Monday, November 06, 2006
Vote!
I've heard it said that 90% of success in anything is just showing up. I find that to be true in a great many fields of endeavor, especially as I get older and realize how many people will not show up to whatever it is they need to be doing when they need to be there. This is obviously true in politics as well. A great deal of effort by the political parties goes to just getting their base to show up.
Jesus told us to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's. We are also told to honor our fathers and mothers, and to be thankful for what God has given us. I believe all of these principles point Christians in the direction of the polling booth.
Voting is one very important aspect of what it means to be a good citizen of this country. And not just showing up and pulling levers, but making informed choices. Citizens making informed choices in the polling booths is the gas that this nation runs on. I don't really care about getting uninterested uninformed people to the polls, but I do care about getting them interested and informed, and then to the polls. The more informed people are voting, the better off we will all be. So, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and head down to the polls tomorrow.
The fifth commandment requires us to honor our fathers and mothers. Broadly, this means to respect where we came from. Personally, I think this commandment of itself dictates a conservative political mindset, but I'll leave that for some other time. What it definitely means is that we realize that we are what we are because of those who came before us. We don't wake up one day in a vacuum and set out to create a brand-new society. We were born into a previously existing society, most of which works pretty well. We ought to respect that. A big part of that legacy that has been passed down to us is the voting process, and we ought to therefore respect that as well. When we seek to make changes to our society, honoring our fathers and mothers means making those changes gradually and carefully, with respect for what they have done before us.
And finally, we are told to give thanks. This country, for all its faults and problems, gives us many blessings that no other country on earth has. We have more say in our government than the great majority of people in the world do. We have a very good standard of living, and for the time being we are free to practice our religion. We ought to be thankful to God for these blessings and do what we can to ensure that our children and grandchildren have those blessings too. And that means voting, at least.
If you're reading this after the election and you didn't vote, I hope you do next time. If you read this before about 7 PM tomorrow, I would strongly encourage you to find out about the issues and make a choice. If you don't have time to become informed before the polls close, then just get an earlier start next year.
God bless America!
Jesus told us to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's. We are also told to honor our fathers and mothers, and to be thankful for what God has given us. I believe all of these principles point Christians in the direction of the polling booth.
Voting is one very important aspect of what it means to be a good citizen of this country. And not just showing up and pulling levers, but making informed choices. Citizens making informed choices in the polling booths is the gas that this nation runs on. I don't really care about getting uninterested uninformed people to the polls, but I do care about getting them interested and informed, and then to the polls. The more informed people are voting, the better off we will all be. So, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and head down to the polls tomorrow.
The fifth commandment requires us to honor our fathers and mothers. Broadly, this means to respect where we came from. Personally, I think this commandment of itself dictates a conservative political mindset, but I'll leave that for some other time. What it definitely means is that we realize that we are what we are because of those who came before us. We don't wake up one day in a vacuum and set out to create a brand-new society. We were born into a previously existing society, most of which works pretty well. We ought to respect that. A big part of that legacy that has been passed down to us is the voting process, and we ought to therefore respect that as well. When we seek to make changes to our society, honoring our fathers and mothers means making those changes gradually and carefully, with respect for what they have done before us.
And finally, we are told to give thanks. This country, for all its faults and problems, gives us many blessings that no other country on earth has. We have more say in our government than the great majority of people in the world do. We have a very good standard of living, and for the time being we are free to practice our religion. We ought to be thankful to God for these blessings and do what we can to ensure that our children and grandchildren have those blessings too. And that means voting, at least.
If you're reading this after the election and you didn't vote, I hope you do next time. If you read this before about 7 PM tomorrow, I would strongly encourage you to find out about the issues and make a choice. If you don't have time to become informed before the polls close, then just get an earlier start next year.
God bless America!
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