To Christian politicians

The following is an expanded version of a post I made to facebook the other day.

This is a message to Rick Santorum, and any politician that claims to be Catholic or Christian.

You do all the rest of us believers a disservice when you fail to recognize the call to compassion. An integral part of our theology and beliefs is service and care to one another, regardless of our feelings toward them. We are called to love our enemies, but we don't have to agree with them.

We share beliefs that are unpopular. To you and I, human life should be protected from conception til natural death. We believe that marriage is not just whatever the state defines it to be. If we're really Christians, we believe that war isn't always the answer and we believe that immigrants and the poor need our help.

We believe that right and wrong are real and objective. We stand up together for what we feel is right. For much of that, I thank you.

But you, Rick Santorum, and others like you fail to realize something.

The people on the other side of the aisle, the people on the other side of the sexual orientation line, the people who will never, ever vote for you, are all made in the image and likeness of the same God as you, and have dignity. 

We can say they're wrong. We can say their ideas aren't best for this nation. We can say we find some of their thoughts outright insane (they feel the same about us BTW). But we need to do it all in a spirit of love and compassion for them as fellow human beings first and foremost, and also as fellow Americans.

They deserve your respect, and when they're wrong, your RESPECTFUL disagreement. Whether they reciprocate it or not.

This isn't just aimed at republicans. The left has politicians that claim to be Christian, but oppose Christian ideals at almost every legislative turn. They want other Christians to be forced to keep their ideas totally out of the public square. They're all for helping the poor, but not for protecting the unborn. They're half in.


On the right, we say get a job to the poor, but at least we care for the innocent unborn. We're also only half in.


We cannot have it both ways, fellow Christians. We do not fit into the two party system. I know we must work within it for now, however.


As we do so, I simply ask that we all remember that to be a Christian is to be all in. 


Love they neighbor on the other side of the aisle. Separate the viewpoint from the person. We don't need to be jackasses to each other. We can do better.


Sincerely,
John Stegeman 
and others like me