Pastors and rock stars are weighing in on this year’s presidential election, weighty words like “most important in my lifetime” being tossed in, as if to use their positions of influence, to sway the hoi polloi, rather than staying within their realm of responsibility and expertise. Websites show the rally for votes in accord with their selective issue biasing, like www.voteandpray.com and www.takebackourfaith.org, or just sheer celeb’ rock star status at Vote For Change rock tour. As one who doesn’t have strong feelings about politics, I find it demotivating to engage the conversation when there is so little dialogue, and so much selectivity on issues. Now, I realize with a whole mixed bag of issues, there has to be a sorting out of priorities. It’s too seriously complicated to set policies for a vastly diverse country, and still growing even more diverse in values, and what most people see and most people do is over-simplify on both sides, rarely engaging with those who differ. Having said that, I do vote, and do encourage people to vote.
[update: 2 more examples of mobilizing people to vote at ivotevalues.org and redeemthevote.com, courtesy of kevinpierpont.com - I don't see how in good conscience they can say that they're non-partisan!]
Thanks for the comments.. with only so much time between 2 jobs and family, and a limited number of brain cells, I guess I’ve not gotten into politics as those who are so into it.
I took one of them online political spectrum tests, and landed very centrist/moderate on the 2 axis presented: social and economic. But there are other dimensions to the political mix: moral, international/ foreign/domestic, and I’d imagine even much more. Some have made morality the deciding issue, some have made domestic social issues the trump issue, and the rhetoric makes those out to be the “only” issue.
It’s been interesting political year for me. This is the first year ever that I have not known how to vote. I have been encouraging people to remember that the work of the gospel will not be accomplished in Washington. It will be accomplished in each of our communities by our churches. That may sound like a cop-out, but it is the heart of the gospel message.
i’m with will in that politics can change behavior, but it can’t change hearts. And i’m with you, DJ, on the need for real prioritization of social issues (and also of global problems). For too long, the only issues that get any attention are those that are important to campaign donors, “photogenic”, and/or some celebrity’s pet issue. if businesses can use such sophisticated product portfolio analysis to decide which new products to pursue, shouldn’t the gov utilize the same thinking to decide how much $ & time should go to AIDS, famine, landmines, clean water, nanotech, etc etc…
looking forward to see you at the Leaders Forum in Chi-town.