Being a-political
I gave up Facebook and other social media for lent. I'm seriously thinking about giving it up permanently. The thing that's stopping me is that I know that, used properly, it's a great thing.
The deal is that it's tough remember the "used properly" part.
I haven't read the entire Mueller report. I will get around to it. And when I do, I will make my judgments on it based on the facts that are presented. Facts. Not my opinion of the president, nor the Attorney General, who, sadly, is trying add his own 'spin' on it to make his boss look good.
His boss doesn't look good.
If you think he does, then read on, because I'm going to share some very a-political thoughts about the whole thing.
If you read the report and you're a fan of our President, read it with the idea that a Democrat was president. Substitute President Obama's name in there, for one. Or pretend it's a report about Ms. Clinton. If you'd be outraged at this conduct if the President were anybody but Mr. Trump, then you should be outraged. Period.
I have a different lens on politics than I used to. I used to lean Republican. I voted for Ross Perot twice because I thought both mainstream party candidates the two times he ran were a bad choice. I was a supporter of Reagan until I saw what Reagan's economic policies had done to our country. I didn't like democrats for a long time because they made Oliver North's secretary cry. I didn't like Republicans for using LTC North for the scapegoat (or fall guy).
I have little use for politics these days. I have a harder time suffering the blather that some of my friends on both sides share. It was nice to take a break from it. I may have to un-follow a few more people that can't seem to keep their Facebook posts limited to comments about issues. I'm willing to hear what you have to say about issues, but for several people, including some well-meaning Christians, it seems to me that politics is starting to become their religion. I think our faith should shape our political beliefs and not vice-versa.
It seems to me that for a lot of people, the opposite is starting to become true.
And it also seems to me that we can't be afraid to tell the truth. The people that were murdered yesterday in Sri Lanka were not "Easter worshipers." They were Christians worshiping God and celebrating the resurrection of the risen Lord. Maybe calling them Christians seems inappropriate, but they weren't worshiping Easter. They were worshiping and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, not Easter.
We live in a world where truth doesn't seem to matter. Maybe calling them Easter worshipers is meant to diffuse tensions, but it doesn't diminish the fact that Christians were murdered. Christians are being persecuted around the world and not calling attention to that by calling them what they are, is to deny that that's why they were killed.
My point is this: We can't view truth through the lens we want to see it in. Sometimes we have to accept that facts aren't always what we want them to be. I found that out as I read the Bible for the first time and had to start replacing my truth with God's truth. I had to change the lens I viewed everything in life with. My ideas about right and wrong come from a basis of Biblical truths and not the lens of what I want to believe.
I see what is meant by living in a "Post-truth" world. I think the Mueller report stands as a prime example of that. People are drawing conclusions along party lines, based on what they want to hear. I haven't read it so I can't comment on it. And when I do, those comments will be best served by me not repeating them. I need to decide things based on the best facts I can get. Not because I voted for or against someone.
Being a-political is tough.
The deal is that it's tough remember the "used properly" part.
I haven't read the entire Mueller report. I will get around to it. And when I do, I will make my judgments on it based on the facts that are presented. Facts. Not my opinion of the president, nor the Attorney General, who, sadly, is trying add his own 'spin' on it to make his boss look good.
His boss doesn't look good.
If you think he does, then read on, because I'm going to share some very a-political thoughts about the whole thing.
If you read the report and you're a fan of our President, read it with the idea that a Democrat was president. Substitute President Obama's name in there, for one. Or pretend it's a report about Ms. Clinton. If you'd be outraged at this conduct if the President were anybody but Mr. Trump, then you should be outraged. Period.
I have a different lens on politics than I used to. I used to lean Republican. I voted for Ross Perot twice because I thought both mainstream party candidates the two times he ran were a bad choice. I was a supporter of Reagan until I saw what Reagan's economic policies had done to our country. I didn't like democrats for a long time because they made Oliver North's secretary cry. I didn't like Republicans for using LTC North for the scapegoat (or fall guy).
I have little use for politics these days. I have a harder time suffering the blather that some of my friends on both sides share. It was nice to take a break from it. I may have to un-follow a few more people that can't seem to keep their Facebook posts limited to comments about issues. I'm willing to hear what you have to say about issues, but for several people, including some well-meaning Christians, it seems to me that politics is starting to become their religion. I think our faith should shape our political beliefs and not vice-versa.
It seems to me that for a lot of people, the opposite is starting to become true.
And it also seems to me that we can't be afraid to tell the truth. The people that were murdered yesterday in Sri Lanka were not "Easter worshipers." They were Christians worshiping God and celebrating the resurrection of the risen Lord. Maybe calling them Christians seems inappropriate, but they weren't worshiping Easter. They were worshiping and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, not Easter.
We live in a world where truth doesn't seem to matter. Maybe calling them Easter worshipers is meant to diffuse tensions, but it doesn't diminish the fact that Christians were murdered. Christians are being persecuted around the world and not calling attention to that by calling them what they are, is to deny that that's why they were killed.
My point is this: We can't view truth through the lens we want to see it in. Sometimes we have to accept that facts aren't always what we want them to be. I found that out as I read the Bible for the first time and had to start replacing my truth with God's truth. I had to change the lens I viewed everything in life with. My ideas about right and wrong come from a basis of Biblical truths and not the lens of what I want to believe.
I see what is meant by living in a "Post-truth" world. I think the Mueller report stands as a prime example of that. People are drawing conclusions along party lines, based on what they want to hear. I haven't read it so I can't comment on it. And when I do, those comments will be best served by me not repeating them. I need to decide things based on the best facts I can get. Not because I voted for or against someone.
Being a-political is tough.
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