Opinion, Volume 8 number 8, August 2006, by Neal Matson
The Missionary Position: On Ballot Selection
The only time I can remember producing something without any keyboard or spelling errors was while I was writing an article on Christian unity using an old manual typewriter. The first draft was perfect and the original was mailed off. I understood at the time that there was something quite special about that short piece. It was published in One Body in the spring of 1988 with the title "What Would Jesus Do?"
Although I cannot prove any connection, the "WWJD?" marketing campaign began at a religious camp the following summer. Did they see my title or was the catchy slogan floating around in some 1988 spiritual ether for both of us to catch? I don't know, but I do know that four-word motto quickly swept the religious community and later spawned several alternates: What Would Jesus Drive?, Who Would Jesus Bomb?, etc. (The original WWJD? seems to have died on 9/11.)
Who would Jesus vote for? Which ballot would Jesus select in the primary?
First let us review the past few years. In 2000, Gore won the presidency and it was stolen from him by Bush. "Thou shalt not steal." God sometimes works in mysterious ways but not in deceitful, illegal, or immoral ones. If God had wanted Bush to be president he would have won the election.
If Gore had been in office, most likely 9/11 would not have happened. The Vice President's (Gore at the time) Commission on Airport Security and Aircraft Safety listed fifty measures that could have prevented the hijackings. These recommendations had been rejected by Congress.
If Gore had been in office we would now be well into dealing with human-caused global warming—a threat far greater than terrorism.
Bush lied us into a war of aggression in Iraq. The Bible says that false christs will deceive even God's people. It also says that all liars go to hell (Revelation 21:8). So Jesus certainly would not have voted for Bush, but would he support the Publican Party?
Jesus says he will cast into hell those who do not feed the hungry, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, and care for the sick and for prisoners (Matthew 25:41-43). "Whoever is kind to the needy honors God." The original Christians shared everything they had and there were no needy persons among them because the wealthy sold their lands and houses to help the needy. "Blessed are the poor, the merciful, the peacemakers but woe to the rich." That doesn't sound much like the GOP platform to me.
So Jesus wouldn't be a member of the Publican Party. He would most likely be a Green if He were to join any party. I think, in Alaska, He would be a nonpartisan and would select the Official Publican Party Ballot so He could vote for anybody but Murky.
Murky's cruel cutting of the longevity bonus is contrary to everything Jesus stands for. Murky's Golden Days Parade float had supporters wearing t-shirts with backs printed "kids count". Obviously seniors don't. Murky has no heart.
I wonder if he has a brain. In a recent candidate forum, Murky justified his action by saying that the longevity program had no means test and so it was unfair. Social Security and the Permanent Fund Dividend have no means tests either, so they must be unfair as well. Anybody but Murky can see that the solution, if there even is a problem, is a means test—not cutting the program upon which so many rely.
That's this missionary's position and I'm sticking to it. | ||
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