An uncentered, uneven rant

I received a comment from an anonymous reader on my Carried By Christ Blog yesterday that I found fascinating.

Many of you that know me, or have known me for a while, know that I am a Christian, and I am not shy about it. I am also a rightwing conservative. I am not a Republican because I am a Christian, and I am not a Christian because I am a Republican. Liberals and Centrists and New Agers and all of the others out there unable to come to grips with any level of political common sense seem to think that one causes the other. That is just not so, and I wanted to get that straightened out before we proceed.

Anyway, the commenter stated that they liked the posting on my Christian Blog regarding the real way to spirituality. She (I say she because I think I know who it is, and I appreciate her checking out my blogs after me giving her my card following her giving me a book--sorry if that's confusing to the rest of you) went on to say that my writing had a real sense of grace about it. To that I say, "Thank you," and "I appreciate your comment." After all, my primary reason for writing anything is for it to be read. I am not just a blogger, but I am an aspiring writer as well, and writing is what I do.

However, the post was not on the "real way to spirituality" as the reader suggested. This is where the reader was in error on the get-go. The post was about how the world is searching for spirituality through metaphysics and Eastern Religions and New Age Philosophies and Scientology and anything else the world can come up with other than what is Biblical. People are seeking spirituality, but no one is seeking God.

Then, the reader's comment stated that she visited my Political Pistachio blog, the one you are reading now, and she found it to be written in an another voice entirely - claiming my political writing is uncentered, unsure, and a bit of an uneven rant. She claimed it was far from my spiritual centre. She stated that political strife is just a big version of the strife within, and that dedicating my passion to being angry at the world outside is just a way of avoiding dealing with my inner life.

She sounds exactly like a New Age cousin of mine.

I am not angry at the world. I am angry, however, that there are those out there that wish to take the freedoms of Americans away from the United States through terror, and that there are people out there, such as this commenter, that believes defending our rights, and the freedoms of others, is a manifestation of our anger at ourselves.

Perhaps these people who are so "spiritually centered" never faced a bully in their lives, or think that the freedoms we enjoy were just handed to us without any struggle.

Worldwide situations such as this current war on terror, and the problem of worldwide terrorism, is like a festering sore. If not dealt with, it becomes a larger, more damaging injury, eventually growing to the point that it kills you. That is fact. My faith of Christianity does not allow me to turn a blind eye from the truth and imagine that if we all danced in a field of daisies and praised Tom Cruise, or Buddha, or whoever, that the problems of Radical Islamism and North Korea will just go away. Life does not work that way. Nobody wants peace more than myself, but peace cannot be achieved by just wishing for it, or talking to these bastards that have only one thing in their mind - death to all infidels.

Common sense indicates that no matter how horrible it may seem, the only way to achieve peace in this maddening world is through strength, and the only free nation with that kind of strength is the United States of America. PERIOD!

I have strife within. We all do. But my strife is quieted not by focusing on my own integrity or by developing a quiet strength within. My personal peace comes from my relationship with Christ. My politics are generated simply by using that large, boney thing on my shoulders. Some may refer to it as a "head". My faith, as with Bush I am sure, has some impact on what I think politically, but my main reason for thinking the way I do politically is simply common sense and love of my nation. I refuse to pretend that terrorism will go away if I find some hidden inner strength; and make no mistake about it, my politics will not be altered because some New Ager thinks that by supporting our troops in defending this nation I am projecting my angry innards.

Oh, and by the way, the commenter also asked me to take a leaf out of Jesus' book, and look at myself.

I did.

Israel is threatened, freedom is threatened, and the freedom to practice my faith could eventually be threatened.

The Old Testament records many wars, some of which God commanded or assisted. There is a 'time' for war (Eccl. 3:8); yet God's ultimate goal is for a world of peace (e.g. Isa. 2:2-4), and much bloodthirsty warfare is condemned (e.g. Isa. 33:1).

According to Jesus, war is just a part of how things are (Mk 13:7; Matt 24:6; Lk 14:31-32, 21:9). Paul, in his letter to the Romans says that God uses rulers to punish evil by use of 'the sword' (Rom. 13:1-4). Elsewhere, God commands rulers to rescue the weak and needy (Ps. 82:2-4). The care of a people is committed to those in authority, and their business is to watch over the common good of the people entrusted to them. In a sinful, fallen world, sometimes they must sadly use force to protect people.

A "just war" is fought when leaders who use war to enhance their glory or to extend their empire must be stopped and no other action will stop them.

This is a just war. The war on terror is a just cause. The terrorists goal is to make you think that they will leave you alone if we pull out of our war on terror.

Radical Islam desires your death, and my death. We owe it to our posterity, and each other, to protect America, Israel, and freedom wherever it may be blossoming.

God Bless America. God Bless our troops. And God Bless you.