Hey
@sonicwhite, thanks for your words, you have no idea how much it heartens me to hear a self-professed Evangelical support the sentiments you expressed in your post, I needed that right now, you have no idea. So many people around me are Evangelicals, including my aunt and cousins, and they have bought the whole "God chose an imperfect vessel in Trump but he is chosen by God", it absolutely blows my mind how much they can rationalize away all his bullshit and consider him chosen by God to lead us. I hold a similar view as you about the liberals... I don't like to identify fully as any "group", and I believe the democratic party as a whole is also in the corporations' pockets, like the Repubs. I believe they're both sketchy, but at least on the liberal/Democrat side, they are attempting to give rights and equal consideration to people. In general in the current rhetoric, I find that both sides (lib/conservative) have their faults as a whole. But at least I can respect where the liberals are coming from, even if it doesn't always pan out like it was intended, and even though some people are on some ridiculous moral superiority trip over others... it's about trying to level the playing field and it's about accepting others even though they're different (and to clarify, I mean the individual citizens identifying as liberal... not necessarily the liberal media and other groups of people like the heads of the DNC, some of whom are as badly behaved as anyone in this situation. It's about putting aside the self to strive for giving everyone the same chances that any other American citizen has. The intention is good and selfless, even if there are flaws in the movement. Whereas the conservative viewpoint seems to be based on "well I need to make sure I get mine, fuck those other people". I mean all (most anyway) people anyway simply desire a good life for themselves and their friends and family, but the conservative side is being successfully led into casting blame onto some groups that happen to not be their own, groups who are in very bad need, such as refugees from central America fleeing cartel gang violence. It seems the ideology is selfish at its core. Jesus, it is clear from the Bible, would have welc9omesd such people with open arms, as they are fellow brothers and sisters of humanity, fleeing violence, trying to protect their families. How can the supposedly God-loving religious right justify labeling those people are freeloaders, morally wrong for not getting legally immigrated (you think poor people fleeing violence have 10, 15, 20, 25+ years to sit around to finally get a green card?? It's about compassion and understanding that these people are our brothers and sister, why is the default stance not to feel sympathy and want to help these people?) Ironically, the Liberals are trying to do what Jesus preached, much moreso than the religious conservatives. Since when would Jesus turn away refugees? Since when would do most of the stuff that the Evcangelicals call on him for?
I really respect you, man, I just want to you to know that. From everything I have seen over the years, you truly understand and follow Jesus' teachings. You're a really good guy, man. His teachings are all about love, unconditional love, and peace and accepting even the "lowest" among us. The "god" who will be your friend no matter what. I grew up Christian but moved away from it because I saw the hypocrisy in the Church and I came to believe there is much, much more to this spiritual picture than what I was taught in the Church. I believe in Jesus' teachings, I believe he was an exceptionally wonderful, enlightened, loving individual who understood what our spirituality is. I do not believe Jesus was trying to say he was special, or that he was the son of God any more than any of us are, ire, we are all a sliver of god. More accurately I believe we are all the universe experiencing itself subjectively, that we are all part of God, just like Jesus said he was. Rather than the Catholic guilt trip of that we can never live up to Jesus, I believe we all can if we follow, his example and make ourselves Crist-like. I strongly believe his entire point was that he is no different from anyone else, that we can all live by his example. I believe he was trying to say we are ALL the children of god, as he is, and we all can be like him. That if we make it happen, we can make a heaven on Earth. Now I don't consider myself Christian specifically, but I have love for the man Jesus, and respect all day long for his teachings (the stuff in the New Testament, ie, his own words... the Old testament is a historical backdrop that, IMO, Jesus was teaching against. There are also a few really fascinating scrolls found with the Dead Sea Scrolls,. that the Catholic church didn't include in the NT byut which was quite revealing, such as the gospel of Maryt Magdalene and the Ghostic writings).
Anyway, For calling yourself Evangelical, you really do a great job of remembering that it's all about love, and congrats for thinking for yourself.
Isn't it so weird and alarming how much the political machine has co-opted Evangelicals and intertwined political party with morality/religion? This is the kind of nonsense that Jesus preached against. The vast majority of Evangelicals are always going to vote Republican no matter what. It's alarming, to be perfectly honest.
Anyway man, I have only ever seen you come from a place of love, and I really respect you for it.
Much love brother, keep on being you. You seem like you have the right idea, really.
You really just positive changed my night for the better with your post. ♥
