GLENN'S PODCASTS!

WHY I'M AN INDEPENDENT VOTER
-glenn kaiser-

Americans come from widely varied races, ethnicities, economic, cultural and political heritages. I love and celebrate our diversity and melting-pot history. But we must face that this fairly well guarantees disagreement on any number of issues.

No matter how one votes (or even abstains) many are sure to see their choices in the dust just as sure as others applaud expected gains due to their chosen candidate winning.

Of course, the battle is often not the war...

In any case, here are my personal reasons and convictions as a born-again Christian American who prays, reads, listens and votes according to conscience in each local, state and federal election.

I wish to clarify WHY I cannot simply support either major party and be at peace if I did.

Things may change at some future time, but as I write this in September, 2004 the democratic and republican parties are so incredibly polarized that a number of their key positions -in my view- are flatly canceling each other out as reasonable options for my vote.

I cannot in good conscience support killing unborn children via abortion- score 1 for the R. position... but neither can I support the death penalty- 1 for the Dems.

While some talk and do a little here and there regarding the killing of innocent unborns, I remind you that I spent time in jail on two occasions with Operation Rescue, and furthermore, my wife and I adopted a child of an at-risk mom. She was bent on abortion... and thankfully changed her mind, deciding that if we would adopt and raise the baby, she'd give birth. We made that commitment and thankfully, she gave birth. Our daughter is now in her early twenties.

I am just as much a sinner as anyone, I am simply saying that many believers give lip service about loving pregnant moms and unborn children... and I say actions speak louder than any protests can.

The Rep. commitment to the Iraq war is not shared by me- 1 for the D. party, while I cannot support gay/lesbian agendas- 1 for the R. side.

I have prayed for years for friends in the military, and encouraged a man now in Iraq. I'm not a pacifist and have cried on more than a few occasions with people in the military around the world as we've ministered on bases and posts... I simply don't agree with most of the current administration's policies in Iraq, and have serious doubts about Afghanistan as well. I find zero conflict with supporting people in the military while disagreeing with politicians and their policies that directly affect those in the services.

I can say truthfully that some of my best friends have come out of the gay lifestyle and truly are not the people they were before. I was as close to being gay as one could get, prior to becoming a Christian, and in my view- which I believe to be biblical- homosexual as well as heterosexual sin is as all sin... missing the mark, out of God's plan for humankind, but not at all beyond God's redeeming power! I love sinners... it's sin I hate. Again, we can talk about such things or we can do something about helping those in need.

I give a point to democrats on hearty concern for the poor yet wonder if (excluding Iraq) the Republican's don't tend to interact with other nations while dems. seem near isolationists at times.

I've spent years traveling the world, and years more listening to short wave radio, reading overseas English language newspapers and I can tell you that we are often absurdly insulated from what we really look like to the rest of the world. Some of their attitudes against the U. S. are truly unfounded, but many of their negative attitudes have been earned by us and by our leaders over many years of powerful actions that have directly influenced and affected their lives- not always for the better.

I grew up in farm country and spend a fair bit in rural areas each year. I can tell you from experience that most urban dwellers- including believers- don't really have a good understanding of the attitudes and needs of rural folks. Most politicians are fairly urban themselves, and I think that often they don't personally have a lot of respect for this growing minority- rural folks and small farmers who are dealing with forclosures and upheaval.

Then there is the issue of genuine concern and programs for the poor and minorities and finally the environment- all which I give kudos to the democrats for.

While there are indeed African-American Republicans, the fact is that the far majority of blacks in this country support the Democrats, and for good reason. Republicans have for many years given lip-service and not much else to the poor. Live in my neighborhood and it becomes rather obvious.

Our continued dependence on fossil fuels is -in my view- truly killing us slowly. I am thankful for hydrogen cars, hybrids and such, but the truth is that oil- foreign or otherwise- just isn't the longterm solution to our energy needs, and it's big business and political powermongers who are sitting on the real worldly thrones- and nary a politician who reads these words can deny in their heart the truth of that.

As one who hunts and fishes, I applaud most Republican positions regarding the lawful use of firearms for sport and conservation.

