I posted this on FB on the fourth but putting it here as well to make sure not to lose sight of this...
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today is supposed to be independence day for our nation. but this year has been rife with the removal of freedoms. I grieve. and let me tell you why.
1) Guns... our founding fathers could not have begun to imagine that the protection to bear arms would include the use of the weapons of today. why not say if we carried a gun that was nuclear - it would be ok. when does it stop. where does it stop. why in the world would a civilized nation need assault rifles and semi-automatics. the militia is not the same as an individual. we don't fear for raiders/marauders invading our homesteads. shoot, we don't even have homesteads. (UPDATE - note that i wrote this before yet another mass shooting occurred a few hours later. This is a a state of emergency folks!!!!)
2) separation of church and state - a foundational component of our founding fathers beliefs. they had seen the abuses that occur when government rule in the name of God and even being people of faith they saw and appreciated the dangers of comingling those powers. I dont believe a teacher should lead a sports team in prayer when nonbelievers are part of that team, nor do i believe that students of faith should be forbidden to gather on school property. it's a question of who has choice and who has power.
3) equality of all mankind - self evident. Yes they knew of their own failings with the issue of slavery and they counted on the newly formed nation to fix that. but today inequities outstrip the well being of mankind. I've experienced racism, but only to a minor degree, and mostly as a child, I've experienced sexism being a woman in engineering, A LOT. but i also recognize that i live a life that is based fundamentally on "white privilege" - is it right? no. is it a reality, yes. I can't choose to turn that off, but I can choose to be more aware when it plays in my favor or against others and to speak up.
4) as a woman, as a christian, as a parent, and as a "non-caucasian" caucasian (if that makes sense to you) i do value the sanctity of life... ALL life. When the "promise" of a potential life carries more weight than those living among us, something is broken (yes i lived that). When a marriage becomes chains that break a persons soul (yes i lived that) and a pregnancy means every day is a day of personal death (yes I lived that) I don't believe God condemns us for hard choices. When we stand condemned by His people for valuing life, liberty and happiness, He stands firm that he values our souls not the institutions that would break our souls.
How can people call themselves christian yet condemn so freely. Christ did not preach condemnation towards the people. HE DID condemn the religiously self righteous without hesitation. Can you truly stand and throw stones at any single human yet say you are totally without blame?
That is the whole point of my faith - being free of condemnation and shame, being bathed in God's mercy. He condemns the man, who upon receiving mercy turns around and condemns another.
Our supreme court has systematically comingled church and state while depriving people of basic and fundamental freedoms for the first time in our nations history, and has refused protection of the living in favor of corporations. I used to say i hated politics - but now.. sigh... i still hate politics but i love truth, mercy, and grace far more.
