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Saturday, November 10, 2012

About Us

With the reelection of a president who brought about more national debt in his first term than any other president in two terms, who is the most adamant supporter of all levels of abortion, who is openly hostile to people with money, who has come out in favor of redefining marriage and pushes rules that edge out the freedom of religion, and so many more difficult views, we have moved to a new philosophical location as a country. America has shifted.

It was interesting (or maybe that's not the right term) to read about the demographics of the vote. For instance, men voted more for Romney than Obama. Married women voted more for Romney than for Obama. Single women, on the other hand, voted more for Obama. People in rural areas were more for Romney. Cities were more for Obama. The larger the city, the larger the percentage. Whites were more likely to vote for Romney while Blacks, Hispanics, and even Asians were much more likely to go for Obama. Older people preferred Romney over Obama. Younger people (18-29) by far favored Obama. Interestingly the 30-to-44-year-old age group shifted in this election to more Obama than Romney. Religion was an obvious factor. If you attended church, you were more likely to vote for Romney. If you were Evangelical, you were more likely to vote for Romney. If you were Protestant, you were more likely to vote for Romney. On the other hand, those without religion, Jewish folk, even Catholics were much more likely to vote for Obama.

Add to that the rest of the vote. Two states legalized marijuana. No, not for medicinal use; for recreational use. Both Colorado and Washington now allow marijuana for personal use. Three more states redefined the concept of marriage to include couples of the same gender. Beyond that, public polls indicate a continual shift on that score. While something like 33 states currently have laws defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, given the federal appeals court ruling of the unconstitutionality of DOMA -- the Defense of Marriage Act -- and the support at the top for stripping the concept of its meaning, it shouldn't be long for those other states to cave in either by popular vote or by judicial legislation. In Massachusetts the measure to legalize assisted suicide barely failed. Don't expect that to continue to hold up. In Arizona a self-avowed anti-theist (as opposed to merely an agnostic or even atheist), bisexual, socialist openly opposed to stay-at-home moms is on the verge of going to Congress. In Wisconsin the first openly gay has been elected to Congress. In Nashua, NH, the first openly transgender was elected to State government. Times, they are a-changin'.

We're not looking at a presidential campaign. We're looking at a paradigm shift. The demographics tell the story. Christians want to retain former values ("conservative") and the rest do not. Married people want to retain former values and the rest do not. Older people want to retain former values and the rest do not. White people want to retain former values and the rest do not. Who is in the decline, then? Christians, married people, older Americans, and white people. Who wants to change to newer values -- to eliminate marriage as it was, to rule out drug rules, to tax the rich and share the wealth rather than simply earn what you can, to eliminate the rights of the unborn and the rights to freedom of religion? Those who have no Christian values and who have no investment in the traditional, longstanding concept of marriage. Those who have less, feel slighted, or are too young to think it through.

Face it. If you're a Christian, you're now in the minority in America. If your values are informed by the Bible or by the church, you're not going to have the popular view. If you're white, you're not right. If you're married, that definition is losing its meaning. (Don't let them try to tell you that the meaning of marriage doesn't matter. The voting results say otherwise.) If you're older than 45, you're views are not helpful. If you're satisfied with your life, you have no place at the table of ideas. As one man from China said on the Internet, "Warm congratulations to the American people. Under the wise leadership of the Party Central Committee headed by the wise and brilliant Obama, you have crushed the attempted usurping of power by the counter revolutionary group led by Mitt Romney." Welcome to the new America.

6 comments:

Dan Trabue said...

If you're a Christian, you're now in the minority in America.

If you're a CONSERVATIVE white evangelical Christian, you're heading towards being in a minority.

The Anabaptists, the Black Church, Catholics, progressive Christians and others would object to being left out of the Christian category.

One thing the GOP will have to learn is how to communicate their ideals better without sounding elitist and arrogant. Excluding all those you disagree with from your ideal of church is one of the things that is shrinking the conservative white evangelical group.

No one wants to be a part of the Pharisee party and - while I know you don't see yourselves that way - that is how you are coming across by exactly these sorts of words you are using here.

We, too, are married (some of us to only one wife and for longer than many of you and your multiple wives/divorces). We too have our values informed by the Bible. We, too, are white. We, too, are over 45. We, too, are satisfied with our lives.

You can continue to say, "All you people who disagree with US are stupid and immoral and ungodly," but that is only going to serve to push people AWAY from your group, exacerbating your problem.

Do you not see how you all are the cause of this? Is this really about blaming everyone else for being so bad? Do you not see how that is a bit immature and counterproductive for your own sake?

"If only they were as smart and good and holy as us, they wouldn't be so stupid and bad! It's not fair!! waaaahhhhh!!!"

Stan said...

Very, very odd. Those people who wish to retain their values are "elitist" and those people who wish to change those values are not. Those people who want to retain a biblical worldview are "elitist" and those who do not are not. Those who wish to defend marriage are "Pharisees" and those who don't are not.

What I cannot even begin to fathom is how it is that you can be so heartless, unkind, judgmental, and intolerant in ridiculing and castigating those of us who disagree with you and assume that we're the only ones. We say, "We're right and you're wrong" and you say, "We're right and you're wrong" and somehow when you say it it's good, nice, tolerant, fair, and when when we do it's just plain evil. We cause the problem by standing on what we see is right and you are not causing the problem by fleeing it. Seems reasonable.

But, you have to know that when I referenced "Christians" it wasn't a racial ("white") reference. It was a reference to genuine Christians. You know, those in the narrow gate. And when I referenced those with values informed by the Bible, I meant those who read the Bible for what it says rather than applying external values to it. But that's all a problem of a sliding sense of definition ... again ... isn't it.

David said...

And again Dan tells us it is our job to present a happy place where everyone is loving and equal so that others will want to come join us because we are so nice and kind, while ignoring the Truth. The Truth takes second seat to playing nice. Which, even amongst the narrowest of Bible believers (ie Paulines) is anti-Scripture.

Anonymous said...

Definitely agree Stan,

I still think it is interesting how because of my age I see this as normal. I have thought since I was young that I was alone in being a Christian. That even people, adults and youth, who say they are a Christian almost always don't align with the morals and ideals of the Bible.

The pastor of my current church said "in order to be bad nowadays you have to be good." This seems to be the honest truth. In order to stand out in this world, you must have morals that align with Jesus.

Great Post Stan,

Mike A.

Stan said...

"in order to be bad nowadays you have to be good."

Yeah, you know, like Isaiah 5:20 says.

starflyer said...

How does he sleep at night?