MSNBC: President Barack Obama placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery
FOX News: Suspected Muslim places suspicious device on government property.
This comparison may be a bit extreme, but considering some of the recent emails I've received, or worse, some of the comments I've read on major news sites, there is a large segment of society that would relate to the fictitious FOX News heading. The over-the-top hatred for the current president is only slightly greater than the hatred and contempt for the previous president.
Now let's get a couple of things straight. First, I don't care who you voted for or what political party you belong to. Someone voted for the current president, and if it wasn't you...GET OVER IT. Nobody is telling you to agree with him. But I am reminding you that that no matter how many rants you forward on the internet, he is still going to be the president tomorrow.
Second, let's weed a couple of folk out of this discussion who aren't going to understand it anyway.
If you are still a birther...you are too stupid to vote or contribute to intelligent conversation. Go away!
If you still believe the current president is a Muslim...ditto.
There...with all that said (and hopefully the wackos have left the site in a huff), let's talk about the utter lack of respect that permeates the internet when the name of Barack Obama is mentioned. The level of juvenile, crass, and otherwise mindless comments that Christians post on blogs, emails and facebook, shocks and offends even a cranky old curmudgeon like myself. My father's words regarding the president still ring in my ears years after I made an inappropriate comment regarding a former president. "You don't have to like the man, but you damn well better respect the office!"
I believe that, as a Christian, I need to do more than just "respect" the highest office in the land. I have a responsibility to the man himself. The Apostle Paul sets the tone when he writes in Romans 13:1-2 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Paul later will write to Timothy (1 Timothy 2:1-3) "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior..."
So, with Paul's words in mind, let me ask this question. If you are praying, making intercession for, and giving thanks for the president of the United States (as Paul commands)...how likely are you to forward me a picture of a monkey with Barrack Obama's face photoshopped in? Or the photo of him wearing devil horns? Or a Nazi uniform? Bottom line...how easy is it to hate someone you are routinely praying for?
And BTW, if you are NOT routinely praying and giving thanks for Barrack Obama, what part of "This is good, and pleases God our Savior..." did you not understand?
Hoo-Rah for respect!
ReplyDeleteI personally do not want to become like Miriam when she disrespected her brother, Moses!
I agree with Pastor Tim in that no matter what our religious or political beliefs may be he deserves our respect by nature of his office. I have taught my children that whoever comes through our door, whether it is our next door neighbor or the president of the United States, that they should stand and show proper respect to him/her. But, in showing respect, it does not mean that we must agree with all that the President or anyone else in authority says or does. God endowed us with the ability to make choices, one of which is to decide when to be foolish and when to be wise. It would be foolishness for me to confuse respect or even obedience with agreement to someone else's beliefs. I have taught my children that if someone, like the president, were to try to persuade them to believe in his agenda or political beliefs, they should and have every right to say, "No disrespect to you sir, but I don't agree with what you have just said." And in doing so, they have to be wise enough about the issues surrounding them to be able to back up their stance--if they can't, then they need to educate themselves so that they may be able to do so as quickly as possible, or change their stance based on the knowledge they have attained.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pastor Tim that we shouldn't be putting President Obama's face on a monkey body or putting horns on his head. And, I am and we all should be praying for our president, but I don't just include him in my prayers, I include the whole nation. Fortunately, God has set up a system of government in this country that, when based on faith and the morals and principles dictated in the Bible, can make us prosper and when we find that the leadership is not going in that direction, God has also allowed us an outlet by which we can, hopefully, find someone who will run this country in a Godly manner. I pray that in the same way that Saul was enlightened, that God would open the eyes of President Obama in the areas in which he is going contrary to biblical teachings. I pray that our nation would turn their hearts to God and He would save us from our own sins--in this case, our sins of greed, negligence, complacency and a weak will. I don't find "Godly" to mean that we must pander to Satan and to those he chooses to proclaim ungodly principles such as gay marriages being acceptable, that killing a baby in its mothers womb is not murder, that not allowing us the right to carry arms is good for us (whatever happened to the armor God asked us to put on--he didn't neglect to arm us with a weapon and I don't think He wished us to be without one either physically and spiritually), and the many other moral, physical and spiritual areas in which we are being compromised by the people in leadership at this time.
I choose not to be a "weak-willed woman" (II Tim. 3:6). My prayers are not in support of things that are ungodly, but are a humble request that God would help us, including me individually, to change and to act in a way which honors His name. To do that, we cannot be a light under a bushel and we surely don't want to wait for the bushel to go up in flames around us when God expects us to stand up for Him!