Now that the election is over......

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS........

Now that the election is over and John McCain can focus all his time on fixing the economy, rather than doing it in his spare time during his presidential campaign, we should be back to normal in no time - of course, according to some Catholic and Evangelical blogs that I've read today - we'll have to make sure that we lock and guard our doors because Barack Obama will be organizing a massive army of Storm Troopers to go door to door collecting all our guns and performing mandatory "Gay Marriages" and/or abortions - so we'll have that to worry about!!!!

Seriously though - last night I heard Barack Obama give a very inspirational speech that made me weep. It was as if I were listening to the sequel of Martin Luther King Jr.'s masterful "I have a dream" speech.

There are many Conservatives, particularly those who call themselves Catholic and/or Christian, who think that their prayers were not answered by the Election results yesterday. Part of me is very angered by this - but a better part of me feels sad for them.

It's my experience, and I think there is a lot of scriptural evidence that God often answers prayers in unexpected ways. Also doesn't St. Paul say that "All things work together for good for those who love Jesus?" - Why so little faith that God is NOT in control of this whole situation? 

VOTING AGAINST ABORTION

Over the past few months, Catholics were virtually being cajoled by many Bishops to vote for McCain - and many other Christian denominations jumped on the bandwagon, claiming that a vote for McCain was a vote for Pro-Life, because McCain had made a campaign promise to try and reverse "Roe Vs. Wade."

By the way, Ronald Reagan and both George Bush's had made the same promise and were not able to deliver, what's different this time?

Does it not occur to anyone that the law has never defined morality? The law tends to support the moral choices of the people and not the other way around. Slavery became morally wrong in people's hearts long before the Slave Trade was officially abolished - the law was changed because people changed - not the other way around.  Making Abortion illegal will just fill up the prisons with poor mothers of unwanted children - or fill the hospitals with botched abortion victims, while the rich will just fly to another country where abortion IS legal.  ABORTION IS A SYMPTOM - NOT THE PROBLEM.

Rather than making abortion illegal - let's try working together to eliminate the situations that even make them a consideration.

PREVENTION - BETTER THAN CURE

The Catholic stance on birth control is also a difficult one to defend - given that contraception is viewed as interfering with God's will and considered a sin - shouldn't it also be the case that any drug treatment that prolongs life or cures diseases is ALSO interfering with God's will? Is it possible that safe birth control may in fact be a gift from God - as a gift of mercy. Surely the real problem is not contraception but the temptation to promiscuity? Contraception should never be used to justify using other people for our own self-gratification. 

Self-control is obviously the ideal form of birth control - but God knows that we are weak, and why should an innocent child potentially suffer resentment because of our weakness?

GUNS AND BIBLES?

Another popular "sentiment" over this whole election has been the idea that not having guns (particularly assault rifles and heavy artillery) is to not have freedom.

How can anyone who claims to follow Jesus, who said that we were to "resist not evil" and "love our enemies," reconcile this with using weapons (even for "defence," although I can't understand why you would need the ability to accurately aim a defensive weapon, or to be able to fire multiple rounds if the goal is to "warn.")

Who knew that the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" only applied to the unborn? Apparently once you're out of the womb you'd better watch your back!!!!

Owning a gun is not freedom - freedom is not being afraid to not own a gun.

I am glad Barack Obama won - not because I'm naive and think that he'll magically fix everything. Despite his so-called "lack of experience," he stands as a figurehead for hope in America and the democratic process, which has taken a few heavy hits in the past few years.

As the first African-American President he also signals another step on the very slow process of trying to heal racism and the wounds of some very low points in the history of man.  

I believe that's worth the risk.