Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Post Election Thoughts

I went to bed early last night, about 9:45.  I decided I didn’t want to wait for them to call the election.  I woke up at about 4:30 this morning to check the results and then workout.  I have refrained from sharing my true reaction because I really wanted to reflect on it and take it to prayer today.  I’ve decided that I need to get my thoughts down. They may seem irrational to some of you but I don’t care.  You can disagree with me but if you do I don’t want to hear it on here.  I will delete any and all negative comments.  Comments that are in agreement with how I am feeling are welcome but I am not in the mood to “dialogue” about this right now.

 First of all, I’m angry at all the Catholics that voted for Obama in this election.  The outcome is mainly on you.  Most of you should know better.  The Church was clear.  You disobeyed.  This makes me angry.  I’m tired of people claiming my faith and my Church and then only following it when it is “convenient”.  I’m sorry you didn’t like Romney as an option, I was not thrilled with him either but he was clearly the lesser of two evils and the best option we had. You have betrayed me and my Church by voting for Obama.  End of discussion.

 Second of all I’m scared.  I had to pause my workout this morning and go check on my daughter who was crying.  As I picked her up to console her, a ton of emotion flooded over me and I must admit I shed a couple tears as I was holding her.  I am terrified of the world she is going to grow up in.  This administration is going to continue to further the culture of death and I truly fear the kind of America my daughter will grow up in.   I don’t think America is going to be able to recover from this.  In addition to the President, the moral depravity that people in certain states voted to legalize is atrocious and God will judge us as a nation for it!  Have mercy on us Oh Lord!

 Thirdly, I feel betrayed by family and friends who refused to see the impact this administration is having on religious liberty.  I understand you may not fully agree with what I believe but for you to go ahead and vote for someone who wants to take away my religious liberties is hurtful. This could result in me losing my job or me being fined and thrown in jail because I refuse to pay for things that violate my conscience. This election was personal and the fact that you decided you look the other way on this issue makes me disappointed.   I still love all of you but I am sad.  I understand some of you may not fully know or understand why I feel this way but I need you to know that I do feel this way.   I hope and pray I am wrong about all these things occurring but for the first time in American History they are real possibilities.

My mother-in-law constantly says to us, “when are you moving to Texas?”  I have honestly always thought to myself that this was unlikely.  After this election I can honestly say that this has become a real possibility now.  I think that it will be the safest place to be when our economy crashes. 

 Lastly, I am still trusting in God. My resolve to Evangelize and fight for our culture is growing stronger within me. I will preach and teach the truth more fervently. I will continue to teach my students the truth regardless of how it is taken. I will share Christ with whomever I encounter. The sense of urgency for us to evangelize has only gotten stronger. If you are a Catholic you must join me and the Church in this mission. It is our moral obligation to preach the truth to others. We cannot go down without a fight. We cannot be silent anymore. Our Catholic faith cannot just be about you or me sitting in the pew at Sunday mass. It has to be about being transformed and going forth to share that joy with others. I am thankful for my Catholic Faith.  I know that Christ is my real King and in Him my true hope lies. However it doesn’t make this any less scary and it doesn’t change how I feel.   If things get bad I will bear the crosses he gives our family and I will continue to praise Him.  I’m sure people will read this and think I’m being an alarmist and over dramatic, but this is how I feel. I honestly think it is a problem that more people don’t see things in this way.  I cannot predict the future and I hope I am wrong about the things I fear, but it doesn’t make the fear itself any less real.   God is bigger than all of this but I firmly believe the suffering and the persecution is coming.  If it doesn’t occur in the next four years, at least the ground work for it will be laid in the next four years. 

 
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

11 comments:

Mary Wilkerson said...

Your first point is something I am REALLY struggling with. Well, your first and third points. I have tried to post on it several times, but deleted the posts because they are not coming out right. Thank you for giving me language. Rough stuff today. I just said to one of my teens, 'oh, adam, I'm in a bad place tonight' he said, 'why' I said, 'I don't know' and left the room. HE stuck his head out and said, 'is it because obama won'. And I realized that yeah, it is. big time. BUT, God is bigger. I noticed you posted Bob Rice's article. I am going to post it later tonight. That, my friend, is what my focus needs to be. Prayers for your family!

Mary said...

We have discussed the possibility of moving to Texas, also. I'm sick and tired of this corrupt, liberal state. If I'm going to live in a Socialist nation, I'd like to at least be surrounded by conservatives.

Kristin Klein said...

Loved this! Exactly how I felt!I think others who feel like we are being dramatic are the ones who don't see the long-term. We have become a nation of instant gratification and don't seem to care about the effects. Thank God we have our faith and our church! It is the only thing that makes me feel better!

I once met a girl named Maria said...

You know, I can understand where you're coming from, because I would have felt the exact same way if Mitt Romney had been elected. I don't have any children (thank GOD), so I can't relate to being afraid of the world that a child will grow up in, but I just can't see how living in a world where everyone is an equal is a bad thing. I don't take issue with raising a child in a world where tolerance is taught, or a world where we all take responsibility for each other instead of "every man for himself".

