Politics {venting}

So I don't have much to say about politics. Sure, I have opinions, but I usually choose to keep them to myself. I've never seen ANY good come of arguing about political opinions, only disgruntled friends and family and broken relationships. Our government is set up so that citizens can have a voice by voting, or by writing letters to people who have been elected to office. If we feel strongly about something, we should express it that way. That's just my two cents.

That being the case, I have been SO annoyed lately with the crazy amount of political garbage that has been shared lately through both social and mainstream media. A lot of what I've seen propagated are flat out lies. Almost every ad or story attacks officials in one party or the other. Some are so vicious and ruthlessly mean that it makes me sad for the people sharing them.

As a believer, the thing that really bothers me about this is that a lot of what I see is coming from well-meaning Christians. Don't get me wrong here. I am all for standing up for what you believe in. But does that really have to include severely slandering someone else based on information that may or may not be true? Someone you don't even personally know?

It seems like people are so ready to have their opinions reinforced that they will believe anything they hear from any source and then shout it from the rooftops. If, as a believer, I'm really convinced that a person or party is in the wrong, shouldn't I pray for them rather than turning to slander?

I'm not a politician and don't ever plan to be. But I can imagine that it's a HARD JOB. You have to make decisions for millions of people. There's never going to be a way to make everyone happy. You have to try to stick to your own beliefs but compromise enough to find something that works for a whole city or state or country. I may not agree with everything every politician that represents me does. But I'm not in their shoes, either.

Jesus said we should pray for those in command. I definitely don't do that nearly enough, but I hope to more, and I hope that others will choose that route as well. Arguing and party-bashing hasn't gotten anyone anywhere in the past, and I don't think it will now either.

End vent.