God and Politics

Before you get all bent out of shape at the mere assumption this blog is about to delve into that sticky realm of religion vs. politics, let me assure you that you have every right to be bent out of shape. Last night, I watched as Barack Obama sailed into victory in the Iowa caucus along with the "born-again" conservative preacher, Mike Huckabee. I in no way intend to be unbiased throughout this diatribe. I am a Barak supporter and I have been since before he announced his candidacy. I was reminded why while I listened to an episode of my favorite radio broadcast, "This American Life." The episode is entitled "Godless America." Even Ira can't cover his dislike of the Christian Fundamentalists he interviews.

The Christian Right scares the shit out of me to be blunt. The more I listen to their views on what America should become, the more shear anger bubbles up inside of me. It angers me to hear these narrow-minded men dictate how I should lead my life. I am a moral person who believes in a benevolent "God," which is where the disagreement begins. The Christian Right wants to overturn Roe V. Wade, outlaw birth control pills (not condoms, oh no, just birth control pills), legally punish a woman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock and deny homosexuals the same rights guaranteed to all other Americans. Does that seem heavily weighted against women to anyone else or is it just me?

First of all, it repulses me that the C.R. demands more morality on the part of women than on men. Why is it they believe a woman, and only the woman, should be punished for a pregnancy out of wedlock? Hellllllooooo? Basic biology. Unless we are all the Virgin Mary, I am pretty sure an egg has to be fertilized by something, I don't know, sperm in order to grow into a baby. Second of all, outlawing oral contraceptives is just fucking brilliant. W00t you morons! Thirdly, I am pro-life (um...who isn't really pro-life unless their suicidal?), BUT I do not believe in also killing women who are in a desperate situation by taking away their right to a clean, medically supervised abortion. I will not enforce my beliefs on someone else who's situation I can sympathise with but will (hopefully) never understand. Plus, if they take away oral contraceptives, does anyone else think the rate of abortions will escalate, or is that just me? To quote Mommy Dearest, "NO WIRE HANGARS EVER!!!"

Then there's this issue of homosexuality. True homosexuality is inherent from birth. Period. I do not believe that a loving God would punish someone for living the way that he/she made them. Plus, why is it most artists who create beautiful theatre/paintings/sculpture/film/etc are gay? God is responsible for beauty. God gives those who face prejudice the ability to make the most beauty. I find that interesting; to give someone you hate and will burn in the depths of hell the ability to beautify what you created before you torture them...

The C.R. also argues that events such as 9/11 and the war in Iraq are examples of God punishing us for leaving him/her out of the Constitution and advancing the "homosexual agenda." I am more inclined to believe that catastrophic events like these are the absence of God not the result of God. To say God willingly hurts his/her creations is humanizing him/her. What really gets my goat about the Iraq War argument is the C.R. claims we are helping the "infidels" in Iraq find God. Um...isn't that Al Qaeda's same argument for their extreme tactics? Potato, potahto. Evangelicals, terrorists.

Morality is defined by what we choose to include and exclude from our lives. We are all made of the same parts. We are all of one image. Why not love everyone and show tolerance? Why not live in the image of Christ who befriended those whom others rejected? Isn't that what Christianity is or is "Christianity" being used as the clothing on the wolf?

Basically, stay the fuck out of my uterus.

PS- BARACK THE VOTE!