I know we’re all over talking about politics, but there is one issue I feel needs to be addressed. I came across a tweet the other day that read “Republicans: We love Jesus! Jesus: You should provide for the poor, give away your money, and heal the sick.” This tweet was followed by “Republicans:
Lumping religion and politics together needs to stop. First of all, Christianity/Catholicism (or insert whatever other religion worships Jesus here) does NOT equal conservatism. Conservatives are for smaller governments, more power to the state governments, and do not agree with fast pace change. Liberals, on the other hand, are more for a bigger government and faster change. There is nothing wrong with either side; it is a matter of what the individual decides on the type of goverment she/he prefers.
I am not going to discuss my own personal political or religious views in this article, because it is not my intention to make anyone believe or agree with my own opinions. Whether you are liberal, conservative, or somewhere in the middle is perfectly fine, because that is what YOU believe. And who am I to change that?
I do, however, hope to change your minds regarding the context posted above. I have conservative friends who are not religious. I also have very religious, Jesus loving, liberal friends. Yes, you can in fact love Jesus and be a liberal, and you can also be a conservative without going to church on Sundays.
And for those Republicans who do also happen to love Jesus: From ones that I know, they do care about helping the poor. Most money that goes in the offering plate in church is used to help organizations that the church works with (for instance, providing for missionary families who help others across the globe). It’s not that they don’t want to help the poor, it’s that they want to be able to choose where their money goes.
And because liberals may not agree with that, does not make them any less of believers. They just happen to have different political ideals.
I wish everybody could realize that religion and politics don’t belong together. We need to stop stereotyping others based on their political views. Instead, we need to understand the arguments of both sides, and not argue which side is right, because the truth is, it boils down to matters of opinions. And opinions are something we are ALL entitled to have.