I'm convinced that criminals don't and won't turn in their guns, could care less about background checks or permits. I held a card with the National Rifle Association for about 3 years back in my early thirties... and clear back then quit my membership due to the extreme rhetoric and lack of common sense in that organization.

By now the reader can surely see why I personally find neither party one I am glad to hardwire myself to.

I probably lean slightly toward the Dems. at present as I live and work among poor and forgotten people in Chicago's inner city where lip-service care and rich folks getting richer is constant and obscene.

It is out of mere passion and ignorance that any of us claims one or the other party as some sort of "party of God", for "ALL have fallen short of the glory of God"- regardless of political stance!

I completely disagree with the death penalty- still upheld in a number of states, and of course both parties have mixed views on this issue, though I'd say more Dems. than GOPers think it should be abolished, it's not a clean sweep in either party.

To those believers who take the position that a death penalty is biblical and in pure logic and history, works to prevent brutal crime, all I can say is that both the Word of God and human statistics seem pretty clear- we sin, and some of us sin to the point of murder and other brutal crimes regardless of law or restraint. In fact, unless we are expecting a secular government in this democracy to usher in laws utterly echoing Old Testament law- which I remind the reader includes a highly demanding punishment for those who in any way pervert justice... stoning for bad judges anyone?!!!- the idea of an eye for an eye is simply not tenable, not in New Testament nor current human reality. You literally have to have a priesthood ruling the U. S. to implement such law... and it ain't ever gonna be!

As I see it:

Jesus had much to say and do in caring for the poor, widows and orphans so I lean in the same direction, having seen the issues first-hand for over 30 years.

I am also sure that actual hope for change is not found in political systems or mere policies nor even good, biblically sound laws.

The real issue is prayer, daily self-sacrifice and sharing any and all we can in genuine love with those in need.

No party consistently has such motives at it's core. But Jesus did and does.

In conclusion, we each choose in every election whether to vote for candidates from the two major parties, for an independent or libertarian, or to abstain.

I truly won't castigate my fellow Americans much less my Christian brothers and sisters regarding their vote, but I do wish we would argue our positions in love, linked with genuine concern for the poor and oppressed in our and other lands deeply affected by our decisions, and with deepest care for both God's Word as well as truly listening and considering if there are solid truths in the positions of those we would not otherwise support. There are many issues- not only one. There are many views and possible solutions to domestic and international problems alike.

May God help us to discover and implement them.

MAN IS BASICALLY... IN NEED-

You'd think we'd have learned by now that the human race is NOT basically "good".

We are indeed capable of many good deeds and often, human heroism is displayed by quite ordinary people who were only moments prior simply going on about their daily routine.

Yet Jesus died on the cross for our sin. Sin simply means "missing the mark". There is a standard of perfect love, utterly just motives, thoroughly righteous thoughts and deeds that no human being can fulfill, and only God Himself can. God did. God the Son- Jesus Christ.

When the Father sent Jesus to bring us back to Himself, Jesus came down... as the gospel song goes, "All the way down... to take away the sins of the world".

If we never sinned He would never have had to go through all the temptation, humiliation, beatings and ultimate crucifixion. We did, and so He did. He chose to, just as we chose and at times choose to sin. He chose to do the righteous act that grants all who repent and believe eternal life in His name.

But somehow we often think that starting the journey is equal to completing it. Not so!

The beginning of the walk isn't the end.

I am an archer. I'm fairly good, better now due to better equipment and of course, practice always helps us get better :) But I understand "missing the mark" because I've done so often!

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians to "make love your aim", and in essence, love- in Jesus' case, the love that suffers even when such suffering was totally undeserved- this agape love, the very love of God is the thing we all need to aim at. In our thoughts, words and deeds, interacting relationally with both God and others.

This is where we all fall short and will continue to until the day we see His face and we become like Him, seeing Him as He truly is.

May God help us not focus so much on sin that we forget to love with God's love... and not to focus so much on God's love that we ignore actual sin- and repentance which brings the cure for all sin, moving us back to God's love.