There are layers of complexity and nuance when it comes to the intersection of religion and politics. That’s really hard sometimes when we want a straight and simple solution so that we can feel safe and right.
I have kept a lot of my thoughts, ideas, and feelings close to the chest regarding politics and religion over the past several years for a few different reasons and I have spent a lot of time feeling alone and biting my tongue. The atmosphere is volatile and I don’t want to be snarky or condescending or to make anyone feel like I think they are stupid or like I think they are a bad person and I don’t want those things done to me. I don’t want to argue about who is “right” in regards to issues that are not simply wrong or right and I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. I don’t want to be labeled or dehumanized and I don’t want to do that to others. I don’t want to ignore other people’s life experiences and perspectives and I don’t want people to ignore mine.
I want to be able to talk about what matters and why it matters and what we can possibly do about it as a collective people.
So it’s been a relief that lately I’ve seen some Christians with online platforms really say things that I would say if I were saying things right now, especially in regards to voting, pro-life/pro-choice, and anti-racism within the context of living as a Christian. I wanted a place to compile them and share them with other people who may be looking for the right words too or at least confirmation that they are not alone in their journey.
Until I can find the words myself, I am sharing the words of these people (and links to where to find the full quote and see other content they create).
Fun fact: most of these people are also Southerners and several of them are North Carolinians 🙂
Beth Silvers of Pantsuit Politics: from Instagram post #thisiswhy2020
“Here’s how I have voted in presidential elections: George W. Bush (twice), John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Evan McMullin. I have never voted for a Democrat for President. That will change this year. I am equally heartbroken and resolved about it…I am sick at how people around me are acting and justifying and explaining away behaviors, ideas, and words that have previously been unequivocally unacceptable…”
Rach Kincaid: from Instagram post
“When I say I am pro-life, I don’t just mean womb to tomb. I don’t just mean breath and brain function. I mean clean water in Flint. I mean ending mass incarceration, both in our prisons and at the Mexican border. I mean fair wages and ethical conditions for the people making my clothes and my coffee. I mean legislative guidance by experts on climate change and Covid-19. I mean a support system for women and girls who choose to keep their babies. I mean the Church leading the way to dismantle white supremacy.
Because the phrase was invented just a few years ago and has forced us into single-issue thinking, I cannot be merely pro-life. I am pro-imago Dei, humanity formed in the image of God, an absolute truth established since Genesis 1.”
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Kendra Adachi from Instagram post:
“I adore Jesus, and as His follower, I am a steward of this world and the humanity in it. I am called to love my neighbor as myself. I am called to carry the standard of love as the greatest of all things because God is love, Jesus is that love come down, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of love in me, and love is how the world will see the gospel. ⠀
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Love is patient and kind. It is not proud or rude. It is not self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.⠀
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Donald Trump is not love. He is impatient, unkind, proud, rude, self-seeking, keeps record of every wrong, aligns with evil hate groups, delights in chaos, and avoids the truth to the point of breaking the law. He bears only what suits him and hopes only for what serves his own interests. He is not a steward of the humanity in others and perhaps even a weapon against it.⠀
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I’m a moderate. I voted for both Obama and George W. Bush. I have not aligned with the platform of a single party since I voted a straight ticket at age 18. This isn’t about blue or red. This isn’t about a single issue. This is about loving my neighbor.”⠀
Jessica Turner from Instagram post:
”What you say & don’t say matters… I want to stand up for love. Silence makes us complicit.”
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Emily Freeman:(from the podcast episode Be Anti Racist)
“May I hold my own responsibilities with the same care, reverence, and humility I ask for from our leaders. May I use my voice to speak up and stand with even if I stand out. May I not underestimate the power of an honest dialogue and a loosely held agenda. May I not be afraid to examine my own heart in the presence of God. May I continue to seek God’s image as it shines through the lives of our Black brothers and sisters. May I know when to speak up and when to stay silent. When I am silent, may be because I’m learning and listening and not because I’m afraid. May it be so in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. “
Jamie B Golden from Instagram post #thisiswhy2020:
I’m pro-life. For a long time, I thought abortion was a political problem. I voted accordingly thinking it was an issue that should outweigh all others.
Twice, I eagerly voted for a Republican who served as President. He worked with a majority Republican senate and house for almost all his years in office. The Supreme Court during his presidency was a majority of justices appointed by Republican Presidents. I believed A + B would equal C, but C never came…
The idea that I would hang all my pro-life hopes on any president and the Supreme Court has little historical evidence to support it. I now know abortion is a Gospel issue. Those types of matters are difficult to legislate.
To me, pro-life cannot only mean anti-abortion. My vote at the local, state, and federal level must take into account as many pro-life platforms as possible. This includes things like economic equality, access to affordable healthcare, advocacy for racial justice, paid family leave, ending the death penalty and criminal justice reform, meaningful policy change regarding the care of the earth, and discrimination-free voting rights…”
Kara Kae James and Donna Barber (from podcast episode Is Justice Biblical):
“To pursue justice is to pursue righteousness…There’s no going back, once you’re willing to really be open and ask God to show you then you’ll be forever changed.”
Shannan Martin from Instagram post:
“Voting with our neighbors in mind is one way we work for the peace and prosperity of our cities, believing its welfare truly does determine our own. We let our faith orient our perspectives and priorities. We ask different questions and seek complex answers. And we love with our lives.”
If any of these resonated with you and you want to chat with me – please feel free to send me a message!
