Most of the people voting for Bush said that “values” was the important issue to them. When it comes to red states, those values are the three G's: God, Gays, and Guns. It's been said elsewhere and I agree, we will not win the Gun issue. The NRA has successfully changed public opinion on this to the point where we are best off avoiding the issue or defending second amendment rights. The Gay issue, goes back to the first one, which is God. Currently the evangelical crowd is swinging in the direction people like Jerry Fallwell and Pat Roberston push them, and in my mind, as a born again Christian, this causes them ignore an entire side of Jesus' message.
Most of the people voting for Bush said that “values” was the important issue to them. When it comes to red states, those values are the three G's: God, Gays, and Guns. It's been said elsewhere and I agree, we will not win the Gun issue. The NRA has successfully changed public opinion on this to the point where we are best off avoiding the issue or defending second amendment rights. The Gay issue, goes back to the first one, which is God. Currently the evangelical crowd is swinging in the direction people like Jerry Fallwell and Pat Roberston push them, and in my mind, as a born again Christian, this causes them ignore an entire side of Jesus' message.
I believe the only way for us to win more of the red states is to out Christian them. Personally, I am sick of seeing my religion being taken over by a group of bigoted, narrow minded, exclusionists, who are on their way to becoming a Christian Taliban. We need to remind these people that the message of Christ was one of reconciliation of human beings to their creator. Christ brought hope to the oppressed and poor, he socialized with people marginalized by society. When asked once, why he spent all his time among thieves, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers,
homeless people, and workers, the Bible relates this to us:
“When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:11-13
This compassion of Christ needs to be brought home to many of the Evangelicals that voted for Bush. I think many of them have lost their way, or have forgotten the twin messages of God's truth and God's love that Christ brought us.
It is in this context that I propose we steal a page from the Republican play book and draft a “Contract of Christian Responsibility” (I'd love input on this, especially the name, I'm searching for something with punch). Much like the
“Contract with America”, we will ask candidates to sign this and hold them to the terms of it. We will publicize this, and try to get Republican candidates to sign this as well. Let's face it, what candidate will turn down something that so blatantly calls itself Christian? That's flat out political suicide, especially in the Bible Belt. By stealing the initiative and grabbing the “values” issue, we can turn this around to our advantage and try to remind Evangelicals what Christ came here to teach us.
Here is my first draft of what I think could swing this issue back to our side, or at least split this group to the point of diluting or nullifying the Republican control of it.
Contract of Christian Responsibility
We hereby pledge to honor Christ's teaching and message of love, peace, and truth in every action we undertake in the position we are campaigning for. We recognize Christ's mission to restore dignity to the disenfranchise, redeem the lost, and preach for understanding, patience, and compassion in all things. We will not accept or adopt positions of hatred, intolerance, or divisiveness. We will seek out like minded individuals and groups to work with in accomplishing our goals.
We understand that laws cannot force anyone to accept our beliefs and we cannot spread the Good News unless we act as living examples of the transformative power of a Christ-centered life. In order to attract new followers of Christ, we must greet them as friends, and allow them to come to us seeking Him, not drive them away by treating them as less than a lost child of God.
Specifically, we pledge to hold the following five positions as the center of our platform:
1. Fiscal Responsibility: All spending must show how it is to be paid for. We cannot live outside our means and spend borrowed money. At some point in the future, those debts will come due and we cannot burden our children with the bills of our choices.
"Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.;” Jeremiah 22:13
2. Environmental Responsibility: In concert with American universities and American business we must develop renewable energy sources that will liberate our country from foreign and poisonous energy resources. We must act as stewards of the land and its inhabitants, treating them as gifts from God to be passed down to our children.
"Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares." Jeremiah 12:10-11
3. Care for the Needy: We must make it a priority to care for the poor and homeless. We must give them self worth and dignity, and restore them to productive members of society. If we cannot help the least of these, we are not building Christ's kingdom here on Earth.
"Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21
4. Tolerance at Home: We are a diverse nation and we need to recognize that not everyone shares our faith. If we wish for those people to know Christ, we must function as living ambassadors and examples of how our lives have been impacted
by God's grace and love. Any attempt to legislate our morality will end in failure, for no law can make a man come to know Christ.
"And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village." Luke 9:52-56
5. Defend America Against all Enemies: We must defend ourselves against those who try to harm us, but only use force as a last resort. We must not break the bond of trust our soldier have with our great republic - they are willing to lay down our lives in defense of this nation, but they must be used with great care and caution. The Powell doctrine must be our guide to using military force in the world - use overwhelming force to ensure success, have a clearly defined objective, ensure logistical support, and have a clearly defined exit strategy. While Christ compels us to turn the other cheek, in many
cases this would result in the death of our nation. There are people in this world that see this as a sign of weakness and would destroy us if the opportunity presented itself.
"If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed" Exodus 22:2
Comments? Suggestions?