Dean Peteet's blog

I read recently in another blog about the interesting phenomenon between the political left and the political right that illustrates this toxic polarization that threatens our national/international security as well as our children's future on this earth and continues to damage the mission of Jesus Christ to our country and the rest of the world. What I am talking about is the supposed "War on Terror" conspiracy theories posited by the left and those "the sky is falling" global warming conspiracy theories touted by the right. This is once again another example of how dangerous it is to get caught up in the deionization trend that is so prevalent in not only the news media and the blogasphere but just in regular every day water cooler conversation between each other's political and ideological allies. Here's a news flash for you guys on the left and right, there is no Left wing global warming conspiracy to set up a huge government regulated plan to get rid of all privately owned business and set up a socialist state. And there is no right wing War on Terror conspiracy to strike fear and panic in everyone enough to where we will let the republicans set up a militaristic theocratic state ruled by Pat Robertson. No. Guess what, these are not conspiracies, they are true. In other wards people it is not a matter of I am a conservative Christian therefore I must believe that fanatical Islam is a real and present danger and global warming is a hoax. Or I am a Christian progressive therefore I must believe Global warming is a clear and present danger, and I Fanatical Islam is a hoax. No! It means that fanatical Islam is very real threat to our immediate reality but it also means Global warming is a very real threat to us and our children's future. I mean good grief National Review came out and admitted Global warming was happening a couple of months ago. We have got to wake up about this. As deeply committed Christians we have got to step out of our insulated red and blue bubbles and think biblically for a change. As Christians we are to love God with our minds and I think that means being good critical thinkers and not just following the party line on all of these issues. So what does that look like? It means we should read a plethora of different viewpoints not just our own particular political disposition. In other wards for the more progressive Christian don't just read books promoted by Noam Chomsky or Naomi Klein , or for you conservative Christians don't just read books published by Regenery. Also we should try to regulate our image of our political opposition and remember that we are all image bearers of God. This means not believing that all progressives are little Michael Moore's running around, or all conservative Christians are as mean and venomous as Ann Coulter. These are the worst of the worst images and we should not play into this game. Finally we have to remember that our allegiance should be to Christ and Christ alone. Not to Focus on the Family or Jim Wallis. Not to the Republican or the Democratic Party. We are to follow Christ first which means we should treat all people from all lands with dignity and respect and that includes not just the American soldiers dying in Iraq but the Iraqi civilians dying there as well. This also means being prepared to sacrifice business opportunities for protecting and preserving God's creation with yes potential tax dollars.