Propaganda and the Liberal Media

I have not posted anything in quite some time, so I guess it is about time I shared another bit of wisdom I have been chewing on lately. With the upcoming election in November looming over us and the prospects for 2008 already starting to line up, I guess it is time to weigh in on the topic. Not that I have any expertise on things political, but I have touched on some of these issues before so they won't be new.

I remember being in college in 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected president. I remember thinking that he was probably the antichrist, but I really felt like he would win, especially with Ross Perot splintering the Republican vote. I wanted to vote for Clinton because I wanted to be on the winning side, but instead voted with my conscience to stay the course with George Bush Sr. Of course, that logic failed along with the Bush campaign and the religious right became a force to be reckoned with shortly thereafter. Since Clinton was liberal and the media was the whore of Babylon, the world must soon come to an end. I remember the 1994 election and the contract with America that Republican congressional officials made with the country. I remember that November night thinking, we'll show them, now the Lord will have his due. Well, we have had 12 years of Republican control of both houses of Congress and 6 years of that under a Republican president and I have come to realize one thing: more governing actually seems to take place when there is a balance of the two parties.

I guess what I am trying to say is: "Let the Democrats have it back!" At least that will give evangelicals something legitimate to complain about. It is astonishing to me to hear people complain about congress and their lack of accomplishment when we are the ones who put them there. We have become so afraid of Osama bin whoever, that we forget that we serve a God who is in control of all situations, and this is true whether there is a Republican or a Democrat is in the white house. It is funny that I still hear complaints about the liberal bias in the media, but there has to be a balance between the very conservative government and the media coverage. I do not remember any conservatives complaining that Rush Limbaugh was not giving a balanced view of President Clinton.

I was reading an article in Texas Monthly about the state of politics in Texas and how the GOP state convention was basically a diatribe against illegal immigration and the wall that they want to build along the border. Honestly, I didn't realize there was one person in Texas who did not realize there were illegal immigrants living there. So now that we have an election, we have to stir up fears about the border and a wall to keep all of the illegals and other ne'er do wells out of our borders. OR, is it possible, the wall is not to keep out whoever wants to get into the country, but to keep our culture monolithic in its outlook. We talk a lot about multicultural in church but when we get right down to it, it is just talk. We really do not want people around us who make us think or challenge our comfort level, especially with regard to our faith. I am challenged everyday, and I don't like it. But it is the best thing for me and it makes me stronger. It makes me know myself better. These border fears remind me a lot of there Y2K conspiracy. It is funny how people of faith were the ones that made the biggest uproar about Y2K and its possible repercussions. How is it that we have such faith in the end of the world, but so little faith in the Savior of the world?

The older I get the less sure I am of any of former convictions. I realize now that God does not care as much about some of these little things. I am not talking about the basics of the faith here. I am talking about things that matter little for the Kingdom. Just like I don't think a fence on the border of Mexico is the answer to our immigration problems, I do not think that picketing abortion clinics or rallying against Democrats is going to win anyone to the Kingdom.

So if the Democrats take the Congress and Hillary becomes president in 2008, or if the Republicans keep Congress and John McCain takes the white house, God is still in control. My prayer is that we as Christians do not allow our fears to dictate how we work and live. When it comes right down to it, we are most effective when we are salt and light in the world, rather than avoiding the world at all costs. As for me, I think I am going to vote for Jesus in the next election, and the last time I looked, he was an independent. And I no longer think Bubba is the antichrist, but the jury is out on . . .