Responses to "If You Don't Like Obama"

In an earlier post, I quoted verbatim from an email I recently received talking about the ideological rancor and partisan vitriol we see from both sides of the liberal/conservative divide. Quoted here (again verbatim) is a followup to that email, for those of you who want to see how that email was received in the local Christian community (or, at least.. a slice of it).

Dear Heart of the City Friends,

I recently wrote an article entitled “If You Don’t Like Obama” for this Heart of the City email newsletter. In 13 years of this ministry, having written occasional articles throughout this time, I’ve never received so many responses – 98% of which were very positive toward the message of the article. A couple of them did make polarizing statements like, “the title ‘liberal Christian’ is an oxymoron” and “why don’t you just call it ‘carnal Christian’ instead of ‘liberal Christian?’” And a couple of others said things like “I find that conservative Christians rarely or seldom do anything productive but just complain about what the left is doing” and “We must not let the far right , southern, Republican, conservatives define us .” But overall, I found some really humble, interesting and valuable responses that were given. I feel like these blessed and challenged me and I think that there are excerpts from several that are really worth having everyone read. So I’m including them below. I think it will valuable to you if you’ll take a couple of minutes and read these through. I find it refreshing to hear such humble, thoughtful responses from Christians in regards to these issues – that seem refreshingly not like the hostility that we are so often presented. So take a minute and hear these thoughtful responses.

God bless!

Dan Adler

“…I started reading this very apprehensively and wondering if I was going to change my view of you and your ministry. This is a well balanced article and I hope folks on BOTH sides of the aisle will read it - it's good that you took advantage of the opportunity here to speak. I have a million reasons to not care for Obama as president and I get so angry when ANYONE mentions race because that's the one single thing I'd like to embrace about the situation…”

“..You have brought up many significant issues, Dan. Chief among them is the fact that we can be "dead right" about something, right on the substance of an issue but wrong in our attitude towards others while holding it. We can be wrong about the arrogance with which we hold even a valid position. This is what often divides both the American nation and the American church. If we want God's help in a political or spiritual cause we need to remember that "God resists the proud and shows grace to the humble" (1 Pet. 5:5). Our emotions can get the best of us, and disrespect and even hatred against "the other side" of any issue or belief can erupt deep within us. It is possible to "be angry and sin not" (Eph. 4:26) so we know that anger is not always wrong. But we can also grow angry with a sinful kind of anger at our follow human beings on the opposite side of a political or even a doctrinal position. To hold a right position with a right attitude of humility takes Divine empowerment…”

“…thanks for this excellent note. I am in complete agreement with you. And as a Black conservative you can imagine I am doubly conflicted these days. I think my main disappointment is at the vitriolic tone our political discourse has taken. People are to the point where they have real hatred for people they don’t even know, and its based purely based upon their political affiliation. That is crazy. I used to be very involved in politics, but with the last few elections I’ve chosen to back off. I no longer openly share my political persuasion. I don’t put up yard signs or any of that. It creates an unnecessary divide between me and people that I really like at all times except during an election. And it certainly has nothing to do with what God is asking of me. So I applaud your note and hope that people, and especially Christians, can take it to heart…”

“…i thought it might bless you to know that every Sunday Morning in the opening prayer, our (predominantly white suburban church) Pastor prays for President Obama, that he would sense the leadership and Lordship of Jesus Christ and be guided by His wisdom. Praying for our leaders is our responsibility and has great power. Jesus is still now and always will be Lord!”

