The election has been over a week ago. Where do we go from here? What now? Since Obama won by a considerable margin it might be easy to think that conservative Christian values are disappearing, right? I don’t think that is it at all. I am not going to be naďve and think that all Christians vote for republican candidates, because I have quite a few friends from my church, even one of our pastors, who voted for Obama. However, I believe that the majority of Christ followers do vote supporting more conservative ideals.
The reason why Obama won the election is because of two specific reasons. First, he appealed to the lower and middle class, and second, he was able to lead people to believe that voting for McCain would be voting for a third Bush term. With the unemployment rate over 6%, the middle and lower class felt that they needed a president who would help them. A perfect example is the lady in Florida who was interviewed at an Obama party. She said, “I don’t have to worry about paying for my mortgage or buying gas….If I help him, he will help me.” I fear that America has become lazy and are more willing to accept handouts. What I mean by this is that so many people believe the healthcare is a right and that attending college should be a right. Whatever happened to being able to achieve things on your own?
My friend from church asked me, “You aren’t in the top 5% tax bracket, so what do you care if Obama raises taxes on them? It benefits you, Justin!” The point is, I should care! Once you crack the door just a little bit to socialism, socialism will push the door wide open where it slams against the wall. Remember the $700 billion bailout package? That amount is just scratching the service. This week, the Feds announced that instead of buying bad debt from these banks, they are taking the money and buying stock in the banks. That means the government is now part owner of those banks. Instead of a free market, we have more socialism. The point is, I want to see a tax break, because I am a true conservative who believes in smaller government. However, I would much rather pay higher taxes, as part of the middle class, than increase taxes on the top 95% and get us one step closer to socialism.
Despite the fact that I am concerned with Obama’s belief in what direction our nation should go, more now than ever, the leadership of our country needs our prayers. It is our duty as Christians and as citizens to pray for this great nation! I pray that Obama does seek the Lord’s help just as he wrote on the paper that he placed in the Wailing Wall. I don’t want him to fail this nation and give me the chance to say, “I told you so” to those who did support him from the start. I pray that through his charisma and his ability to unite people around him, our nation will grow stronger. Starting next year, Obama will be my president regardless if I voted for him or not. I respect the fact that he represents the huge leap this nation has taken in electing the first African-American as President of the United States.
Daniel 2:21 says, "He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings..." Our God is greater than politics, health-care, the economy, jobs, and global warming. So where do we go from here? The answer is nowhere! We just change the way we look at things. Instead of looking around and seeing what everyone is doing, we need to turn our eyes towards heaven and know that Jesus is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider! Obama said himself that he isn’t a savior. Ultimately Obama isn’t our provider, even though that lady from Florida believes that he will be.
Now, more than ever, is a time for Christians in the media to stand up for their beliefs. Why do I say that? I honestly believe that this is the most important election of our lifetime. I remember similar words were said in 2000 and also in 2004, and I am sure that the same thing was said about other elections as well. Now it is 2008, and yet again, many find themselves repeating the phrase.
This past weekend I was having dinner with a friend while on a visit to Washington D.C. He works for a U.S. Senator. One phrase stood out to me from our conversation. He said, “Liberals have a short term memory.” I agree with him, but will not just say this about liberals, but instead, say most people have a short-term memory. They are only concerned about the here and now. What is the mainstream media doing each day? They are reporting on the concerns of today, for example, the economy. Obama is currently leading in the polls because of what is going on in the market. Remember the overwhelming shift in the polls after McCain announced Palin as his running mate? Or what about both bounces in the polls that each candidate received after the RNC and DNC?
So here is the question… What can be done to get people concerned about the issues, for the long term? People are concerned about the cost of the $700 billion dollar bailout, because of the cost, but yet, they are not concerned about the cost of Obama’s proposed programs, which will result in costing Americans far more than a one-time $700 billion. People are excited about Obama saying he will cut taxes for 95% of Americans, because that is the majority of the American vote. They are not concerned, however, with what it means for all when Obama raises taxes astronomically on the wealthy, or otherwise known as, redistribution of wealth. Most don’t think ahead to realize how these types of policies will open the way for socialism to come in the American door.
