Yes, for once, I’d have to say I’m siding with the Cuban dictator. Shocking? Probably not as shocking as me saying that “I agree with MacArthur” - so I won’t go that far (because that would be crazy)…

Ol’ Fidel had this to say about our elections and our country:

“…it would be extremely naive to believe that the good intentions of an intelligent person could change centuries of interests and selfishness already created.”

 I think our Communist buddy has it right. Our problem isn’t leadership. Politics won’t fix it. It all comes down to our hearts. 

Your thoughts?

The Pickens Plan has been making the rounds lately. It assesses that our dependence on oil is going to kill us (True) and that we need to convert to wind power to shift the use of natural gases towards automobile usage. Call me a cynic, but it seems like using a band-aide to stop the bleeding of a huge gash. I think weening us of oil is possible, though not probable. Much of Picken’s plan relies on us changing our ways dramatically and working together. It’s a good thought, but Americans love of oil is like the lemmings love of the edge of a cliff.

Your thoughts?

www.pickensplan.com

After Super Tuesday, I’ve heard candidates from Hillary to Huckabee declare that they will “take back America.”  So, both liberals and conservatives say something is wrong. And if both Republicans and Democrats want to take back America… where has America gone?

As I’ve said before, I’m not fan of politics. There’s no one running on either side that I particularly like. And you’ll never see this blog endorse anyone. It just won’t happen. That being said, a friend of mine sent me an article about Mike Huckabee, a Republican running for President. He’s a former Southern Baptist pastor and has a unique perspective of seeing both sides of government and church. I love this quote from him. I think in this instance, he’s spot on. There’s so much truth to this statement.

“Government knows it does not have the answer, but it’s arrogant and acts as though it does. Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed.”

My loathing for politics comes from this idea: why change the world through political force, when it can be done with prayer and following the Lord. I just see two diverging paths. One is consumed with gaining power (politics) and the other is all about giving it up (following Jesus). Policy will not change hearts. It will only make rules and enforce them. Yet we still try to make this happy marriage of Jesus and politics. If Jesus is going to save America is through the brokenness and humility of the churches seeking the Lord and reaching out in compassion to the hurt, broken and poor. The whole point of Huckabee’s quote is that we as believers can change things, but won’t. So we turn to politics to vote someone to do it.

So what do you think? Am I wrong? How can both Jesus and politics coincide?

ABC’s Nightline recently ran a report about the the focus on religion in the upcoming 2008 elections for President. They said, “…in no modern-day election has the Lord played so prominent and consistent a role popping up on the trail..”

[ABC News]

God is popping up everywhere when it comes to the ‘08 race, but I think that the candidates approaching it all wrong. It’s all about pandering (so they think) to the voters. Though, I think that they’re about 4-8 years behind. What worked in the last election, isn’t playing in this one.

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqtwLlrSssY]

McLaren, who’s no stranger to controversy, is here at a press conference for Media Matters and basically asserting that the “Religious Right” (politically) as we knew it was dead. He goes to say the topics that matter to Christians have changed, but the ideology of the Religious Right haven’t changed with them.

And I think you can already see it with Pat Robertson giving his endorsement of Rudy Giuliani. Robertson hasn’t been relevant since the 80’s (and some may argue he was never relevant). There’s this old political ideology that says if you get the endorsement of a certain religious leader it will make a difference in the race. But come on. Pat Robertson? How more out of touch can we be?

I’ll go out on a limb and say this: Jesus didn’t come to save America. Jesus is not an American. Jesus doesn’t give a rip about American politics (sorry, Dobson). This not his Kingdom and he could care less. What does Jesus care about? You. He cares about you. He cares about your heart. He cares about the meek, poor and suffering.

Can politics matter to you if you’re a Christian? Sure. It’s just not the topics they’re throwing out to Christians.

So what issues matter to you as a Christian?