“Wow Dan, this is brilliantly written and even more importantly, solidly true biblical teaching and consistent with the heart of Christ!! Well done. I commend you!
A great book - if you have not already read it - is "The Myth of a Christian Nation" by our own Twin Cities' Greg Boyd. It will blow your mind on the topic of church and state, religion and politics. In that book, Boyd points out for example that Jesus selected men from polar opposites on the political issues of the day. On Jesus' team He had a zealot ready to overthrow the government and a man who collected taxes for that very government. And there is a lot more. I particularly appreciate the advice you have because my wife comes from a strong Republican family and I from a very strong Democratic family. My father-in-law worked for a large company whose mission was to make money. Taxes were the enemy. My father was born into poverty and spent his career in education. Taxes were a means to serve the poor. My father pumped my head full of compassion for the poor and a zeal for racial justice. He gave me a love for people who were different than me and/or less fortunate than I.
My family and I have lived over a decade abroad in a city of 100,000 where we were often the only white people and just about the only Christians. We know what it is like to live as minority people in a politically and religiously hostile environment where just the color of our skin is a strike against us. We also experienced in that very context the freedom of agape love that breaks down all barriers and prejudices and creates friendships and bridges for truth to cross the cultural-political-religious divide. As you experience in your ministry, it is a taste of heaven and absolutely thrilling to see the barriers break down and love flow back and forth across the divide.
Now for the controversial part: in our extended family, Obama got multiple votes including from me, my wife, and my children-and we are evangelicals. I cried for joy when the clock ticked past 11 p.m and the west coast results came in making his election sure. I jumped up and down yelling: "We have a black president!" over and over. Of course we did not vote for Obama because he was black, but we were thrilled at the historical milestone in our country's struggle against the injustice of racism and we could not help think about all the suffering of blacks through the years in this country, what they have endured just because of the color of their skin. So race was not a factor in my choice to vote for Obama. I voted for him because I believe that he has compassion on the poor. I voted for him because he supports health care reform so that all people can have access to health care. I voted for him because I believe in sharing the wealth of this nation out of compassion and selflessness to help those less fortunate. I believe I am my brother's keeper and that we are all in this together.
I wish and pray that Obama would become pro-life. I believe he is wrong on the abortion issue. I believe gay marriage is wrong. On these issues I am as conservative as any evangelical. I have voted Republican on the basis of the abortion issue and I certainly understand and accept Christians voting Republican because of this issue and the gay marriage issue.
I however have a hard time understanding why I should let the Republican party or any other political group dictate my views on all the other issues facing our country or why I should vote a certain way based on a single issue. I care about the abortion issue, but I also care about education and health care. And I am against the war in Iraq and concerned about the environment. So, if I agree with Obama on certain issues but disagree with him on other issues, what do I do? Does the abortion issue have to trump all others? It has been pointed out that if Roe vs. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court, the decision on the legality of abortion would simply go to the state level, and there does not exist a single state currently prepared to make abortion illegal. So as much as I am against abortion, a presidential election outcome is not likely to save the lives of any unborn children in the foreseeable future . We would do better to focus our efforts on evangelism and grass roots work to influence the minds of individual people about abortion. This is work that is doable and within our reach and that is what I do to live consistently with my belief that abortion is wrong.
Dan, the theme of your article is treating one another with love and respect in the midst of the political bickering of our day. If I were to let people know that I voted for Obama, a lot of folks in my church would no longer respect me. Some would be appalled concluding that I am one of those hated liberals. I don't think there is much room in a lot of evangelical churches today for people who voted for Obama. I find that sad and it affects me personally. I can freely discuss my political views at work, but I don't dare discuss them at church. And by the way, my kids have been to some extent turned off to church as a result of the anti-liberal hate talk in evangelical churches. They feel it too- all the hatred toward Obama and those liberals. By the grace of God they still follow Christ in spite of what they hear at church out of the mouths of Christians.
This is why I say, I appreciate your call for Christian conduct, in stead of jumping on the hate band wagon. We sorely need your good word on this blind spot in our evangelical vision.”

“This was a blessing to me today. We are staunch conservatives. I can truly say that President Obama's race has not ever caused me to spout off with inappropriate racial slurs, but I can say that I have spouted off inappropriately about what he is doing in direct conflict of what Christ expects from me. This was extremely well written and inspired by the Holy Spirit. I will watch my mouth and pray for our leaders and country based on your article.”

“I can not thank you enough for writing this. I have been disturbed by many emails I have received from conservative friends, family and others - such hatred. I always choose not to pass them on. Your words are like a window has opened and I got a breath of fresh air and the truth. I have sat socially with liberal friends who verbally attacked me for my beliefs/values. I really hate when politics are brought up! Thank you. You have verbalized the reasonableness and love of God that we so often forget and get bogged down under daily propaganda.”

“Thank you so much for writing this. I wish every Christian could read this. So I am forwarding this to everyone I know. Similarly, for years I have been receiving emails that are very prejudicial against Muslims. I respectfully reply and ask if they know someone who is Muslim personally and if they have talked to them about these issues. Most of them say no. I then ask them unless they are stating a fact that they heard from first hand experience not to further the stereotypes. If we treat Muslims this way then why would they want to be a Christian?...”

“…I read your email carefully with a sense of dread, thinking you were "one of them" and then cheered, cried and danced.”

“…I strongly agree with what you have written here, and would add that people like me also need to heed it. I am not in either the liberal or conservative camp on everything. But, because of this very issue, I have backed away from politics and don't pay attention to what is going on. While this keeps me from getting angry at everyone, it does not help this world. It is not loving…”

“… It is not politics or armies or laws, but Jesus Christ who is our hope. I am very passionate about politics, and therefore need to remind myself often that God puts people into power and removes them for HIS purposes and the best thing I can do for America and the world is make disciples…”

“…I wish, in the all of the political zeal, that Christians (including myself) would realize the truth of how you ended it with the quote from Petra! We aren't of this world, and we won't find the solution to our world's problems through any political leader.........only Jesus!..”

“…That was absolutely fantastic! Totally agree!!! If I hear someone complain, I always ask them if they are praying for those in authority over us. Shuts them up then & there!..”

“…The greatest danger facing all who name Christ is acting, speaking or doing anything absent of love. 1Cor 13:1-4, tells us the end result - worth nothing…”

“These are potentially dangerous times and we as Christians seem to have forgotten what circumstances were like at the birthplace of our faith in Roman culture. We might in fact inadvertently create an unnecessary backlash of persecution toward a perception WE create for the unbelieving world…not because of the gospel, but our impulsive and venomous critiques of our opposition...IF we're going to be hounded it should be for the right reasons, not because we're brash and mouthy about political views...it just shuts down the interpersonal dialogue. It squelches any kind of opening to share our faith.”

And here’s a beautiful prayer that one person closed their note with that I’ll close this note with as well:

“Lord, help us all to see that what we really need is You. Lord we are helpless. We cannot possibly win the war that rages for the souls of men without Your complete control. Father, forgive us when we forget that it is not about us. Lord, have mercy on us all. There is no one who is righteous, not one. We rely completely on the power of Christ that lives within us to live…Father, may we continue to worship you, and love our neighbors as ourselves. I pray in Jesus name. Amen”