Be Not Afraid
In the final days of this election campaign, a new message has emerged. For the entire political year, the overriding theme has been change--with each candidate competing to be the real champion for a new direction. With 80 percent of Americans unhappy with our country's current direction, it seemed that no other theme could break through.
A new message has, and it is this: "Be Afraid-- Be Very Afraid." Most of that fear is directed at Barack Obama, the leading candidate with just days to go before November 4. Instead of being content to offer a competing policy vision to Obama's, the Right has now focused on the man himself in an attempt to stir the fears of the electorate that "he" is not really like "them." "Do we really know who Barack Obama is?" has been the refrain of partisan peddlers. A parallel and ugly national innuendo campaign stokes the fear. Is he a Muslim? An Arab? A pal of terrorists? Or maybe even a closet Socialist? Where did he grow up? Why such a funny middle name? Doesn't his support come from those parts of the country (and those people) that deep down inside are anti-American? And, of course, what has quickly become a campaign classic--guilt by association.
The fact that Barack Obama is the first black nominee of a major party for president gives all the fear a decidedly racial undertone. YouTube has quickly become populated with video after video of the dark underbelly of American fear and racism. The innuendos and rumors have brought to the surface latent fears and thinly veiled biases that many had hoped were gone from our country. The message of fear is the same: Obama may look okay on the surface, but we don't know what might lie beneath.
Regardless of whether one favors Obama or McCain, this development should be of concern to all Americans, and especially people of faith. There is now a new spiritual dimension to this election, and it is decidedly evil. Christians believe that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out all fear..." (1 John 4:18.) There are, of course, good and decent motivations to vote either way in this election. Strong people of faith will be marking different boxes on Election Day, but for people of faith there will be a spiritual decision to be made as well. Will we put our trust in the power of fear or hope?
Conservatism did this with the bright and hopeful theme of "Morning in America" with the Ronald Reagan years. I disagreed with most all of Reagan's agenda, but his appeal was to ask us all to choose hope, not fear. Similarly, the best of liberalism was seen in the power of John and Robert Kennedy's appeal to build a "newer world." Both conservatives and liberals can appeal to the better instincts of the American people, or to their worst--and each side has done both over the years.
Fear has always been the dark side of American politics, and we are seeing its resurgence in the campaign's final days. Demagoguery has come from both the right and the left in America, and the most dependable sign of it is the appeal to fear over hope. Facts don't matter when fear takes over. Fear covers over the debate on a candidate's tax plans, the wisdom of their foreign policies, their experience and judgment to handle the economic crisis. Fear attacks character and lies with false prophecies of what a candidate would do if they are elected.
Some of the worst fear-mongering has sadly come from leaders of the Religious Right who are worried about losing their control over the votes of the evangelical and Catholic communities, especially a new generation of believers. Their apocalyptic rhetoric has been among the worst and most irresponsible. When religious leaders sound so desperate and seek to stoke fear and hate, they have lost their theological perspective by putting too much of their hope in having political power. It is that loss of power and control which seems to be motivating the current campaign of desperation and fear now being waged by so many conservatives. Instead, scripture points to a better way:
For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:10-15, emphasis added)
With that reminder that Christ is our ultimate hope, let us pray that, on November 4, the need for change will finally prevail over the appeals to fear. Pray that the voters will choose either Barack Obama or John McCain as the best agent of change, rather than submit to the tyranny of fear. It is always better to live (and to vote) in the light of hope than in the darkness of fear. It is always an act of faith to believe that, in the end, hope will prevail over fear. So pray, and vote.
Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening
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AMEN.
Jim, should we required all politicians or "leaders" to take classess on how to deal with their inner fear in responsible manners before taking offices or beginning community works?
John McCain will have a long time to consider his descent into self distruction. His hate and his inability to look at issues objectively have tilted his campaign towards the narrow and mean path. His choice of Sarah Palin underscores this narrowness of spirit and mind.
Here are few more Bible verses
Romans 1,20:28
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
What a terrible impertinence! You can only know God but a little, and the little you choose to know is filled with such hate.
There are a lot of things in the Bible I don't understand, even disagree with, because they accuse my character and my behavior. But I wouldn't call them impertinent or hateful if someone pointed them out to me.
I prefer to read the Bible as a text entire--paying close attention to the evolving understanding of our spiritual ancestors. It is interesting to read about Paul's struggles to interpret and instill Jesus' teachings, isn't it?
A Sunday School teacher from Georgia.
