The other day while listening to Blues Traveler with the family, I googled John Popper. I have a habit of looking up artists that I like to find out what makes them who they are. He was quoted and saying that he was a bleeding heart liberal until he got a job. I laughed because that was my story too. Wikipedia stated that he was a Libertarian and the kids asked, "whats a libertarian?". I started to give my best convoluted response and then realized that I only had a vague idea. I said "I think they are the pot party" and "Ron Paul is one" anyways, I am always one to learn something new, I looked them up and started reading their platform aloud to the family. I read for hours, the whole website, to my husband. The information was like the congealing of so many unconsolidated ideas that have been floating around in my head for years. It was also full of strange ideas on self government and its implications.
Any one who knows me knows I am a Christian and a very Biblically conservative Christian. That means that I live and make decisions with the world view that Christ is real and part of my life and the Bible is the word of God. I know that the world at large scorns the notion because I was part of the world at large once upon a time. No big deal, I don't need man's approval. It gets complicated when it comes to being an American. I have to have an opinion on what is going on in my country and world and that makes me grumpy. The Bible is very clear on how we are to live. It is a hard road. Love others as Christ loved us. We are instructed to "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, with out holiness no one will see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14 Peace starts with in our own hearts. Holiness is hard, if Christ is the example, we must be quick to listen to our father in heaven. The concepts of Christianity have been grossly perverted by both ends of the political spectrum. The right claims to be the mouthpiece of God more often than not. Very scary stuff, but for different reasons than the Left thinks. We do not understand the depth of God, His ways are not our ways. Christians can feel good about having certain political views and feel justified before God when in reality they have missed the mark by having no positive, one on one contact with real people who need compassion. The republicans have yet to confront their guilt in the bloating of the government rather than living the example. A huge trend in Christianity right now is to glorify the past America, everyone was more "godly " then, we are going to hell in a hand basket, if only we could go back to the good old days. I would argue that we were all wretched sinners then to. The olden days had many ugly, sad parts as well. Arrogant men made evil choices that devalued human life for greed's sake as much back then as now and some of them claimed to know the will of God. It is foolish to judge the motives of men dead 200 years and put them on a pedestal. This is why I always felt uncomfortable with the constitution party even though I identify with their beliefs about sticking with the constitution. I personally feel that the only part of the olden days to glorify is the idea that man has the right to succeed or fail and the strength of the nation will be shown when community steps in to help when hard times come.
The Left perverts the tenants of Christianity when they say the government needs more money because Christ preached compassion. I even heard someone say Christ was a socialist because he fed the hungry and healed the sick. Did he use the apostles money? once again this misses the mark because it takes compassion out of the hands of the individual and makes liberals feel good about being the compassion party when the financial sacrifice is from the taxpayer and the cycle of poverty is not affected at all because the real causes are not dealt with.
Here is where my angst comes from with the current political system. Both sides want to legislate their version of morality and what citizens need. Both parties have grown the government into an unaccountable beast that sucks the livelihoods out of the citizens and has taken the meanings out of self determination, accountability, privacy and peace.
If the Libertarian model was followed half of America would freak out about the cruelty of the nation that would hang the "poor" out to dry. This half also does not believe that Americans are capable of making good choices for themselves and need the government from the cradle to the grave. Those who are trapped in this system are not even aware there is a different way to do things. Maybe it has never occurred to the "compassion party" that this is poison not love. We have seen the fruits of the system. Poverty is not to blame. Dignity is not bestowed by one's financial status. It is wrong for our government to say they know what is best for us. That half would also freak about the gun right issue, again I would have to say, Americans will have to trust each other rather than being nannies.
The other half would freak out because we would see different attitudes about drugs and lifestyles. Can folks handle the end of a drug war? That means more pot heads, but good bye drug lords. Will Americans be there to help addicts and heal families?What about war? We would be forced to clean up the messes at home first. Freedom means living side by side with different people and heaven forbid having getting our hands dirty. Can folks handle the end of government programs and education and look to the private sector to step it up. Can Americans handle not censuring each other? Can we act like grown ups? Do Christians believe their God is big enough to help those who need it when the time comes? Do we want the freedom to raise our kids the way we see fit? Are the Libertarians pro life or pro abortian? I don't know, but I can guarantee that they will not stand behind the government paying for others to have abortions with my tax dollars. I cannot will everyone to believe the way I do. All I can do is live in peace with my community and try to help those in need weather it is with time or money. I do feel better finding a party that is in line with so much of what is important to me. and I encourage people to check them out and read what they believe. I also encourage people to look at their own lives and invest in your community. Do what you can with what you have for others. It really doesn't matter what the politicians are doing if you are cultivating compassion on your own, we don't need to wait.
