Politics and Playgrounds

In separate posts that appeared on my Facebook news feed today friends shared links to articles that, in one case, called President Obama anti-Christian and in the other case called Governor Romney un-Christian.  On one hand, I smiled a little in the realization that my friends are so diverse in their opinions.  On the other, I found myself feeling frustrated that this sort of language is being thrown around in such personal terms.

I am not going to dignify the arguments in the articles with a reply.  I do want to address this continual tendency to demonize political opponents with religious and personal epithets.  We have, in our culture, lost the ability to separate opinion from character.

The vocabulary of our political debate has degraded to the level of an elementary school playground.  You don't agree with me?  Well then you are just a big poopy-head!  It is all or nothing.  It is reasonable to expect kids on the playground to lack nuance in disagreements, but these politicians and commentators are adults.  Aren't we supposed to outgrow the reactionary absolutism of playground disagreements?

To be sure, there are policies from both Obama and Romney that I find theologically questionable.  Earlier this year I posted an entry about what is popularly known as the "Ryan Budget,"the budget plan passed by the House of Representatives.  I still believe that there are some serious theological problems with that budget's policies and the philosophy behind it.  I do not, however, believe that makes the men and women who voted for it or wrote it un-Christian.  I disagree with their policy positions and their philosophy.  But I don't hate them and, in general, I do not doubt their sincerity of belief.

This is not the first time I have posted on this topic and I am sure that it will not be the last.  We must find a way to separate opinions from character.  I have friends who support political and policy ideas that I disagree with deeply.  Does that mean we cannot be friends?  Does it mean that they are somehow bad people?  Does it mean that they are un-Christian or anti-Christian? NO!  We simply disagree on some issues. It is not up to me to decide whether they are faithful Christians.  It is not up to them to decide if I am.

I have a good friend whom I value greatly.  We disagree on just about everything political.  If I am for X, she is probably against it and if she is for Y, I am probably going to rail against it.  We disagree but we don't hate one another.  She is a wise, thoughtful and faithful Christian.  We see the world differently.  Or to put it in more biblical terms, we see through the glass dimly.

To refer to either the President or Mr. Romney as anti or un-Christian because of their beliefs is to set oneself up as the mind of God.  Disagree.  Disagree passionately.  But do not mistake your own opinion as the final opinion of God.  None of us has a monopoly on the truth.