Column: I am ashamed
We live in a nation with laws, rules and regulations. These laws are governed by the people we elect in a fair voting process. The laws are enforced by individuals within our judicial system from state to state. Whenever the states cannot resolve disputes, the case can be heard at a higher court, the Supreme Court.
Whenever elections are held in this country, it seems that the higher the office is, the more divided we become. Local city and county elections cause a small stir among voters. We tend to have differences, but we work through them over a short period of time. State elections tend to be a little more heated, but we resolve our differences by preparing for the next election. Presidential elections, however, have gotten so polarized that we forget about human rights. We evolve into different people. We hate those who do not share our views or support our candidate of choice. We stop talking to family members, we fall out with co-workers, and sometimes we even get aggressive with people we don't even know. I am ashamed of what we have become.
We let AI advertisements confuse us with information that is only partially true while the candidates rise and fall in the polls. Are we that gullible that candidates can toss treats at us like trained animals to get us to sit, stay and attack at their command? Who are we? What is our purpose? Are we mindless? What happened to us? Presidential elections should not cause a nation to be divided. The first public presidential election was held from December 1788 to January 1789. Ten of the 13 states selected electors to vote. The electoral votes were certified in April 1789 with George Washington receiving the most votes followed by John Adams. George Washington became president, and John Adams became vice president. North Carolina, New York and Rhode Island did not participate in the electoral process (Americanhistorycentral.com).
The very first presidential election in this country was not a unanimous process. We will always have differences when it comes to presidential elections. We cannot make people vote in a certain way. We cannot make people believe in a certain way. We are human beings who process issues differently in our minds. The age-old problem is still the same, who is right and who is wrong. For centuries, we have depended on the Bible to be our guide or our defining factor regarding truth. But somehow over the years we have taken it upon ourselves to categorize sin. We overlook some sins and magnify other sins. Let's take a little test. Which of the following is a sin according to the Bible? A) Killing another human being, B) Stealing, C) Homosexuality, D) None of the above, or E) All of the above. The sad part about this simple test is the fact that some people will say E, but in their minds, they are really selecting C. My answer would be E, all the above. We have failed God because we place emphasis on certain sins. In the lens of the Lord, sin is sin, period.
It is my prayer that we can get through this presidential election without losing family, friends and whoever else because of our political affiliation. I don't believe God is going to condemn voters to hell because they voted Republican or Democratic. Two different hells or heaven does not exist. Those who believe, receive and live according to the Holy Word of Jesus Christ will spend eternity with him. Those who oppose his word will spend eternity with Satan in the lake of fire. There is no special place in heaven for Democrats or Republicans. If we miss heaven because of the hatred we have developed from a presidential election, it will be nobody's fault but ours. Wake up, people; we have been charged to love the sinner to Jesus. We cannot make people live according to the Word of God. We draw them with the love of God. Do we kill off all those who steal, kill or live a promiscuous lifestyle? God forbid. Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another," John 13:35. There is no mention of hate in this passage. Are you a disciple of Jesus?
In God We Trust
Sam Livingston is pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Manning.