Reply To: Political Statements
@Colleenky said “I hope it’s clear that I don’t believe that the Christian right = all American Christians. My understanding of the term “Christian right” is that it refers to a politically active, ultra-conservative, fundamentalist subset of American Christians.”
Guess what.
I am a politically active, conservative (perhaps even ultra-conservative) evangelical American Christian.
I even wear a button to SF and anime and anthropomorphic conventions which says “Conservative, Bible-believeing Christian Republican with a sense of humor. It is TOO possible!”
Scared of me yet? You shouldn’t be, especially if all your knowledge of us is based on the media. Because that stereotype they play over and over again is NOT me. I paint. I listen to music- same stuff as a lot of you do. I play with my grandson, and go to college. I pray, and I believe that God hears and answers prayers. I listen to people on line who don’t have anyone else to talk to, but only talk to them about my faith if they ask, or to let them known where I am coming from. I laugh, I cry, and I obviously can get sick as heck and land flat on my back. No walking on water. I love chocolate and my country and the constitution and believe in the right of everyone to free speech and exchange of ideas. I get angry, and it frightens me because of how easy it is to get angry with those who do not hold the same political beliefs- and I fight that anger. It is never easy, and yeah, I often will pray my way through it.
Last year I joined the Gathering of Eagles Rally to support the troops in Washington DC during a counter to an anti-war rally being thrown just before General Petraus gave his report- remember “General Betrayus” signs before he had even said a word of his report? Well the scareiest part of the day for me, being on the other side of the much larger anti-war crowd, wasn’t the people screaming obscenities at me, threatening me by crowding me or spitting on me- it was my reaction to feeling threatened and my exhilirating feeling of righteous anger and justification in screaming back at them.
Then I saw what I was becoming and stopped. And sang “God Bless America” over and over again, and smiled and nodded at everyone. It went along with my “God Bless the troops” sign a lot better than screams and hatred. And a lot of people stopped, and talked, and smiled back.
I fear anger taking over here, and dividing people who would otherwise have a great time with each other…everybody please be careful, ok?