My Political Obituary

I have wondered for 60 years why Christians are so annoyed by anyone not believing in God. I was naïve enough to believe that if I lived my life never hurting others I had a good chance of being a successful person. I have never once used violence against anyone, have never stolen anything, have never broken a vow and have spent a respectable amount of time helping others less fortunate.

I remember attending a Republican Meeting (my last) and was told by a candidate, running for a state office, that unless I was a Christian, I did not belong in the GOP. This was several years into President Bush's (43) first term and I was very concerned with his plans to bring religion into all phases of American life. It seemed to me at the time that Bush had little respect for a large portion of Americans (women and gays) and he expected every American to be Christian. This made no sense to me as I had been taught that America was open to all people who would work to retain our individual freedoms.

Trying to understand Bush's political direction became impossible for me and the Democrats had never offered anything at all but a growing government, I was without a political party. I had abandoned President Bush 41 in 1992 but had hoped that someone in the GOP would return to the limited government that I was convinced was the best for America. When I moved to the Phoenix area I began to attend meetings again and ran into this religious bigotry head on.

Three years have gone by since my leaving the Arizona Republican Party and in my observations; it has gotten out of control. My political opinions have always been based on self-determination and choices to be made by well educated Americans who had been given a sense of right versus wrong as children.

What a shock it was for me to learn that only God can teach moral values. I thought these people were kidding! The human rational mind had no ability to judge good from evil and we were all victims of which God was taught to us as children? This meant that I was supposed to scare the hell out of my kids by waving a spirit over their minds as they were growing up?

I learned this week how strong this Christian God is and how I should have sinned like everyone else and asked for forgiveness like all good Christians because he sent his son to earth to die for my salvation. The writer of this email ended his evaluation of my statements with the fact that I was an abomination to God! Jeez, no wonder I have been shunned by my family and friends. No wonder I have been asked to leave political forums when I discuss the values of individual liberties and choices.

It is a fight I can no longer address. I feel I cheated my own kids out of their salvation by insisting they stop and think before acting and learn that they would be responsible for their actions. I would have never given them a tool that would save them from everlasting hell. A simple act of asking for forgiveness will never take the place of an instinctive act of right over wrong.

I am no longer an active American. I will stop writing my articles on liberty and freedom. I will avoid all political discussion forums because a huge percentage of them can't get beyond a faithful following of our President Bush who, in my opinion has nothing to offer in the way of leadership for American freedoms. He uses Jesus Christ as a weapon not a guidance, and he has ruined the very core of what America stands for.

At least at 72, I had the best of what America offered and I regret it will all be changed into a religious conversion where Armageddon can be welcomed as a National celebration.

Copyright © 2005