Thinking for oneself

Unlike in most situations, when with family I try to avoid talking politics. But without fail every time my extended family gets together I am approached with a political subject. This past Saturday at my grandfather's eightieth birthday my uncle sat next to me and asked me who I voted for. This was one of my quieter uncles, so I was suprised he brought the subject up, this on top of the surprise that I was asked the question at all; it's been pretty clear ever since I figured out how to think for myself what side of the line I stand on. Granted this thinking-for-myself task took me a little longer to figure out than maybe more normal, balanced people, but nonetheless I figured it out, then there was no looking back.

I realized quickly that my uncle asked the question simply as an excuse for him to share his voting story. He told me that his pastor told his congregation to vote the Bible. Even though he goes to a Methodist church, the "Methodist" pastors in Alfred/Andover/Wellsville area of New York emulate Franklin Graham more than either of the Wesley brothers. For example, my aunt who goes to Andover United Methodist will not touch a Harry Potter book because her PASTOR told her that J. K. Rowling is a witch. Yes - a Methodist pastor. Anyway, I replied to my uncle, "So you voted for John McCain because he has now declared himself pro-life." My uncle said yes. I replied again saying I'm glad that he voted and that he had a clear reason why. I believe it to be wholly misguided reason, but a reason nonetheless. I continued (of course), saying, "I believe I voted the Bible too. And I voted for the other guy." We ended the conversation at that. He wouldn't have tried to fight me on it anyway.

My lifelong Republican grandma sitting across from me, who happens to now have no hearing, said to my uncle, "You voted for Obama? Me too! He's our guy." On the subject, but the wrong assumption. I thought it was funny.

So my uncle voted the way his pastor told him to. "On the Bible." How the people voting for John McCain so arrogantly and self-righteously claimed the Bible and God as theirs and their candidate's is endlessly frustrating to me, as I'm sure you can tell if you ever read anything I've ever written before. Especially that it was a Methodist pastor who told the congregation to vote for the candidate who represents the privileged, the wealthy, the social darwinistic, the war advocates, the gun lovers, the death penalty supporters, the privatizers, the Haves - the people and beliefs Jesus preached against. One issue - abortion - and they think they are on God's side. It doesn't work that way; God doesn't vote. As loudly as I declare that I vote based on my Christianity, I will never tell you God is on my side. I will never believe you when you tell me God isn't on my side. You and I have no absolute knowlege of God, and if you think you do I strongly suggest you read the Bible and reassess the situation. (Read the Bible yourself. Do not simply rely on what your pastor tells you it says and means. Please.) It's called faith, and I vote the way I feel will move the world more toward the ideal world Jesus talked about. And how dare you put God in a box, especially one shaped like an elephant.

About the pro-life stance: (1) John McCain for the majority of his career has been pro-choice. He pandered to the conservative base, as he had to, to get the presidential nomination. (2) Even if he became president, he wouldn't have fought to have Roe v. Wade overturned. I believe him to be a rational (for the most part) man who believes in separation of church and state and the Constitution. He knows it would have been a wasted effort to to try to please a loud but small part of his base, a part that won't be satisfied until the Constitution is thrown out the window and we become the exact religious despots our country fought against to become a free country. And yes, I feel comfortable speaking for John McCain on this issue. This is the "wholly misguided" I mentioned previously. Those who believed John McCain was going to outlaw abortion were misguided. They based their vote on this, and it makes me a little sad.

Now I'll share my view on abortion, which I don't often share (with anyone besides my husband since the subject has come up so often recently). I know, me not sharing an opinion? Crazy. Well, I'm going to do it now.

You'd probably guess and guess right where I stand on whether or not Roe v. Wade should be overturned. I do not believe abortion should be illegal. I am, however, pro-life. I would not have an abortion, regardless of the way the baby were conceived; only if my and the baby's death were certain, or the death of all babies I were carrying if carrying more than one were certain would I consider it. I have many reasons for being pro-life, which I'll share if you ask me, especially if abortion is something you're considering. However, I feel that this is a decision to be made for oneself. It is between a woman, her doctor, the father if applicable and then only partly, and her God. I would never, never support a law that made abortion illegal. I would never tell a woman her decision regarding this was wrong. I do not feel like less of a Christian for believing this.

What perhaps disappoints me the most is that my uncle would have voted for anyone his pastor had told him to. A pastor could argue just as well (if not better) for Barack Obama or Ralph Nader. My uncle made a decision, but he didn't really make the decision himself, just like my aunt didn't judge Harry Potter for herself. I'm sure it's much easier to just do as you're told and never have to make any decisions, but it's disheartening to say the least, and absolutely frightening to say the most.