there's been lots of conversations this week among my circle of friends on campus about the presidential debates; the state of U.S. politics; a Christian understanding of voting; what it means to be a citizen. and when I say conversations - I mean some pretty heated discussions that ended without much resolution.
here are some thoughts swirling around in my head:
does a vote count as an affirmation of a party's platform?
what can a person do when they don't trust either political party?
what happens when a system is broken?
do you try to fix it?
do you try to fix it from within?
do you try to fix it from the outside?
if you don't vote, do you have the moral right to critique the system?
does voting matter?
is voting a worthwhile measure of citizenship?
that is: can a person be a good citizen while deciding not to vote?
do I want to be a good citizen?
can I be a good citizen of America while being a citizen of the Kingdom of God?
is it fair to focus all my questions & angst & frustration at the political system?
what systems of oppression am I participating in without even realizing it?
is being a member of a church denomination like being a citizen of a country?
that is, if I want to renounce systems of oppression, should I renounce "church" - at least "church" on a national level - oh, this is a messy question. I mean, can any organization larger than a local community ever work? It seems like whenever an institution or system or organization expands large enough that it can't see people's faces, it oppresses some group of people. (hm - I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with this explanation. Maybe I'll come back to it)
should a Christian vote?
what does it say if a Christian votes?
does it say that I care about the world?
does it say that I think I can legislate a solution to the world's problems?
does it say that I am trying to bring about the kingdom of God?
does it say that I have given up on the kingdom of God?
does it say any of these things?
does it say none of these things?
does voting matter???
Here is something I know: I am disenchanted with American politics. In 2008 when I was too young to vote I was burning with the desire to go out and cast my vote and claim agency as an educated, thoughtful, reasoned adult. Now that I am old enough, I feel almost certain that my vote doesn't actually mean anything. That if I was to vote it would be as though some advertiser had bought my loyalty for a bit of cash and some entertaining tv shows. The feeling that my government has sold out on its ideals and is trading in money and favors and power instead of democratic principles and freedom makes me furious. The feeling - more than a feeling, really - it is like a solid weight on my shoulder, this belief that if I were to vote nothing would change; that makes me sick. I don't trust my politicians, but I want to. I want to believe that they are working for the common good. I want to believe that they are wise and thoughtful and good. I just don't, anymore. And that loss of trust and hope is making me feel old and tired and worn out, this fall.
here are some thoughts swirling around in my head:
does a vote count as an affirmation of a party's platform?
what can a person do when they don't trust either political party?
what happens when a system is broken?
do you try to fix it?
do you try to fix it from within?
do you try to fix it from the outside?
if you don't vote, do you have the moral right to critique the system?
does voting matter?
is voting a worthwhile measure of citizenship?
that is: can a person be a good citizen while deciding not to vote?
do I want to be a good citizen?
can I be a good citizen of America while being a citizen of the Kingdom of God?
is it fair to focus all my questions & angst & frustration at the political system?
what systems of oppression am I participating in without even realizing it?
is being a member of a church denomination like being a citizen of a country?
that is, if I want to renounce systems of oppression, should I renounce "church" - at least "church" on a national level - oh, this is a messy question. I mean, can any organization larger than a local community ever work? It seems like whenever an institution or system or organization expands large enough that it can't see people's faces, it oppresses some group of people. (hm - I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with this explanation. Maybe I'll come back to it)
should a Christian vote?
what does it say if a Christian votes?
does it say that I care about the world?
does it say that I think I can legislate a solution to the world's problems?
does it say that I am trying to bring about the kingdom of God?
does it say that I have given up on the kingdom of God?
does it say any of these things?
does it say none of these things?
does voting matter???
Here is something I know: I am disenchanted with American politics. In 2008 when I was too young to vote I was burning with the desire to go out and cast my vote and claim agency as an educated, thoughtful, reasoned adult. Now that I am old enough, I feel almost certain that my vote doesn't actually mean anything. That if I was to vote it would be as though some advertiser had bought my loyalty for a bit of cash and some entertaining tv shows. The feeling that my government has sold out on its ideals and is trading in money and favors and power instead of democratic principles and freedom makes me furious. The feeling - more than a feeling, really - it is like a solid weight on my shoulder, this belief that if I were to vote nothing would change; that makes me sick. I don't trust my politicians, but I want to. I want to believe that they are working for the common good. I want to believe that they are wise and thoughtful and good. I just don't, anymore. And that loss of trust and hope is making me feel old and tired and worn out, this fall.
