Please, Show Some Respect

I don't generally say much political on here but...I feel I must stand up for myself and those like me.

I am a conservative Christian.

No, I don't think people should starve, be homeless, I don't agree with hate crimes, or think racism should be allowed.  I don't hate immigrants, or even illegal immigrants.  I don't want to take away rights and equality from women, after all, I am one.

I do believe it's my job and not the job of the government to feed and clothe those in need.

I do believe people should have freedom of speech AND freedom of religion.

I do believe people should be treated with respect, but I also believe there are moral absolutes that go beyond just what I have made up in my own mind.  The danger we face when we allow human beings to all decide their own morality is scary...after all, Hitler and Stalin believed what they were doing was right morally.

I give my taxes to my government AND I give much more above and beyond to non-profits.

I see my career as a way of giving a hand up, not a hand out.

I love nature and being in it.  God created the world and gave it to us for use and to maintain, which means protecting it.  I have learned this from my Christian role models.

I love my adopted dogs that were rescued from shelters.

I believe it's our responsibility to take care of those that are orphans and widows.  I think those that adopt and foster are heroes.  I think missionaries and non-profit workers are heroes.

I am a female and I have required birth control for medical reasons, but I don't feel there is a war against me being waged by Republicans.  I do feel there is a culture war being waged against me because of my beliefs as a Christian and this not by Republicans.

I have not forgotten that Republicans are the people who fought so hard to end slavery and bring about amendments such as the 13th, 14th, and 15th.  I also know that a higher percentage of Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 than Democrats.  I don't believe 100 years of history means nothing and they have suddenly flipped.

I believe equal opportunity is imperative, but that doesn't mean everyone gets equal amounts in the end.

I don't think only the wealthy should have access to healthcare.  I do think it would be wonderful for every person to have equal access to healthcare.  I'm just concerned if we can't find a way to make it work financially than we destroy our ability as a nation to be a safe place for people to come and find opportunity and freedom.

I do think the wealthy can afford to bear a heavier burden of the taxes, but then again, if you live in the United States, the vast majority of us are wealthy compared to world standards.  Do we penalize people for what they have and if so, how much?  Pull them down to our level if we can't pull ourselves up to theirs?

I don't believe government is the answer to our problems.  I don't believe a bigger, better or stronger Republican or Democratic government is the answer to our problems.  I do believe our answers are found in the commands of the Bible, such as "love your neighbor as yourself" or following the examples in the Bible such as the story of the Good Samaritan or the life of Jesus.  The Puritan work ethic of expecting every able bodied person to contribute makes a lot of sense if a society wants to be productive and survive.

I do believe when innocent humans are being murdered, we should stand up against that.  Murder should not be acceptable.  I can't understand how we say it's okay for a mother to kill a "fetus" and yet we cry over and pray for babies born several weeks early at the same developmental age as those allowed to be aborted.   I worry about the slippery slope we are on when we say a baby's worth is dependent upon whether the mother wants it or how much stress or anguish it puts on that mother or we decide that even though there are brain waves and heart beats present that isn't human enough for us yet to protect their rights.

I have traveled to slums in developing countries and seen incredible poverty.  I have bathed street kids in Kenya, I have handed out food at a dump in Mexico, I have walked through villages without clean water or electricity in Argentina.  I have spent time on Skid Row handing out back packs during the Christmas season.  I have spent my Christmas morning feeding homeless people.  I have volunteered time in juvenile hall.  I have organized school supply drives for students in Kenya.  I work in a community which has the highest single parent household in the county (at least) and some of the highest population density in the country and one of the poorest communities in Orange County.  I have spent time in the poorest county in the United States holding basketball camps for children living among the some of the highest rates of alcoholism and suicide.  I spent more days than not in the last 12 years with people who came here illegally.

I have a firm grasp the brokenness of this world and on how blessed I am and how wealthy I am compared to the majority in this world.  I also believe that demands I act responsibly with the blessings I am given.  I must be wise with my time and my money.  I do not need a government telling me what to do with my time and money.

You may argue with me about the methods I believe are best to bring about a better world and a better life.  You may disagree with the way I believe we can best help others and build a stronger country and a better world.  You may disagree with me about my faith and what I believe.  In fact, I welcome friendly discourse and love to listen to other perspectives because I am not afraid of what you may tell me.  I believe questioning and weighing pros and cons is incredibly important for me to formulate what I believe and then have confidence in that.  I believe God gave us a mind and gave us truth, so therefore I must use that and not fear it.

What I don't appreciate and what is not okay is the post after post on social media or the rants on television about how I am a greedy, hateful, blinded, racist, backwards, close-minded, and/or sexist person just simply because I tend to fall on the conservative side politically.  I chose to believe that most people have similar goals as myself but disagree on the best methods to get there.  I chose to be respectful of others beliefs, even though I don't agree with them and may even speak out against them.

Maybe I'm a rare conservative...but I don't think so.  Considering the community in which I have been raised and the people who shaped my beliefs and share my beliefs are doing much the same as myself and the majority of them consider themselves conservative, I just can't believe that conservatives are all these bad things "open-minded" liberals disrepectfully throw out there.

I hate putting a political label on myself, mostly because I don't see a political party as being the thing that defines who I am.  My faith defines who I am, and I am a Christian.  The reality is though, that in the overall picture when weighing everything out, I tend to align more with conservatives.  So I am offended at all this trash-talk toward conservatives to make them look evil and greedy and uncaring.  I think the louder you yell and the more trash talk you do shows ignorance or insecurity - on both sides of the political spectrum.  It's time to start being kinder to one another.  And please, show some respect.