This post is about as close to discussing my political views as I'm going to get. Generally, I try to focus more on social justice than politics. (And no, they are not the same thing, but that's a whole other topic.) It's not that I don't have political views. I assure you, I do. But I don't identify with a specific party, and if you're a Christian and not a Republican, some Christians treat you like the antichrist. So trying to have a discussion doesn't usually get me anywhere. But I'm getting so fed up with all the heat around the topics of health care and same-sex marriage that I'm going to explode if I don't say something.
Ultimately, it's about expectations. You're probably wondering what expectations have to do with politics. Expectations have EVERYTHING to do with politics!
Expectations are the backbone of our viewpoints. For example, many people who oppose health care reform do so because they believe that abortion is immoral. Their expectation is that people should not have abortions. They believe more people will fail to meet this expectation if it's not legally enforced. Another example is the issue of same-sex marriage. Generally, people who oppose it do so on the grounds of believing (having an expectation) that marriage is between a man and a woman.
Do I have my views on these subjects? Goodness, yes! But I don't attach the same expectations to them as most people. I have my viewpoints based on what I believe is "right", but I can't expect someone else to share those views if they don't interpret religious texts the same way as me. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people will find ways to do what they want, to carry out what they will believe in, and there's only so much the government can do about it.
That concludes the first (and probably last) politically-oriented entry on this blog. I care more about people than politics. But again, I had to say something.
