Tuesdays with Morris

So, the other day, I was driving my mothers vehicle and turned on the radio. My mother, being a die-hard, far-right conservative listens to AM radio stations that feature programs by guys named Rush. Every now and then, I like to listen in and see what the other side has to say. I say “the other side” because, unlike my mother, I lean more to the left and try not to vote for Republicans (however, if a candidate came along that I could line up with, I suppose I could…I try to vote for people, not parties).

Anyway, on this program, they were focusing on the faith of Mike Huckabee and how that has played an important role in his being noticed. They spoke of how his faith is an asset to his campaign, as far as the evangelical vote goes. This is the kind of talk you expect on AM radio stations.

However, it got interesting when the gentleman mentioned that people, especially Christians, should be outraged at the way Barack Obama has been treated. His faith has been questioned and trivialized. Though he has publically claimed to be a Christian (he made a recent statement about how he was hurt that some would question his faith in Jesus Christ), there are attacks (especially in the form of e-mails) saying that Obama is a Muslim and cannot be trusted.

And, I believe his faith is being questioned for two reasons…his name and his race. A guy named Barack Obama can be a Christian just as easily as a guy named Jason Morris. A man whose parents may not have been Christians can still be a Christian, like so many in this world. All of this “Obama’s not a Christian” talk is simply political tricks trying to discredit a man of the faith that many sending and forwarding these e-mails share.

Christians questioning another Christians faith…sounds like the Church to me!

Now, there are new e-mails questioning the church Obama attends and their commitment to Africa. Can I just say that many churches have made a commitment to Africa? For instance, look at the United Methodist church and the number of missionaries and schools we support in Africa. Look at the “Nothing But Nets” campaign and so many other programs. Maybe the United Methodist Church isn’t really a Christian denomination because they support Africa.

Of course, that’s ridiculous. And so is questioning the faith of a man that has been fairly vocal about what his faith truly is…

My thought is, if you don’t like a candidate, just don’t vote for them.