Politics & Following Christ

Many of you know that The Diner management tends to shy away from political conversation (unless there's a chance to further the cause of public transportation in the DFW area). Not that we don't have thoughts on the matter...because we certainly do. We vote. We've sent e-mails to representatives. We've marched (granted, it's been a while). We like America. We like our little 231 year-old representative democracy.

And, often, folks have asked me to use this platform (or the one I hold in my daytime job) to promote certain candidates or causes. For obvious reasons, I don't use either for either.

And this article by William McKenzie in Christmas Day's Dallas Morning News brought to light many of the various thoughts I have on choosing a Presidential Candidate to vote for. The article talks about how all the candidates are working hard to disclose their religious leanings and why they happen to value that.

How's this to get your brains engaged and the chatter going in The Diner this morning:

"At some level, I don't fault them. They are trying to reassure voters they share some of their values. That's what Mitt Romney was doing with his big religion speech recently in College Station. It was understandable, assuming he and the other hopefuls truly do share the values of the voters they hope to reach.

But we voters better watch out when candidates play the Jesus Card. The child born in a manger turned out to be a radical figure. And his message can take us in demanding, unpredictable directions.

For example, there's that hard command to love your enemies. How would the professing candidates abide by that charge? Shouldn't we ask whether that dictum will affect how they deal with the opposition party on Capitol Hill? With Iran? And if it will affect them, how so?"

Read the article.

Have at it, kids.

*pours coffee, rubs hands together back and forth and smiles broadly, waiting to see The Diner emerge from the holiday season malaise that seems to have set in*