The Religious Right has insured that it will be a very long time before I bother to consider a candidate that they favor. I lack the herd mentality for one thing, and I'm not their kind of evangelical because I can --and do-- think for myself. I'm tired of the reflexive assumption that because I'm a lifelong Georgian, Southern Baptist, and active in my local church that I am a conservative Republican. It's assumed by members of my Sunday school class, which is especially galling, since their attitude seems to be that there is only one possible pattern of thought for a committed Christian. My husband and I choose not to challenge the remarks because we don't want to be the ones to cause the divide in our otherwise harmonious class fellowship. A joke was made one Sunday morning that "It's a safe bet that no liberals are in church this morning." I saw red swimming before my eyes, and when I recovered from shock at the ignorance of that remark, I all but shouted, "That's a bet you'd lose." The damage this group has done not only to the cause of Christ but also to the American poltical process is astounding. Both Southern Baptists and our governmental instituions are supposed to be rooted in the separation of church and state. What has happened?
Sorry. Rant over.
Try giving these people a chance. Speak up and see what they say. You might find you are not alone.
I will have to say...the religious "letters" coming from christian "right" leaders takes false political advertising to a new low, but we have seen this all over the US primarily coming from the Republican conservative "Rovian" faction of the political parties. I have noticed that the far right christan conservatives resort to lying and cheating to get their way, while the moderate christian faction of the political spectrum, conduct themselves fairly and honestly. In analyzing the christian conservative "win at any cost" attitude I have decided that lucifer has taken hold of the Christian fundamentalist Right's hate mongering attitude toward people who are different. After all Christ was a Liberal wasen't he? http://www
Sgt Bill Wheeler
To paraphrase comedienne Margaret Cho, if Christ returned now and witnessed the actions of those using his name, he might say "guys, this is not what I meant..."
There's a far eloquent and profound version of the same argument. Read Grand Inquisitor" chapter in "Brothers Karamasov.
Well stated. Thank you for bringing this clarity.
I might add a reminder of one of our 10 Commandments about bearing false witness against our neighbors.
It appears that many on the Right have forgotten this edict from their God.
Well said, o brother my Brother Jim! I couldn't agree more.
Fear-mongering is the method we use for machining the human psyche.
http://www
This is the most crucial thing I've heard all year: "[McCain] needs to make enemies of the people he's going against in order to get fired up," said Hinz.
McCain is using on himself the same type of propaganda states use to demonize and dehumanize potential foes in war. Standing in a Manichean world gives him the perspective of Cyclops, the one-eyed monster who sees everything only from one side.
McCain believes himself to be a cellf-imprisoned ego. When we look up and believe ourselves to be infinitesimally tiny and insignificant, we implode our psyches into psychic black holes, imprisoning our selves in cellves of our own mistaken making.
From within these painful cellves make war on all else, mistaking everything outside our skin for an absolute Other. But the world outside our skin is where our external organs grow.
"We have to have an enemy," this kind of thinking says. This 'Us vs. Them' line is run through our minds like a stimulant. We fear, then look and point outward. 'War against the Other' is the metaphor we use for everything. It's exciting!
Mr. Wallis,
If you plan to take on Dobson, may I offer a little bit of advice? Focus. They like to have a long list of issues so that there can be different views and they can feel good about some of the things, and in the end they can always agree to disagree if necessary. Focus on war, preemptive war and torture. Any progress in this discussion is real, the other discussions can be illusion.
Add to that, feeding the poor and healing the sick.
If you allow that to be the discussion, both sides will come to agreement. They might disagree on the political details, but both sides will be happy with their own righteousness. The issues brought up by the war will be set aside, everyone can be happy, but we get nowhere. War is the dividing issue. Try it and see. If you don't accept justifications for preemptive war, you can't come to agreement with those who support the war. Clearly this breaking point is the solution. All we have to do is push the solution and find out what happens after the break. Fear not. Put your trust in the truth.
It really boggles my mind how the right wing touts the Bible as justification for their hate. Why haven't they been called on this? If all people were true believers in the Bible, they would be no racism and hate. Which Bible DO they read??????
the King George version?
My bible says......
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH." 2 Timothy 2:15.
You CAN wrongly divide the word of truth. If people would do this, no one can make a fool of them.
Of course too, they need to find the right ministers to teach them this, if they can not on their own understand it.
If they can't on their own understand it, they would be better off to forget about religion and ministers. Many find right ministers, but few learn right from them.
The only thing I would change is
"The worst fear mongering has come from" the instead of
"Some of the worst fear-mongering has sadly come from leaders of the Religious Right".
These leaders should know better. Some of them are old enough to have lived through the worst time of the 60's and 70's when race riots were prevalent. I cannot help but hear racist overtones in some of their speeches and yes hate from supposed men and women of God.
It makes me thankful for my wise priest who tends to my spiritual needs, but stays out of my politics!
We are a church of helping others in need.
Left wing Christian. Able to think and pray
they've already rolled out the abortion ads. even here in new york.
"Be not afraid" - In the Bible, Angels typically begin addressing people (in dreams, waking life, this way...)
Fear or hope ("faith, hope & love" - Christ) indeed. The choice is yours.
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