Politics And Religion

Both religions and political party’s serve more to disenfranchise our nation than they do to strengthen it.  They are the principal vehicles responsible for most of the divisiveness, polarization and intransigence that is crippling our nation today.

 The recently held Presidential Election in France should aid us in placing political parties in their proper perspective.   

 France does not have a two-party system.  Although France has many political parties, their system is designed to protect the nation from a full-fledged two-party influence on power.  As such, two elections for their president are held.  In the first round of voting all candidates vying for the office appear on the ballot.  If none of those many candidates receive a clear majority of the total number of votes cast, then a second - run-off - election is held two weeks later between the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes.

All the evidence at our disposal clearly indicated that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the most distasteful candidates to the American people.  Yet, come election day, the country was faced with choosing between one of those repugnant choices. 

 If America embraced the same system as France, then our initial ballots would have contained Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Gary Johnson and etc., all of whom, along with Ted Cruz, could have syphoned off enough votes to make Donald Trump a non-factor. 

 We should also remember that Hillary was unable to gain enough delegates through the primary elections to secure the Democratic Party nomination.  It was the Democratic Party shenanigans of Super Delegates that put her over the top. 

 Granted, we would first need to implement campaign finance reform.  Such reforms would provide exactly the same amount in federal funds to all candidates to wage their campaigns. No further funds could be spent in the pursuit of the presidency.  This would naturally mandate the repeal of “Citizens United.”  These reforms, in conjunction with the application of the French system of election are initiatives America should be seriously considering.   

 

The problem with religion is the concepts employed in defining God.  Just exactly what He is and what He represents?  As long as such an evaluation is determined by human beings, many of the aspects surrounding that evaluation could very easily be flawed - I.E. Eating meat on Friday.

Some see God as Vengeful and Vindictive using fear-mongering as motivation for proper behavior.  Christian concepts do NOT support capital punishment.  Yet most Christian Americans approve of it.   

There is much contradictory evidence in support of the fact that God is not Sodom and Gomorrah nor the God Who flooded the world in the story of Noah.  We see time and again that He is the Entity that fed starving people with fishes and loaves, cured lepers, healed the lame and the blind.  He is the God of Mary Magdalene that reminded us that only those without sin can cast the first stone.  He is the God of “love thy neighbor,” “do unto others as you would have them to do unto you” and “no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for his brethren.”  As such, other Americans see God as a Loving, Caring, Compassionate Entity capable of forgiveness that the human heart cannot comprehend. 

 Once we have established, in our arrogant and infinite wisdom, just exactly what God is, how would we then deal with the first amendment?  Would we be tolerant of those whose perspective and beliefs run contrary to the demand for that universal acceptance?  Would that demand further alienate and divide us through hatred and intolerance?  Do we really believe that God would want us to behave in that manner?

 

Our founding fathers cautioned us time and again against the acceptance and formations of both political parties and organized religions.  But we have scoffed at that wisdom leaving us with incredible levels of hatred and alienation.

 “Love thy neighbor…” and “do unto others…” is all that is necessary to make America great again.  To achieve that requires far less importance being placed on manmade religions and political parties.