Blue-green (ocean and shadow) by Jake Rome
“Where does a conservative Christian fit in with California politics?”
I don’t know; that’s a good question.
Let me back up.
When I first began my Twitter journey in March of 2007, spurred on by Leo Laporte and his MacBreak Weekly podcast, I met so many wonderful Christians, Pastors, and Worship Leaders. It became such a great outlet, I formed wonderful relationships, and actually wrote a couple of songs with a friend I met on Twitter.
Then the election of 2008 came. Twitter became such a great way to read and share articles, thoughts, videos, and news-clippings that I started tweeting about politics. Those lovely salt-of-the-earth people began unfollowing enmass.
Apathy:
This is the most common issue I encounter as a Conservative who is a Christian among other people of the Faith.
They don’t want to “talk about politics” or “get involved” or their view is that we are “Citizens of another Kingdom.”
As an aside, we are Citizens of another Kingdom but we are also called to be Ambassadors. Participating in politics (staying informed and voting) is a stewardship issue to me. We have the right very few on this Earth can make a claim to possess.
And so, with those I expect to agree (with me and with each other), I find the opposite: Christians attempting to be politically agnostic.
Isolaton:
As for the balance of the population here in my home state of California, it is isolating to be a social conservative. I have many dear friends who believe in banning plastic bags, legalizing drugs, amnesty for illegal aliens, socialized health care, gay marriage – the list goes on. Those are hard conversations to have (or not have).
I end up just being quiet most of the time, agreeing to disagree, then venting on twitter or writing a blog post.
Neglect:
To make things even more complex, you have the self-fulfilling prophesy of “so-and-so” can never beat <insert Politician’s name here>. Why even run against Senator Boxer or Feinstein? “Candidate X” will never win. “Why even vote? My vote won’t count,” they say. So they don’t vote, but complain about our moral and fiscal decline.
Do statistical odds mean we shouldn’t even try? Should we give up and roll over to the fact that California is a deep, deep blue? Should we move out of our homeland? To that I answer “no.” I vote my conscience in the Primary and for the Republican in the General. I did it in 2008 and 2010 and I’ll do it again this year and 2014.
“All that’s necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
So, when deciding which candidates to support, do I choose a fiscal conservative and ignore social issues or do I vote strictly with all of my values or do I give into the indigo inevitability of our state?
That is what you have to decide.
Bonus:
California TCOT 