Doug

I grew up in a post Roe v Wade evangelical home. Ask around, and you can bet for sure that this means that I grew up with very Republican ideals. Mind you, I do not think this is all bad, and I still tend to lean to the political right due to my ideals and to my upbringing.

In many ways, Christians have been single-issue voters for most of this time. All a candidate must do to swoon the church is to proclaim life values that are less inconsistent with Focus on the Family than their opponent and Christians will vote for that person. If they have any sort of a record, that does come into play, but Christians have largely voted for the lesser of two evils for far too long. And when we get someone in office who is “one of us” we will either defend that person to the death or will just pray that we are not embarrassed any more than we already have been.

Why? Why do we claim that the gospel is the hope for the nation, then put all of our eggs into a political basket that has been a disappointment for 35 solid years? Do you think I’m off base? This country has now slaughtered 50 million babies, and 10 million of these babies died during the watch of “one of our own.” Keep in mind that our president had a solid majority in the legislative branch of the government earlier in his presidency. I am not so naive as to believe that all of these Republicans made the sanctity of life a primary focus of their campaigns to be elected, but enough of them did. Instead, the executive and legislative branches of the government (the two branches responsible for introducing and confirming laws) have both agreed that a ruling made by the judicial branch (the branch that can only determine the constitutionality of laws) is indeed a law.

Folks, I’m no civics instructor, but this scenario is one that baffles me to no end. I believe that the original declaration of our independence was structured in a coherent manner. Promising life to the citizens of a nation is paramount. You cannot have liberty without life. Likewise, you cannot have the pursuit of happiness without a measure of liberty. It all begins with life, even for the least of these.

America is less than three weeks from an election to determine new leadership in the executive branch of our government. If you vote for Obama, at least you know that you’re going to get a wolf in wolf’s clothing. If you hold your nose and vote for McCain, you know you will be sadly disappointed. If you vote for a third party, you know that your candidate will have no reasonable chance of even being mentioned in the news as a distant runner up.

The church has painted herself into this corner. The Republican party has dangled carrots in front of us for far too long and we continue to pull the cart. And unlike an organization that is free to openly discuss politics, the church is either afraid of the greater of two evils or is unable to make a realistic effort to remove those who fail to do the will of those who placed them in power. That is why the Republican party does not respect the wishes of the church. They need only say the words we long to hear and avoid voting against our wishes too blatantly and they will continue to have our support.

I’m not going to waste my time watching tonight’s debate. Obama turns my stomach and there is little doubt in my mind that he will do everything he can to further his agenda once he is sworn in. And mark my words, he will win this election. The McCain/Palin ticket is floundering because the two mavericks have been reigned in and I think deep down they know it. McCain will say whatever he thinks the base of the party needs to hear to get us fired up for the election without saying anything that will alienate too many of the undecided people out there. He will try to sound pro-life, but if a fetus is alive from the moment of conception, than McCain supports killing innocent life for the sake of saving the lives of others. I still don’t know how I should vote next month, but I am confidant that this debate would not solidify anything.

All I know is that I don’t want to vote for either of the two major candidates, but that a vote for anyone else is essentially a vote for the most murderous man ever to run for the highest office in our country. The church has lost her salt, preferring the flavor of political relevancy. Because we have done so, we have a history of accepting the lesser of two evils for far too long and I suspect that I am not alone in this conclusion. Perhaps I should follow the lead of our next president, show up to the polls and just vote “present.”

Romans 2:17-24

Where should I go with this? What is my passion to share in this blog?

I can only stick to the gospel. It’s all I have left.

T’was Grace that taught…
my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear…
the hour I first believed.

Please do pray for me. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. I have a restart in more than one area of my life, and need the grace that only can come from the one who has justified me and will raise me up on the last day.

p.s. I can now be found on Facebook and am interested in making a few more friends. Just search for “Doug McHone” and click on the one that doesn’t look like an athletic chick magnet in West Virginia. I’m in Iowa.

The URL has my last name misspelled, so I hope that doesn’t disqualify me for the grand prize! That prize is a trip for two to Hawaii, including a New Year’s concert by Foreigner. At the end of the show, the contest winner get’s Mick Jone’s guitar. How sweet is that?

Seriously, check out my moves! You can comment on our skill and vote me all the way to Hawaii. Vote early and vote often, and I’ll send you a postcard. Registration is not a requirement to vote so get to it!

Bonus humor. Foreigner has been around for a while now. I wonder if that had anything to do with their choice of a sponsor. Sorry, you need to check my airy skills to see the punchline.

Psalm 51

No, I did not commit adultery or murder, for those who may wonder based on the reference above.  But that Psalm is one that is really speaking to me at the moment.  May we all continue to find grace in the finished work of Christ, and may that grace overflow in our lives in waves of mercy, forgiveness and renewal.

Cross Reference: See Here

I will take just a moment to ask you to grab a beverage of choice, and maybe go to the bathroom first, because this post is lengthy and is fully deserving of your consideration in a single sitting.

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