let me know what you think...

___________________

Stanley Hauerwas – “Our current social ills in America are forcing us to recognize that they cannot be cured by the techniques of pluralist politics… American political behavior has been very moralistic but (in the end) not very moral.”

THE BIG QUESTION:
To what degree should a Christian participate in government?
Should a Christian be involved in local/state/national government?
Should we vote?
What role does our faith play in our politics?
Should we participate in military service?

Early Christians DID NOT participate in their local government:

Christians persecuted not for their faith but for their unwillingness to acknowledge Caesar as Lord.

The problem was political; the Roman Empire cared very little about anyone’s religious beliefs as long as they would accept Caesar as Lord

Centurions/soldiers were called to give up their position in the military as soon as possible

Etc.

The Churches of Christ (and others in the Restoration Movement) originally held a separation ideal as well.

The Restoration Movement called for Christians to remain separate from their government

However, a number of members were actively a part of the government at all levels

James Garfield became the 20^th President of the United States

Lipscomb (et al) called for all members of the CofC to put their allegiance to God first and stay out of the Civil War

A number of CofC members fought for both sides, however

Big movement within the church to return to Pacifism

Christianity seems to fall on one of two extremes:

Radical political activism, OR

Jerry Falwell, Pat Roberson, James Dobson, Christian Coalition, Religious Right, etc.

Governmental Abstinence

Biblical View

Politics in the Bible

Patriotism comes from the Latin root patria, which means father. Thus, patriotism is the love of one’s fatherland…

Abraham as a Patriarch…

Verses to Examine:

Exodus 19:5-6

God chose a nation, Israel, and chose to work through them

Matt. 22:15-22

Paying taxes to Caesar

Jesus does not tell them to negate their political duties; they are to continue paying taxes, etc.

Matt. 17:24-27 – Temple tax

Part of being a Jewish male

Active vs. Passive participation:

At this point some of you might be saying, “Ok, we are citizens and called to support our government passively through taxes, but does that mean that we are to play an active role in politics?”

Which is an EXCELLENT question, by the way!

I believe the answer is “Yes!”

Early Christians were not above using their citizenship:

Paul is a Roman citizen and uses it to his advantage in different situations

Acts 16:37-40

Acts 22:25-29

Paul tried to reach people from all social spheres, but intriguingly we find him talking to governmental officials:

Acts 13:12 – The proconsul of Cyprus

Acts 16:29-33 – The Philippian Jailer (a governmental position)

Acts 24-26 – Paul’s trial before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa

Philippians 4:22 – Those in Caesar’s household

Part of being salt and light

Matt. 5:13-16

Romans 13:1-7

Paul tells the Christians in Rome to stop defying the government

Sounds like they are refusing to pay taxes or even acknowledge the governmental officials…

Intriguing, because the first instances of persecution happen in Rome

Instead, acknowledge that God is in control and has a purpose…

Our Role as American Christians

Which of these political positions would you consider Christian?

- Pro-life/anti-abortion
- Welfare and care for the poor
- Providing medical help to those who can’t afford it
- Protection of the environment
- Peace from war
- Against homosexuality
- Social security and care of the elderly
- Immigration issues
- Capital punishment
- Separation of church and state
- Public prayer

***Actually, all of them have some basis in Scripture***

Some are questionable:

Separation of church and state, AND

Capital punishment, since the Bible speaks both for and against it

But all are biblical positions. And intriguingly, they fall on both party lines! Despite what some Christians might tell you, you can be a Christian and be a part of EITHER political party!

So...VOTE!

Not just on one issue!

There are too many interrelated issues!

Do your homework!

Too many issues and positions that are held!

You might like one candidate’s stance on the war but hate their stance on the economy, etc.

How much does character weigh in?

REMEMBER: Ultimately our citizenship is in heaven…

Philippians 3:20 -- "Remember that your citizenship is in heaven..."

Stanley Hauerwas, “Politics, Vision, and the Common Good,” in Vision and Virtue: Essays in Christian Ethical Reflection (South Bend: Fides Publishers, 1974), 234, 236.

I do have one interesting insight into the campaign:

Neither candidate could be strong on the environment. Have you noticed how much gas they are consuming through their travels? Airplanes, buses, motorcades... They might as well name an ozone hole after them!

