I'm out

I officially am at a loss as how to reconcile my faith and my politics. With the Democrats, I cannot bow down and allow the state to legislate love. Because, in essence, you can't. I do admire their fight to provide "rights" (which are not really rights at all) for the less fortunate. I think that's cool. I think it's a good thing to take care of the earth. I think it's always great to question something like war, because you can easily get carried away into murdering the innocent. War is always a horrible thing. It's an act of justice, and not so much mercy (although this is debatable). However, I can't move on the abortion issue. There are so many things wrong with the argument. Forgiveness is a great thing, but one must also pay the consequences of one's decision. The alternative is not an option. I've been reading (can you tell?) a book called "Jesus for President." Now, it's not a bad book, but it is very pacifistic, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. However, they brought up this argument for abortion (paraphrased):

You have to have a consistency in your ideas of "pro-life." Meaning you can't be pro-life and support the death penalty and war but be against abortion. If you are going to be against abortion, or "pro-life," you have to be willing to take responsibility for people's mistakes. You have to be willing to take in that baby that nobody wants.

Now, these are certainly some good things to consider. I agree, we should step up and be willing to bear another's burdens for the sake of the life of the child. However, HOWEVER, the alternative of saying, "No, I'm not ready to bear the burden, so I guess we will just have to kill it," is NOT an option. Even if I were the most hateful, unforgiving person in the world who preached up and down that all abortionists were going to Hell, it would still be wrong to turn to the alternative of killing the unborn.

With the Republicans, I have much sympathy. I was raised this way, and many, many people I hold dear to my heart are of this persuasion. I admire the moral values that Republicans push, although they may not always take them to heart. I do like less government involvement, because I think it is the Church's responsibility to step up and start caring for the poor and people who need help. Christ commanded as such. However, I am no longer a fan of the economic policies. I think it is ok to tax the rich. *Gasp* I am a supporter of the FairTax, though, which taxes what people spend, and not what they earn. Some Republicans, like Mike Huckabee, were of this thought. Not all of them are, though. The Republicans don't always offer solutions to the problems of the people. The "invisible hand" of Adam Smith is really not so invisible. It's my hand, it's your hand. Somebody has to bear the burden, and I'm willing to step up and be the Church to people. I think the Republicans sometimes allow greed to overtake them in an effort to sustain capitalism. I think perhaps this war in Iraq has gotten out of hand. Although I may not have acted as Obama will, it will be good to stop bloodshed, if only for a moment. It may prove to be worse in the long run, but let us pray for peace, as nations and as individuals, so that pre-emptive war may not be necessary in the future.

I don't know what to do. I don't know how to vote. I want to move away and be a nomadic Christian, wandering the world as it's not my home anyway. I have to make this disclaimer though: I am young; I am single; I have no children; no one relies on me to support their daily existence. I pray that God show me how to be holy in a culture so different in many aspects, but also the same in other aspects, than the culture in which Christ lived.