Some Beliefs

Tired of being misunderstood by people who seem to only understand the package deals our major political parties put forth, I want to lay out some of the things I believe. If all you know are those popularized package deals, these items may seem disjointed or contradictory. My goal and hope is to be obedient to Christ; I hope these beliefs reflect that. So... in no particular order...

• Because power corrupts, the government can do little, if anything, with excellence.
• Vote reluctantly. If you find a Republican who wants to help the poor and help the environment, remember that her mere presence in the halls of power benefits the party who doesn't hold the poor and the environment as high priorities. Conversely, if you find a pro-life, pro-religion Democrat, remember that his mere presence in the halls of power benefits the pro-choice, secularizing party.
• It is wrong to oppress the poor.
• Saying that preachers should be willing to adopt all the children saved from abortion is like saying preachers shouldn't preach against poverty unless they're willing and able to employ all those poor people. Both statements set up a straw man for the purpose of destroying dialogue and constructive discussion.
• It is wrong to destroy the environment.
• It is wrong to re-define marriage and experiment with society in the name of free sexual expression.
• A person in their embryonic stage of development is just as worthy of our protection as a person in their adolescent, mature, or elderly stages of development. A pregnancy is unique in that no other stage of a person's development so inherently and intimately inconveniences a specific other person. But that inconvenience does not negate the value of the other, more vulnerable person. Democrats chooseto defend the convenience of one class of persons merely because the other class can't speak, sue, donate, or vote.
• In the life of a nationstate, while a military is a necessiy, and war is occasionally beneficial, violence is contagious and corrosive to a people. All other things being equal, less violence is better than more violence.
• The free exercise of religion does not a theocracy make.
• Truth-seekers will encourage their opponents to speak.
• We do ourselves and our children a disservice by allowing either major political party to be their primary source for what we believe and why.
• Using one's power to avoid accountability (not to be confused with receiving grace or asking forgiveness) is wrong.
• I have learned compassion and tolerance from both the culture and the church. Thus, I do wish I could believe that homosexual activity is harmless, and equivalent to heterosexual activity. But I haven't found a way to read scripture with integrity and still come to this conclusion. It's a sin. And like all sin, I hope and pray that those who are enslaved by it will be free someday.

I'm sure there are those who will be offended by what I've said here. I hope not. Hopefully these statements will lead to further constructive discussion.