My post for the Examiner from earlier today. It’s a sentiment I’ve expressed before, but felt needed to be expressed again.
Why hating Barack Obama or Sarah Palin isn’t an option
Artwork by Mary Engelbreit
There is a disease running through both the left and right hemispheres of the evangelical movement that says it’s perfectly acceptable to not only oppose others on political grounds, but also personally despise and denigrate those with whom you disagree. Regardless of whom the individual may be, if they stand on the opposite side of the aisle assaulting them via demonization is an approved operational procedure.
Exactly where in the Bible does that come from?
The above is a rhetorical question. There is no Biblical justification for negatively personalizing the argument. Regardless of how strenuously one may disagree with someone else on policies, practices, or philosophies the believer never — never — has the option of taking matters to the level of open contempt veering into hatred. Yet we see this taking place on a daily basis.
There are no more polarizing individuals in American politics today than President Barack Obama and now former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin. Their respective views of government’s role in society, and how this should be put into practice, couldn’t be farther apart. Their every word, every action is hailed and heckled with equal fervor. The mere mention of their names is guaranteed to incite instantaneous raging debate. Such is the tenor of politics today.
Barack Obama
Where matters go completely off the rails is when political disagreement becomes a personal vendetta. The more irrational permutations of this are well known: demands to see Obama’s birth certificate, crude jokes about Palin’s family along with frivolous, harassing complaints filed against her while she was in office. These duly noted, the superficially more benign yet at their core equally abhorrent thoughts and attitudes held by many who identify themselves as followers of Christ yet see no contradiction between His teachings and vicious verbal assaults testifying to equally vicious loathing is if anything an even greater sin.
Some attempt to disguise the darkness in their hearts by hiding behind surrogates. They quote pundits, who pile on the object of their wrath, chapter and verse while maintaining a veneer of civility themselves since “they’re” not the ones slinging mud. There is also the attempt to deflect criticism about any of this by playing the blame game, insisting the other side started it or at the least is a worse offender.
In other words, attempts at justifying behavior that would be laughed off a schoolyard.
The proper view mandated by Christ is that all are worthy of His grace. All are worthy of His love. He died for all. There is no separator when it comes to these things. Having your name appear on a ballot doesn’t disqualify you from heaven if you ask Jesus into your life.
Neither does it exclude you from the right to be treated properly.
Sarah Palin
The believer has no excuse when it comes to these matters. One must unfailingly step back and see others as Christ sees them. As has been said before in this space, the Prince of Peace trumps politics every time. If we believe what we say we believe, why then do we treat others as if they are lepers? No one is outside His reach. Nor are we better than others.
We are His voice and hands in this world. If we act like the world, what are we saying? If in deed and word we say name calling and disrespect are just peachy whenever politics are involved, why should anyone believe us when we tell them Jesus loves them while at the same time we put our hatred on display?
This is not a case of, as has been described by others, saccharine pseudo-love living in the land of lollipop dreams underneath a cotton candy sky. Just as in the professional realm differences must be addressed, with separation as opposed to isolation practiced should the belief said profession is in response to a mandate from Christ be present, there will always be differing views politically. However, if we object to someone politically, let it be with the mindset of knowing those we disagree with are as we are. Make sure the disagreement is carried out with knowledge and reason regardless of how the “other” side behaves. State facts, back them up with evidence, present your case. If we cannot do these things our best course of action is shutting up.
We who believe are to honor and lift up Christ in all aspects of our lives. This includes demonstrating respect for both Barack Obama and Sarah Palin.
Both of them.