So…again I ask… What can be done? We, as Christians, need to touch the heart of voters. One perfect example is by one of our own Christians in the media, Michael Brown, the producer of the “Dear Mr. Obama” video that can be viewed in the political video section of this website. I had the privilege to interview Brown. When I asked him what was his motivation for creating this video was, he said, “I wanted to be a help to candidates.” He mentioned that he originally set out to help campaigns that needed professionally done commercials. But to his surprise, he was turned away.
During the primaries, Brown noticed how Obama kept saying that he was against the war from the start. This got Brown’s mind going and wondering what our soldiers thought when our nation’s politicians called the war a failure. He remembered meeting Joe Cook, the soldier in the video, at a welcome home parade last October, and Brown’s idea was born. It only took Brown 10 minutes to write the script. This past August, Cook agreed to do the video. What started out to be something simple has grown into a phenomenon. Since August 27th to October 2008, over 10.4 million people have viewed this video on You Tube.
Michael Brown is a perfect example of a Christian in the media industry. He is a man who is holding true to his values and convictions and doing what he can do make a difference in our country.
We don’t have a lot of time left before the election. We can’t be afraid to stand up for our beliefs. What will you do?
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for
light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for
bitter.
Justin Steiner
Preventing Distortion while Promoting Awareness
–Justin Steiner
I am continuously amazed…or maybe I should say annoyed, at the repeated attacks on values and Christianity by the mainstream media. The most recent obvious example are the attacks against Sarah Palin. It doesn’t matter which party you identify with the most, but if you are a Christ follower, I would be surprised if you didn’t find a lot of these attacks offensive!
Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, the political commentator for Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) said, "In its continuing game of 'gotcha' journalism and the 'politics of personal destruction,' the mainstream media (MSM) and celebrity reporters are piling on Sarah Palin. The personal attacks have reached unprecedented pettiness and hypocrisy. Even former journalistic giants (like the Washington Post and New York Times) are engaging in tabloid-like sensationalism and printing vicious distortions about her life, faith, experience and family. Even feminists -- who supposedly promote women's equality and the so-called 'women's rights' agenda -- are questioning a female candidate's ability to get the job done. It's past time for the bullying to stop!"
One perfect example of this is when the Associate Press ran this exact headline about a speech that Palin gave her church:
“Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God.’” When this story first broke during the week of the Republican Convention, MSNBC’s commentators were mentioning how out of touch Palin was for saying this. This topic came up again when Charlie Gibson interviewed the governor. Here is a short breakdown of this conversation:
GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God." Are we fighting a holy war?
PALIN: You know, I don't know if that was my exact quote.
GIBSON: Exact words.
But in reality, this isn’t at all what Palin said. Here are her exact words, “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan.”
Clearly Sarah Palin was only asking those in attendance to pray for God’s will and to pray that what we are doing in Iraq is part of God’s plan. I am surprised at the hypocrisy of the media coverage. Do you remember when Obama visited Israel? Do you remember when he put his prayer in the Wailing Wall? Do you wonder what he wrote?
"Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will." - Barack Obama
I have also asked myself why the mainstream media only attacks the Religious Right? I ask myself often, “Why the double standard?” Is it perhaps because people, like Palin, actually “walk the talk,” as some say? Is it because she doesn’t believe that her position that life begins at conception is above her pay grade, like Obama does?
I asked Dr. Crouse what the Christian media could do to prevent distortion and promote awareness of what is going on in the mainstream media. Dr. Crouse said, “The Christian media plays a vital role in holding the mainstream media accountable, and they are doing so. It should be the Christian media’s responsibility to point out the outright lies, the many distortions, and to simply say the truth.”
Christians and their values are attacked on a daily basis by the mainstream media. It is up to the Christian media to show the secular media that it isn’t the Religious Right that they are attacking, but the Religious Life!
