Land of the Free

At the time of this blog post, Sen. Barack Obama has been announced as President Elect.

This whole day has been very interesting. From voting at the polls to watching the political analysts, I must say today has been fascinating.

I feel great pride today because I am a citizen of the United States. I can participate in my government and my voice can mesh with my fellow citizens and can be heard.

We are not ruled by some monarch or priest who imposes his will upon us based on some obscure divine law made up at his own whim.

And despite my personal rejection of religious faith, I must say that I am impressed by the spiritual aspect of so many Americans rallying for a singular cause. At times, religion and god can inspire people in a positive ways. And sometimes as skeptics, we discount that fact.

People cried today out of joy at Mr. Obama's election. And people cried at Sen. John McCain's defeat.

I must also say that Mr. McCain's concession speech was a noble attempt to remind all Americans to stand behind our new President Elect, no matter the political or racial differences. He urged his supporters not look down upon African-Americans who celebrate this great evening with pride and happiness.

This openness is wonderful and precious. To have religion or not. To agree or disagree. To be in the racial majority or minority -- we are all free. We all can pursue happiness. We are all American.

Is God a Democrat or a Republican?

Skipping the details, I can say that I run across a lot of e-mail.

Over this election period, I've seen quite a lot of e-mail where people are urging each other to pray, pray, pray for the outcome of this election.

Christians desperately call on faithful prayer warriors to cry out to God so that Sen. John McCain gets elected and takes back our country for the Christian cause. Sen. McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin are anointed by God to lead this country back into the center of God's will. Take up your arms in spiritual warfare and beat back the demons of Kenya that are supporting Sen. Obama and causing a dull stupor to fall over the American people.

On the other hand, other Christians desperately call on faithful prayer warriors to cry out to God so that Sen. Barack Obama is kept safe and secure from all the racial hate and bigotry that is percolating. As the election comes to a close, people are praying that God will let justice prevail. People quietly pray and silently yearn for Sen. Obama to have the opportunity to set this nation back on track in a way that will gain the world's trust and respect once again.

And people are quietly, prayerfully, offering up their condolences at the passing of Sen. Obama's grandmother. She passed away the day of this blog posting -- yes, just one day before the most anticipated presidential election to date.

With such sharp distinctions between these two camps, can they possibly be worshiping the same God even though they both say they are Christians?

So, you tell me. Is God a Democrat or a Republican?

We'll find out Tuesday, won't we?

Terror is ordered by God

I try to avoid two things in this blog:

1) Giving away my identity

2) Openly endorsing any political party or candidate.

I will still attempt to do this. But, this will be difficult as I share my feelings and experiences concerning the topic at hand.

In my local town, authorities have uncovered a plot where a hate group was planning to identify and terrorize minorities in the area.

The backdrop to this news is that on Tuesday, November 4th, the United States will have a historic and unprecedented presidential election where Sen. Barack Obama has an extremely good chance of being elected over his opponent Sen. John McCain. Mr. Obama is African-American. So, the endangered minority group in my town is naturally African-Americans.

This news unnerved me. I felt like my family and I now have a big red and white bulls eye target on our home, our cars, and on our backs.

I have two young children who are innocent and oblivious to this whole plot. How could someone bring themselves to even consider doing such a thing?

Now one can see why Jeremiah Wright was so angry and why Michelle Obama is quoted as saying that for the first time she is proud of her country. They have lived through this before during the Civil Rights era in the 1960s (well, maybe not Ms. Obama, but Rev. Wright has).

African-Americans still feel threatened today despite race relations being better. Otherwise, Mr. Obama wouldn't be ahead in the polls. But, the positive reality is still hard to accept and believe after I heard this threatening news today.

I didn't even want to leave my home after this news. But I needed to go to the grocery store. I mustard the courage to go because if I didn't, my life would be just as dead as if I were shot dead in my own home.

I went because I didn't want my wife to go alone.

I went because last time I checked, this was the United States of America and I'm a free citizen.

I have freedom of thought and opinion. Freedom of speech and the pursuit of happiness. If my freedoms are taken away because some group doesn't like me, your freedom can just as easily be taken away, too, regardless of your skin color. Don't believe me? Learn the truth about why this country was born in the first place.

I felt like I was taking the biggest risk of my life by simply going to the store. Thankfully, I arrived home safely with my family. But before leaving the parking lot of the store, I saw an old truck with a bumper sticker as I pushed my grocery cart to my parking space. I felt directly threatened all over again as I read it:

Terror is ordered by God

The sticker sited a verse from Leviticus. I couldn't keep the verse reference in memory. But, the Chicago Nazarene Theological Seminary was mentioned on the sticker.

Can this be taken out of context?

My life is in some measure of danger simply because of my skin color.

And this assassination order upon my life was ordered by God himself!


One more good reason to continue being an atheist.