Yeah, We Did ~ Blog 14

Everybody has seen the dramatic social media exclamations today. People are afraid for America and concerned about our future. Losing sucks. We all get that. Here in Massachusetts, an assisted-suicide bill I was hoping would pass did not; it lost by about 60,000 votes out of 3 million cast. 

In general, candidates I support did well last night and that makes me feel pretty good. What doesn't feel good is to see how people, particularly some Christians, are reacting to Barack Obama's re-election. I don't care that they don't like the President or that they're conservative, I care that they make Christians like me look crazy, which affects what should be our basic message of welcome understanding to non-Christians.

I'm not just being dramatic. A friend on Facebook openly cheered Obama's re-election as a sign that the Apocalypse was near, she hoped. If eye-rolling could make a noise, my computer would have heard it when I saw that. Stop it. 

At work in Salt Lake, when Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson said something crazy, it was my job to loudly protest on behalf of moderate or liberal Christians everywhere. It wasn't a job I relished, but I felt it was my job to represent my faith, because all the secular world sees is another Christian on television being crazy again. This doesn't help spread the Word.

This isn't about the politics. We're on Earth. If you're a born-again Christian, you might believe that you're stuck here on Earth until you get to go to heaven. My point is simple: This is what you've got for now, right here. Let's work together to make it a better place. That's a message that everybody, of all religions and political persuasions, should agree with.

We knew there would be reactions like this. You had to be wishful in your thinking to believe it wouldn't go down like this. I'm not blind to it. I'm not going to try to argue religious theology, argue about what Jesus would do, nor gloat over a Democratic victory.

Here's the deal: Our country has solvable problems. The debt is a big number, but it's nowhere near Greece nor Spain's problems. Our poor have gotten poorer. People need jobs. Go ahead and think the Apocalypse is coming. But let's allow our elected officials to make some deals to give the poorest among us jobs, food and health care. Even if you think the Apocalypse is coming, you have to acknowledge that you don't know God's timing for that event. You're here on Earth for now. Let's make it a better place.