Election Recovery

I am a freak of nature, by some counts. I am a Bible-believing Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ came to this Earth, walked as a human, died on the cross, rose again and is now sitting by God's side. I attend church regularly, serve in my congregation, pray almost every day and am imparting my religion to my kids.

I am also a Democrat. I believe in big government, I am pro-choice, I am for welfare, food stamps, Social Security and Medicare. I think that the problems our country is facing cannot be solved by charities or churches. I believe the only thing big enough for solving these problems is the government. I do not, however, see the government as infallible. I think wasteful spending happens everywhere, I think big government can be ponderous and seem to move too slow.

I also believe that unbridled greed is ruining our country. I am all for companies making profits, making goods, offering services, etc. I believe in a free market but I also believe that the meltdown in 2008-2009 happened because those at the top got ridiculously greedy. I think trickle-down economics doesn't work and I believe that until everyone is given access to a job where they can provide for their family, we are not going to succeed as a country.

I believe, firmly and without yielding, in separation of Church and State. I don't think the Church should dictate how it's citizens live; that is up to individual citizens. Everyone in this country is free to choose the religion of their choice or to not choose a religion at all. All are perfectly acceptable, all are welcome. The Pilgrims travelled to this country because they wanted to practice their faith without restriction.

My faith also dictates free will. I am allowed to believe or not believe in Jesus. I am allowed to follow or not follow God's commandments. I am allowed to practice my faith (within the constructs of my faith) however I see fit. There is nothing in the Bible about one denomination being better than the other. There is nothing about one church having better ideas than another. I believe that as long as a church's doctrine is based on the Bible, there is room for all churches.

You might understand, then, why this election cycle was tricky for me. The Republican friends I had used two wedge issues (abortion and gay marriage) to shame me. I had a random fellow church member leave a note on my van telling me that I should change my political views. (This is even more hurtful when you consider the possibility that I could have been a first-time visitor.) They tried every trick in the book to try to guilt me into voting Republican.

I tried to engage in discussions on Facebook about my views. There always was an impasse; my conservative, Republican, Christian friends couldn't believe I was voting for Obama. They couldn't believe I was pro-choice. They couldn't believe it.

I will say that I am a firm believer in the sanctity of life. I believe all life starts at conception. I also believe in a God that is sovereign. He has a plan for everyone; I don't know what it is. I am deeply saddened when someone chooses to end their babies life. I would never consider that choice for myself. BUT!!! I do not believe it should be churches, legislators, employers, etc., making the decision about a woman's body. I believe all women should have autonomy in making healthcare decisions.

I believe that God forgives those who seek forgiveness from him and redeems all things. I have seen his forgiveness in person and it's huge and all-encompassing.

I finally gave up; I stopped having political discussions on Facebook. I realized it was futile because everyone is on one side or the other. Discussions on Facebook are not prone to getting people to change their minds.

After the election, I kept my postings peaceful. I didn't gloat, I didn't brag, I wasn't hurtful to any of my Republican friends. Really. I may have re-posted a joke or two that I thought was funny, but other than that I stayed out of it. More than that, if I saw something posted by a Republican friend that called Obama supporters "entitled brats" (to paraphrase), I rolled my eyes and scrolled past. I came to the realization that it's not worth my time.

The problem is, I continue to be lambasted by my Republican friends. Not all of them, to be sure, but I wish that they would understand--every time they talk negatively about Obama's supporters, they are talking negatively about me, my family and my beliefs. I am not making blanket statements about Republicans, I am not challenging the voracity of their faith, I am not trying to change their minds. The election is over, the people (however dumb and empty-headed we may seem to be) have spoken.

Look, it's frustrating to feel like I'm being judged by the same people who share my savior. We speak about praying for our enemies, for being kind to those who hurt us and yet, when the rubber meets the road, that's just lip service.

I am who I am, to quote Popeye. God knows this. He didn't magically change my political beliefs when I became a Christian (actually, that happened before the 2008 election--I became a Christian in kindergarten). He doesn't expect me to feel, think, believe, act and write the same way as all other Christians. We are not a homogenized group! God created us all uniquely. He reveals himself to us uniquely.

I was convicted during this election cycle that my negative words, the mudslinging, the awful comments, would hurt my credibility with my non-Christian friends. I don't want people to see me acting like a bitch and then see me turn around and act pious. It's shallow, superficial and hurtful (to me and to them). This, I think, hurts God and his cause most of all. I have sidestepped engaging in any and all discussions pertaining to politics, especially on Facebook. I just have kept my mouth shut.

I am reminded that I have to love everyone but I only have to like a few. That's never been more true than in the past month.