I think that I have an interesting perspective in regard to Christianity and American politics.  I watch people of my faith...specifically of my denomination, engross themselves in the political arena; wrapping themselves in the affairs of state.  Many of the people I know are rather Conservative, they say that voting is not only a civil responsibility, but voting in regards to one's conscience is what we should do 'AS CHRISTIANS.'  They, in a true desire to see a nation changed for God, vote.

But the question I have is: Does God change a nation through voting?  If Barrack Obama or John McCain either enter the office of President of the United States...is that something that is apart of "God's Plan?"  I put "God's Plan" in air quotes because I think that Christians many times don't know what this means.  They use it to describe some sort of all- encompassing air or aura or design...but based all in looking backward for some sort of pattern.  The problem with this is that History can be manipulated through perspective.  Here are a few examples:

1. The current state of the nation is worse than it has ever been.  Christianity isn't growing as fast as it used to, people are less moral, and taboos are not what they used to be.  Sex and violence is prevalent in society, so much so that it's considered entertainment.  The U.S needs another revival to get back to being the Nation that God intended it to be.

2.  The past 150 years have seen a huge growth in morality.  All through the 19th century western expansion breeded all sorts of violent and bloody crimes against humanity.  Flesh was cheap, both in the sharecropping sense, and in the line of prostitution.  General lawlessness ran the plains and the western desert.  Railroads exploited immigrant workers for their own means; often working their workers to near death (sometimes past) for relatively no pay. 

However, throughout the 20th Century there has been incredible growth.  Women and minorities earned the right to vote, the civil rights movement of the 50's expounded on that, ending (for the most part) segregation and for the first time in the nation's history the idea that "all men are created equal" was realized.  Child labor laws were passed, workplace regulations were put in place to protect the health and safety of people...and many many examples of the growth of society.  People are more moral now than they have been in the past; studies show a downswing trend in teenage pregnancy, teenage smoking, and drug use, compared to the upward trends of the 90's.  All in all, things are getting better...humanity is worth more than its ever been before.

3. Humanity hasn't changed since the stone age.  Since the dawn of time man has created rules to protect the social interest of the community...and since those rules have been in place, people have broken them.  Man's desires are still the same as they have always been: self-serving, self-gratifying, worried more about personal consequence than the affect of one's actions on another.  Man has always stolen, always cheated, always lied, always had promiscuous and 'dirty' sex.  Even within the so-called faith-based communities horrible atrocities have been committed.  The Crusades, The Inquisition, Salem, Boston....etc.  The circle has always been spinning and will always spin.  Man has always feared the community that he is not apart of, and will always be distrusting of those not like him.  Law and Order is simply rule backed by force...and should that force be removed man will revert to his carnal and wild roots.

History holds all of these assessments as true...depending on how one chooses to interpret the data of the past.  All in all, I tend to hold that 3 has more credence than either 1 or 2.  Though things might seem like they're getting worse, I subject to you that the social crimes committed against minorities carry equal weight to that of the sexual idiocy of the 60's, the drug use of the 70-80's and the seemingly apathetic post-modernist trend today.  Viceversa...it is getting worse: truth is taking a back seat to feeling, and knowledge is no longer as important as self- esteem, and obvious moral diffciencies are instead diseases (which may have some truth) however the action in and of itself carries the weight of responsibility rather than the person who is victim/doing the thing...I.E Alcoholism.

But we as Christians look to morality as our guiding light.  It seems to me that despite the fact that the nation is setup to not be a moral authority (in fact it is setup to protect those who dissent) we somehow think that life would be better if the politicians pushed an agenda that somehow matched up with our belief system.  It's not about our desire to have the Government PROTECTING freedom to practice our religion...we'd rather have the Government ENFORCING our religion. 

You see, my perspective is this: To have the freedom to believe what I believe...I must allow the world to live the way that it wishes...despite if it is good or not.  I have to let them believe in reincarnation, I have to let them believe in whatever definition of marriage...BUT I don't have to believe that it's right.  I don't have to agree with them on it, and I do have the right to say no.  I can also pick my battles in what is important (ie Abortion.)  Take the Ten Commandments off the walls of justice halls...but don't take Prayer out of schools because that would be a violation of Freedom of Speech.  Christians, remember though that prayer doesn't just mean to OUR God.    

What does God want? Is God looking for America to be HIS nation?  Does God want us to vote 'his' law and then look to our order to enforce it?  Or are we looking to have God enforce 'OUR' law to his order? How overarching is "God's Plan?"

1.  Sitting here waiting for SP2 to download to my workstation (I know, I know..so three years ago.) THAT'S how archaic my work computer is.  I have to do this because we're upgrading to office 2007...and I can't run it without SP2.  So I've been sitting here for hours, Task Manager up and runing...and waiting for the UpdaterUI program to finish so I can restart, pull up Office, and get back to doing my job.

But it isn't moving oh so fast....teh misery.

2.  In other tech noos, my laptop is out of comission for a while.  Bad PBR 2 error.  I'm going to have to flash the bios, disable the USB boot...or just reinstall the os.  MUCHOS FUN!!! I really don't like computers today, I wish that they would explode.

3.  BUT something that couldn't be done without computers was the Dark Knight...that; my friends; rocked.  Sure there was overhype due to the late Heath Ledger...HOWEVER none of the hype detracted from the fact the joker was INCREDIBLE.  I order you...go see it now.  It will not disapoint.

4.  Has anyone ever noticed that Obi-Wan Kenobi was a perv?  I mean, srusly...he knew that Luke and Leia were brother and sister, and yet he plays off of Luke's wonderment at "who is that glown' hottie shootin out of the droid."  C'mon, everyone sees that the boy is a little star struck by this woman.  Benny is the only one that knows the truth, and yet...never says a word.  He should have said "Luke, you mighten want to think about what you're thinkin there...that woman's kin, and that type of behavior is only acceptable in Arkansas."  I'll pause for the 'awkward turtle.'

5. 

I wonder how a rainbow tastes

if possible to do?

I'd try the red, the orange, the green,

the yellow, purple, blue;

Though skittles nice, their taste just might

not be in truth the same;

Because within no drops contain

of any sort of rain.

6.  I'm taking my mom to lunch today

7.  I sometimes wish that it was 'couth' to write in English English.  I'd say things like "The colour of the programme is mauve; Right-o, spit-spot, and Bob's-your-uncle."

8.  It is sad to see that any piece of paper that lay on my desk for an extended period of time...has coffee stains on it.

9.   I hate my new business cards.  They have a picutre of me of them.  I look like a child rapist or a person who takes joy in eating live kittens.  This, to me, is disturbing.

10.  I have this strange attraction to the album "Ray of Light" by Madonna.  I don't know why...but it...sorta...soothes me.

Well,

I've done my deep posting for the week...I think.  Right now I'm just trying to survive the 50 minutes until I can go home.  I have my voice student tonight...yay!  She hasn't had a lesson in a while, so I look forward to running her through her paces. 

Jason is leaving for New Orleans soon...that'll suck for me.  BUT...since I'm getting married and all, it'll be alright 'cuz I would have left sooner or later (January 3)...I expect presents and eprops.  I've been making wedding plans and I have to say...it's really REALLY hard to get motivated.  I think to myself, "Self, there's 6 months to worry about it."  And then, the still small (well, not so small) voice says "SELF, there is 6 months...START WORRYING!!!!!!!(1)!"  Yes, my subconscious uses perenthesis.  So, I'm just working through it all, still trying to grasp the concept of being wed...it'll be fun, just weird.

WELL TTFN!!! (as my hombreina Struckoff would say)