{"id":140,"date":"2024-03-17T05:02:42","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T09:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/behavinglikejesus\/?p=140"},"modified":"2024-03-18T00:54:18","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T04:54:18","slug":"can-jesus-guide-us-towards-a-better-political-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/behavinglikejesus\/2024\/03\/can-jesus-guide-us-towards-a-better-political-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Jesus Guide Us Towards A Better Political Future?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

A Choice Between Two Evils<\/strong><\/h2>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The 2024 election will be between a narcissistic, insurrectionist and an intellectually impaired man, who has allowed open entry into our country. We need Jesus now to find a better path.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The upcoming election didn\u2019t have to be this way. Politics wasn\u2019t this dark when I was a child.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n But too much has transpired for me not to address the upcoming Presidential election. Often, I\u2019ve had feelings of hate towards both candidates. Now as I\u2019m writing this at 4am, I\u2019m hoping Jesus guides me towards a healthier direction.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n When Jerry Maguire penned his manifesto at the beginning of the movie, he had no idea where it would take him.https:\/\/ftw.usatoday.com\/2016\/04\/jerry-maguire-cameron-crowe-mission-statement<\/a> I\u2019m hesitant as well. However, between the sexual abuse findings against Trump towards E. Jean Carroll and Biden\u2019s complete negligence of the Southern border, I am done. I am not bringing my Christian beliefs into the voting booth.<\/p>\n <\/h2>\n \u00a0Neither Biden or Trump Deserve to be President<\/strong><\/h2>\n**** ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** I can\u2019t bring myself to vote for either individual. Trump doesn\u2019t deserve to be President after leading an insurrection on January 6th. There is no Christian justification for a capitol riot which resulted in blood shed and a manhunt for Vice President Pence.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** As for Biden, his negligence of the southern border has pit individual states against one another.<\/p>\n ** ****\u00a0<\/p>\n In New York, Democrat Mayor Eric Adams is at his wits end. Buses are coming into the city bringing too many people, way too quickly. https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/nyc-new-migrant-surge-buses-triple\/story?id=103732796<\/a> The violence, particularly between the migrants and the NYPD is terrifying. Many of these people entering the country have no respect for us, and maybe that\u2019s because we don\u2019t elect qualified leaders.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ll stop here because I\u2019m getting upset. I\u2019d prefer not to mention the number of fentanyl deaths or the loss of an innocent student in Georgia, but unfortunately such things are on the front page each morning.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This is Not 1984<\/h2>\n****** ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** Allow me to backtrack to my elementary school days during the Reagan vs. Mondale election. I was sitting in Mr. Foley\u2019s class who was discussing our options.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** Mr. Foley said something which had a profound effect on me.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** He said \u201cIt doesn\u2019t really matter who you vote for. The country will survive either way.\u201d<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** I wish I believed that now, but after losing my family to Covid and witnessing an insurrection, I\u2019m not sure this country has much left.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** Everyone believes their point of view is correct. Whether it\u2019s abortion or aiding foreign wars, almost all individuals believe their opinion outweighs the opposition. Stay on Facebook for 15 minutes, and you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** I\u2019m not correct about everything. Regarding many major issues, I have changed my opinion or \u201cflipflopped\u201d over the years. However, I believe we as a country could do better than these two\u00a0choices.<\/p>\n ** ******<\/h2>\n A Christian Should Abstain from Voting<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/h2>\n******** ** Now, I understand many view the right to vote as something we fought for, and I mean no offense to them. However, as a Christian, I\u2019m exercising my right to walk away.<\/p>\n ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** When the only two choices are evil, I believe it is the Christian thing to not get involved.<\/p>\n ** ********\u00a0<\/p>\n**** I have found some Christian leaders believe this way too. For instance, an article from\u00a0Desiring God <\/em>by John Piper illustrates I am not doing anything unjust by not voting. https:\/\/www.desiringgod.org\/interviews\/are-christians-obligated-to-vote<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n In this column, Piper fields a question from a devoted follower who is struggling with whether to vote in an election when you don\u2019t feel connected to either candidate. The follower cites a few biblical passages to back up his point, but the one I connect with most is Acts 5:29.Acts 5:29 NIV \u2013 Peter and the other apostles replied: \u2013 Bible Gateway<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe must obey God rather than human beings.\u201d I am following what I believe God wants, not what the political pundits tell me I should do. I sincerely believe God does not wish for me to get entangled in the secular affairs of these two polarizing candidates.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m living for eternal life in a better world, not one mired in dirt. In reaching this decision, I came across two quotes which don\u2019t require further explanation.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople know something has gone terribly wrong with our government and it has gotten so far off track. But people also know that there is nothing wrong in America that a good old-fashioned election can\u2019t fix.\u201d Sarah Palin<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you need to make a decision, don\u2019t let your emotions vote.\u201d Joyce Meyer<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n What are your thoughts?\u00a0 I\u2019d love to hear them.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Choice Between Two Evils \u00a0 The 2024 election will be between a narcissistic, insurrectionist and an intellectually impaired man, who has allowed open entry into our country. We need Jesus now to find a better path. \u00a0 The upcoming election didn\u2019t have to be this way. Politics wasn\u2019t this dark when I was a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5525,"featured_media":149,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nCan Jesus Guide Us Towards A Better Political Future?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Both Biden and Trump are poor choices for president. As a Christian, we can abstain from voting between the two. 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