The Politics of Change

It was an election year, and there was a war on against a fanatical group of militants willing to do anything it took to win the fight. The upcoming presidential race was hotly debated, and the race seemed incredibly close. One candidate was older, with a lot of life experience. The other was young, energetic, with little political experience but calling for CHANGE. His argument, and the argument of his party, was that the nation had had enough of war and the old regime, and there was a need for a new kind of change in Washington that would shake up the political scene. One had life and political experience on his side, having spent decades in Washington politics. The other had youthful exuberance on his side, winning over those who wanted a change in the way things were run. These two candidates picked intriguing running mates as Vice-Presidential candidates, and both focused on changing the status quo in their political campaigns, lending legitimacy to their politics.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sounds like what we are watching play out in the arena of 21st Century American politics? Actually, this scenario describes the the election of 1944.

In 1944, the Republican party picked a liberal, progressive, young governor from New York to serve as their presidential candidate. Thomas Dewey was 42, and he called for change in the way the government was being run. Meanwhile, Franklin Delanore Roosevelt was running for an unprecedented fourth term as President on the Democrat ticket. He had been in office throughout the Great Depression, the New Deal, and WWII. In order to improve his chances, FDR dropped his former Vice President (Henry Wallace) for Harry Truman, a little known politician from Missouri.

Now the opposition was questioning his ability to run the country. Thomas Dewey came on the scene calling for a change in the status quo. Essentially, CHANGE NOW was his whole mantra.

Sound familiar? It seems history is destined to repeat itself...

Putin as 21st Century Hitler?

In the late 1930's, Nazi Germany began a policy of removing the sanctions placed on them by the Treaty of Paris at the end of WWI. The Nazis preyed on the feelings of discontent and malevolence among the German people. Thus, they began a policy of military building and the expansion of their territory by "protecting" German citizens in other nations: Austria, Poland, etc. They then place puppet governments in charge of the nations they have just "liberated," creating an empire without (in many cases) ever firing a shot or killing a person.

Putin and the Russian forces are doing the very same thing in South Ossetia today. They have entered into this region in order to protect their "peacekeepers" and assure the right of "freedom" for these people. Hence, they entered into South Ossetia, and then KEPT GOING, demanding that this was their right to protect their "own people." However, the Russians are simply working from the same expansionist, empirical mindset that has plagued Europe for centuries and caused untold devastation in the last 100 years. Putin and the Russian military are bringing "freedom" at the head of the sword, "freeing" people they will inevitably bring back into their "protection" once more.

Just wait and see: Putin might just have a weird mustache in a month...

Live from Denver

Ok, to be honest, I am not in Denver, although I wish I was. But not for the Democratic National Convention.

I am very politically minded, but I refuse to tell anyone where I stand politically. Suffice it to say this: I am a combination of the two parties, and I am ok with that. But as I listened to Hilary Clinton's speech tonight I came to a conclusion: Lots of promises often consist of hollow words.

Clinton called for the support and "salvation" of the American middle class. She spoke that the hope of the nation resides on the middle class. They are in need of a tax break, so that the receipts incoming can get ahead of the bills outgoing. She spoke of the need for universal health care, the end of American dependence on foreign oil by the support of renewal energy resources, and an overhaul of the American educational system. She also spoke of ending the war in Iraq, yet in the same breath mentioned Putin/Russia's invasion into Georgia. She spoke of greater support for our service men and women and a greater package of benefits for our veterans. She spoke of government for the people rather than the select few.

The problem she neglected to mention was the need for more money. She calls for tax breaks for the middle class; where will the funds come from to support these great overhauls? There is a need for universal health care so that all people will receive medical treatment. (AMEN to health care for all!) But...one small problem: where will these funds come from? These ambitious needs require a LARGE increase in taxes from ALL of the American people. She called for a need for economic growth and stability, yet also called for greater taxes on industry. How do these ideas coincide? Can we support business growth and expansion while simultaneously increasing the taxes demanded from said institutions? She calls for the need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. A couple of small problems: By increasing our dependency on "renewable" energy resources like ethanol we inevitably drive up the cost of grain for the average consumer, placing a greater burden on the poor and middle classes. (If the cost of grain increases, then the cost of beef/meat increases due to the cost of feeding these animals...)

ALL of these platform issues require HUGE amounts of financial support. Clinton spoke of our dependence on monetary loans from the Chinese... If we can't support our failing economy now, how do we expect to do any better in the future with NO economic changes in the long haul?

While the Democrats expound a position of "Change," we must realize that it will take dollars (not just change) to make these policies a reality. Who will wind up bearing the burden of these costs? The very economy they espouse wanting to save... And, ultimately, the middle class individuals who are having to pay for those who refuse to take initiative for themselves...