I'm sure you know from seeing random things I post to Facebook that your world view and mine are very different, and I respect that. I couldn't, in good conscience, vote for Mitt Romney. I am sure you must be thinking "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU SAY THAT?!", I have my reasons, and you have your reason for voting for Romney. I get that. I respect it.

I do get very, very frustrated when people say "you're a bad this/that/the other because you did this/that/the other". As Christians we are taught not to judge others by their choices. I know that's next to impossible, because we're all humans, but it really hurts me when people tell me I am a bad person because I voted for Obama.

I know I'm not a bad person. I try to follow the teachings of the Church, even the ones I don't agree with sometimes, because that's how I was raised. If I get to the Pearly Gates and I get sent to Hell because I used my "free will" to do my civic and Catholic duty to vote in an election, then Catholicism is something I don't want anything to do with. I give money to the Church even though it's tight sometimes, I volunteer my time, I travel to devote my talents as a nurse to people in need, I try to live Catholicism by example. I don't see how all that is negated by who I voted for.

dragonlair said...

In response to I once met a girl name Maria: I want to address the last two paragraphs of your comment, specifically the last sentence. An understanding of mortal sin might clear things up.

A mortal sin is knowingly and willfully violating God’s law in a grave matter. When we commit a mortal sin, we make the choice to completely separate ourselves from God for eternity (Hell) unless we repent and go to the sacrament of Confession. The choice to end someone’s life (from conception to natural death) is intrinsically evil and therefore a mortal sin. Voting for a pro-abortion candidate is also a mortal sin because it makes the voter an accomplice in the moral evil.

The reason one act or choice can negate a lifetime of good deed is because the consequence of that one act or choice is complete separation from God. It is only by from God can we be forgiven, and only from God can we be admitted into his grace. We cannot merit ourselves into heaven. “For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse” Psalm 51

I want to commend you on your efforts to live out your faith. I especially commend you for trying to follow the teachings which you don’t fully agree with. I hope my comment was in some way helpful.

Jose said...

Maria- Just some quick thoughts in response:

"I just can't see how living in a world where everyone is an equal is a bad thing. I don't take issue with raising a child in a world where tolerance is taught, or a world where we all take responsibility for each other instead of "every man for himself".

I don't see this as something Obama wants. Every man is equal but that doesn't mean every action is ok. Tolerance in the true sense is so needed in our world but the Tolerance of liberals is not true tolerance. We do need to take responsibility for each other in charity but to create a system where everyone is dependant on the government is not taking responsibility in fact it is the opposite o responsible and exactly what John Paul II condemned.

Secondly, I am not implying you are anyone is a "bad" Catholic or you are going to hell. The only thing I am saying is that the Church was clear, especially when our religious liberty is being threatened, and it was disobedient and wrong to vote for Obama. As far as the state of your soul as a result of that, I don't know. But me making that statement is no different than saying "Premarital sex is sinful", or "Murder is wrong". I am not always perfect but I'm trying my best to live the teachings of the Church as well and I am sorry but the HHS mandate and his stance on life made it not ok to be a Catholic and vote for him.

I have a lot of respect for you. I am glad you are doing so well and strive so hard to live your faith. You were always one of the ones who had her head on straight in your class. I am not judging or condemning you as a person. However, I disagree with your decision to support President Obama and with all Catholics who did so. This does not mean I love them any less but I am dissapointed in them. I felt like I needed tp express that. I will continue to love all of you in spite of it. And that is True Tolerance!

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure we are all going to be okay.

Anonymous said...

If you are as Tolerance as you stated, why do you descriminate people with different sexual orientation or different choices...the tolerance that you have is very "convenient" with only agreement with what you believe. Catholic techings say that everybody is created the same under God resemblance. Still, you are choosing who you tolerate and who will "go to hell" because is a sinner. Open you mind to all choices and believes, all are God creatures and you are one of them, without the right to have a convenient tolerance. Also, by saying that you will delete the comments that you dont like also shows how "tolerant " you are.

Jose said...

Annonymous,

Learn to read what I actually wrote and then come back and comment. I never said I was choosing and deciding who goes to hell or not. And I am not discriminating against homosexuals, I simply think homesexual actions are sinful. Ask anyone who is gay that actually knows me, I am pretty friendly and loving when I encounter them. Just because I disagree with their actions does not mean I believe they are going to hell or I discriminate against them.

You might also want to check out the post I just posted cause it talks about exactly what you keep touting! "Tolerance".

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for the other "Anonymous" who posted above, who has fallen prey to "The Rhetoric of Evil" without even realizing it. To believe that a certain lifestyle is wrong is not discrimination, it is living your faith. Tolerating another's sin is a Christian act, but voting in support of a sin is a betrayal of goodness and an acceptance of evil in its most basic form. Jesus loves everyone, sinners and saints alike. But He only forgives those who repent their sins.

Anonymous said...

http://youtu.be/7-NOZU2iPA8