With the final debate coming up tonight, I find myself continuing to ponder the candidates, their values, their propaganda, and (for us in California) the myriad of propositions I have to vote on. I am going to attempt to post here more frequently this week, so if there are any questions your pondering, or musings you have let me know! Let's put our heads together and have a virtual discussion!!
Prop 35 - The CASE ACT - It is an anti-trafficking proposition, which up until about an hour ago I was 100% behind. Then (in a small spat of sleeplessness last night) I came across a blog (
NO ON PROPOSITION 35 - THE CAE ACT), curated by lawyers, and anti-trafficking advocates who are against it. Imagine my surprise! Even if you aren't living in CA, and voting on this, it's interesting to read. It lays out two distinctly different world views on how to combat trafficking, and if the emphasis should be on the criminalization and punishment or on the recovery of the victim. I'm personally on the fence.
The second article I read this weekend was "
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO OBAMA" on CNN.com. Initially I hesitated to post this, it seems controversial and a bit divisive. However, I think there are a couple of really thought provoking points, which are worth keeping in mind when thinking about our current President and his faith. We white protestant christians tend to think of our faith in a very white way. The article (about half way through) gives the reader a quick less on the "black liberation theology" and the Social Gospel movement. He says, "This is the first time we're hearing the Social Gospel from the perspective of the black church from the Oval Office. It makes it warmer, more emotive, more communal...There is less fear of linking the Social Gospel with the stories of the Bible, especially the stories of Exodus and Jesus' healings." He goes on to say, "The emphasis on community uplift - not individual attainment - may strike some Americans as socialist. But the emphasis on community is part of [Dr.] King's "Beloved Community...When I listen to Obama I don't hear communism, I hear the Beloved Community, but a lot of white American's don't hear that because they never sat in those churches and heard it over and over again. It's the whole theology that motivated MLK and the civil rights movement."
Regardless of what you believe and where you fall on the political spectrum, I think the glimpse into the world view and foundation of President Obama's faith is one to pause and take note of. What is it that shapes your world view/faith/political position?
