In My Opinion

I try hard to stay out of it, because these days most things are controversial. It's hard, though. Some things just fire me up. I find myself getting so angry that I have to vent. That's what my husband is for. I vent, he listens. It's reciprocal, don't worry. We are both good at listening to each other. And then there is my blog. I love writing, and I want to avoid alienating or angering anyone. Sometimes, though, things need to be said. Sometimes people need to know how you feel about something.

So I've decided to make this blog all about my real opinions on issues. Now don't go getting all riled up--they are just opinions, they aren't important, they don't affect anything or anyone--they are just mine, all mine. And whether they make sense to you or not, well, frankly, it doesn't matter, because to tell you the truth--half of them don't even make sense to me.

The Bible says, " Judge not. That is the hardest commandment for me to obey, and yet I must. It's a good thing that God is in the business of forgiveness where we are concerned--otherwise, well, I don't want to even think about otherwise! I try hard not to judge others. Sin abounds in this world--my sin as well as others. I end up seeing other people's sins, though, and not a whole lot of my own. My mistake. So how do I live a life for God without judging those who choose not to follow Christ's teachings? That's a hard one for me, but I try. I really do. Anyway, here I go — here are a few of my opinions.

Abortion--OK, here goes. OK, I am pro-life and pro-choice. No surprise there. My reasoning? What about the friends and family members whom I love dearly who've had abortions? What category do I put them in? I don't. I put myself in their place; it's called empathy. I can't even imagine how they might feel about the fact that they've terminated their pregnancy. If it were me in their place, I'd beat myself up about it until the day I died. I'll bet anything they do too, so why should I do that to them? Why not pray for them? Why not comfort them? Why not do what Jesus would do? It's always been interesting to me how in the Bible, Jesus got so mad at the money changers/church goers/religious types, but when it came to the prostitutes and the thieves, He loved them. He understood them. He, well, died for them. He didn't condemn them. He called out to them--come to me, I'll heal your brokenness, I'll fix you, I'll show you a better way, I'll forgive you and the sins you've committed. Those sins will be cast so far away from you that you'll never hear of them again. So why, oh why, should I condemn them when even Jesus doesn't? He's cast their sins away; why should I chase after them and say, "Hey, you forgot your sins!"  Don't you want them? They'll haunt you for the rest of your life!!! No, that isn't what God is all about, not at all.

And, what about those whose pregnancy was not sustainable? What if they had to end the life of their baby for medical reasons? I would still be so very sad. I would feel guilt. Is that what God wants? Guilt? I don't think so. And one more thing--is it anyone's business what goes on between a patient and a doctor? No, it's confidential for a reason. 

Politics — I am a Democrat. I am a liberal. I really do hate labels other than the few that I go by. Which are Christian, wife, mother, friend — do you get where I am going with this? Politics are evil, they divide rather than drawing people together. It's become about money and popularity. People become mean, hateful, and very scary when discussing politics. Supposedly, we live in a free society and a free country where we vote. We go into a small booth and mark a box, choosing the candidate or the law, etc., that we most align with. Sometimes we don't believe in all they stand for, but believe in most of it, so we vote that way. Personally, I read the issues and pray, and then, when I get into my little booth, I start voting. I let my conscience be my guide--so to speak. However, today in our society, you are ridiculed (by both sides), no matter which side of the fence you sit on. And boy, you had better pick a side and then stay on that side, or else! Or else what? What happened to my freedom? Is it only for some? Hmmmm

Religion--if you've spent any time at all reading my blog, you know by now that I am a Christian. I do not hide my beliefs, nor do I condemn yours. Do I think that mine is the one true religion? The only way to God? The one true religion that all should be following? Of course, I do, that's precisely why I believe the way I do. However, in answering all those questions, I also 100% believe in freedom of religion. And if you speak freely to me of your beliefs, then I will assume it is OK to speak freely to you of mine. I am careful not to offend, and I'm always available to discuss my beliefs with anyone interested. I am devout, I am a true follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. I respect others' beliefs and, hopefully, have never offended anyone with mine. When the opportunity comes to share my God with others, believe me, I will jump at it. However, I will not beat you over the head with my Bible--don't worry. It was a personal goal of mine in college to study the world's religions so that I would be better equipped to share my own faith. I learned a lot and came to respect other belief systems.

Racism--I've experienced it, have you? I've told one story before about my maternal grandmother's racist remarks made towards me; however, I have another story. One that opened my eyes to how others might feel while visiting foreign countries. I was in Europe with my husband on business, and we were at an important dinner one evening. I was sitting next to a very obnoxious gentleman who spoke English. Early on, he let me know that he did not like Americans; he gave several reasons, and when I tried to explain to him that not all Americans were that way, he would have none of it. His mind was made up. All Americans, all, were right-wing conservatives who've never gone to college, who've never read a book; everyone is fat, loud, and rude. The more I tried to reason with him, the more stubborn he became. I assured him that he was completely off base. I explained to him that I had gone to college, and that I was a moderate, that my passion was reading, and that I wasn't all the other things mentioned above. Nope, his mind was made up.

He was adamant that all Americans were uneducated pigs. I was stunned, and as soon as I could, I excused myself from the table and began another conversation with someone else. I had just been discriminated against, not for my gender, or my color, or my religion, but for the country that I was born and raised in. He highly offended me, and he didn't care one bit. And then my mind began to wander--have I ever made blanket statements about another people group in that way? I certainly hope and pray not. But I have heard others in my own country make remarks like that about folks from other countries. Why don't they speak English, why can't they read, why, why, why? I will tell you one thing: ever since that incident, I have been so compassionate towards foreigners in my country. If I see them looking at maps, I help them. If they don't speak English, I try to find someone who speaks their language. I love to travel to other countries, and if it weren't for the many kindhearted people there to help me, I don't know what I'd do. I get so excited when I am in Europe, and I see a sign in English. It makes me wonder — why can't we put up a few more signs in different languages to help others in America? Would that be so hard? Can we show some compassion? Some understanding? Let's show some true American kindness--to our fellow countrymen, and to our foreign visitors, no matter their religion, skin color, gender, or ethnic group. Let's love one another! Let's be like Jesus!

So these are just a few of my opinions. I have so many more. If in the future I feel the need to write about them, I will; for now, though, that's all I've got.