Dear Dick,
I don’t understand how you can call yourself a Christian, make less than $100,000 per year and still vote Republican. If you were rich or not a professed Christian, I can see making more of a case for your Republicanity, but as it stands, the Republicans do very little except pay lip service to Christ and they certainly don’t help the poor.
My understanding of Christianity may be a bit vague, but I believe that all Christians are trying to be more like Jesus Christ. Christ healed the sick, had compassion on the poor and chased the moneychangers out of the temple.
The Republican Party has shown that they do not believe that everyone should have healthcare. Only those who can afford it get proper treatment. Jesus healed everyone, even those who were ungrateful or who took it from Him.
According to Republicans, the poor will be helped by trickledown economics. This fallacy was disproved by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and by Bush in both incarnations. The idea that cutting taxes for the rich will help the poor is absurd. When companies cut jobs because higher-ups feel they aren’t making enough of a profit, it is clear that the only thing that trickles down is waste, pollution and the broken dreams of the average American. Jesus commanded that Christians help the poor.
With their urge to grab as much money as possible and to help their rich friends do the same, Republicans would surely be at the temple today selling their wares and changing money of they thought they could make a buck and get away with it.
Even if this weren’t the case, what I don’t understand is how any freedom loving American can vote for a Republican. The Patriot act and the SOPA/PIPA are just two ways that the Republicans have sought to limit freedoms of Americans.
I realize that the Republicans talk a good game about family values, but when Newt Gingrich is seriously considered a presidential candidate on the Republican Party ticket, there is a disconnect between what the Republicans are saying and what they are actually doing.
I agree that neither party seems to be a great choice, but it is absurd for a poor Christian – or any Christian – to vote for a party which clearly does not have the values of Jesus Christ at the forefront of its platform even though it espouses such.
If you, Dick, want to ignore the fact that Jesus treated everyone who was sick, that he consorted with sinners and Samaritans, that he loved the poor and commanded us to help them and that the greatest gift He gave mankind was agency, go ahead and vote Republican. I won’t understand it, but I won’t stop you either.
It is your right to vote for whomever you wish, and I would die fighting to protect your right to vote for the greater of two evils. You could also decide not to vote at all. Just remember, while you are sitting at home on Election Day, I will be out there voting for the candidate that best represents the ideals I hold.
Sincerely
Shad Engkilterra