Thoughts and words from the heart: Passion for What????

"Jesus showed us a new. A Way that compels followers to love our enemies so extravagantly that the watching world rises to our defense, or walks away compelled to investigate further. A Way that sheds light on conversions through follower’s unwillingness to fight fire with fire. A Way that shows the world what it truly means to be human. This is the Way of Jesus. The pattern of Jesus. It is a Way of love. A conquering and raging love, unstoppable, unshakable."Jimmy Spencer jr.

This quote is taken from a writing the author did on a letter James Dobson wrote four years ago about the horrors that would happen if Obama became president.

The letter was shameful to say the least. But that's not what I want to write about. I want to write about the sad, sad division this election has brought out among my Christian brothers and sisters and yes, myself. I truly am sad too.

I'm not upset because they don't think like me, or vote like me or have the same convictions as myself, but sad because the hatefulness that has crept into the political chatter.

I'm not exempt either. However, I do try to be aware, and it's difficult for me to take Jesus' words to heart when he constantly tells us to live by another law, and that is the law of love.

I became a Christian during the Jesus Movement and haven't looked back since. I have, however, rethought doctrine that I was taught and ways that I interpreted that as part of my life, part of my everyday actions. I realized how very judgemental I was, and probably still am. But I thought that was my job as a Christian, to be wise and judge so I wouldn't 'fall away'. That was my biggest fear..that I would fall away and....well....and be shunned. (Yes, I watch "Breaking Amish", and no, I wasn't Amish.) It was obvious that people were shunned when they even left our church for another by what was said about them after they had left. I have no idea why it became like that, because there was a whole lot of good that came from that place. There is no perfect place here on earth and that is somewhat of a comfort for me to know. I won't find perfection here and now.

So, getting back to the election; Romney is a momon and most Christian churches considered that a cult before he ran for President. Now, however, simply because the extreme right has, in my opinion, hijacked a huge portion of Christianity, mormonism is no longer a cult. Ask Billy Graham's organization.

“The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on this Earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than any other book.”
― Joseph Smith Jr., The Book of Mormon

I digress.....Getting back to my main point; It's very sad that there is so much bickering and arguing on facebook in front of the whole virtual world. What ever happened to "they will know you are Christians by your love? No human is going to save our country, only we, as a whole, can do that. We're so divided now,I just don't see it happening. Okay, I'm rambling. What I really want to say is that I have friends that don't really want much to do with me anymore because I am for a president who doesn't want to outlaw gay marriages or divorce. People have actually cut me off.

It grieves me to no end...but I sort of accept it and will move on.

Lastly, I want to touch on the subject of war. The same people who hate abortion and gay marriage say nothing of the travesties of war. They say it is a necessary evil to keep our country free.They would rather, we as a country, sort of flex our muscles and say, don't mess with us..we'll take you out. So, because they show the horrors of abortion, I will show the horrors of war and end with that. The pictures are graphic.

What about the children that have been invaded? They lived through the horror. If soldiers are traumatized for the rest of their lives from taking part in the initiative to wage war, what about those that have war come to them, inside their town, neighbourhood, and home? Children, utterly helpless and trembling in fear; what about them?
According to a Washington Post article by Sudarsan Raghavan, "Since the U.S.-led invasions in 2003, 4 million Iraqis have fled their homes, half of them children, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. Many are being killed inside their sanctuaries -- at playgrounds, on soccer fields and in schools. Criminals are routinely kidnapping children for ransom as lawlessness goes unchecked. Violence has orphaned tens of thousands." (mwc news)
birth-defect.