the presidential debates

[christa]

Originally posted by Pam
Thank you for that Lizzie. You may now pick yourself off the floor since I have actually agreed with you on something.

I second that.

[lizzielou742]

Woohoo!

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by aly


As I said before, I'm basing my decision on some key issues, but also going with the lesser of two evils.

And I suppose national security precludes us knowing what Kerry or Bush scored on the Evil Test????

[ramanth]

Agreed. I'm liberal and don't believe in God (in the Christian sense of the word) so that means I'm evil. Right? Kia! Run! I'm evvvviilll. *makes spooky noises*

Pagan animal sacrifices....bah! About the only thing that gets sacrificed in my home is my wallet. I don't eat so my furkids can have even more toys.

Anyho...sorry for that bit of rant.

Sadly religious differences will always divide the masses, and it will always upset me too when people take it to extremes.

And you are right. It is always a small group that ruins it for everyone.

Originally posted by lizzielou742
Ramanth - I LOVE your avatar!!! I just now noticed it. It's so cute!!!

I know I'm getting a bit off topic here....but what those signs, particularly the one written on the van, do is equate liberalism to evil, basically, don't you think? See also my thread on the "GOP: God's Official Party" bumper sticker here. This kind of behavior is dividing us, and it really upsets me to see people take their religious views to such an extreme.

Can I not be a person of faith and lean to the left on some issues at the same time?

I'd like to point out that I do realize this behavior/way of thinking is not representative of all conservatives, just a certain group.

[Mkitty]

i understand ramanth, we have different beliefs.

[ramanth]

All in all... I don't think any candidate should use God or whatever diety they believe in to push their political agenda.

[Mkitty]

i agree and i disagree. i don't think they should slap it in your face, but religion can and has helped .

[DJFyrewolf36]

A reason for many conservitive's beliefs (Not all conservitives think this way I know)

Romans 13:1-6
1 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do good and you will have its approval. 4 For government is God's servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God's servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God's public servants, continually attending to these tasks.

Now, this letter was written to the Romans. Think about the status of Christianity in the Roman empire at the time of this writing. Many Christians were going against the Roman government because the government was persicuting them. They really were causing quite a stir.

This passage I think is the mindset of GWB and most radical conservitives. However, I think that people are taking this to be Gods devine word when in fact it isnt. This happens to be a letter of personal opinion by a Godly man to his parishoners. Before you flame me, I am a Christian and I don't think Im being blasphemus here. Just pointing out where I think people are coming from and what errors in judgement I think they are making.

[guster girl]

I'm going to post for the first time on a political thread. I'm not an unintelligent person. But, I'm self admitedly naive about politics. I have never watched the news or read the newspaper. I am 28 years old and this is the first year I've ever even thought about voting. Of course, ever since I can remember, I've overheard others speaking about current events and about the men running for president when it's time to elect. I am of the opinion that if you don't know the first thing about any of the candidates, you shouldn't vote. I'm also of the strong opinion that if you don't vote, you should keep your mouth closed about the candidates and/or the president. I may still be the one and only person on the poll for Kerry or Bush that chose "undecided." I have no idea who I'd like to vote for. My roommate is voting for Bush. I asked him why and he said "This country would be s*** if we hadn't gone to war with Iraq.", and, all I could say in response was "And, you're saying it hasn't?" (gone to s***, that is) I'm not even sure why I said that, because I don't know the true state of the country, to be honest with you. My gut feeling is that it's not in the best shape. I've been trying to watch some of the debates, I've been doing my own research online, I've been reading these threads. And, honestly, I'm still no closer to choosing who I'd like to see in the White House. They both seem like they're not the right one. I hate the idea of choosing the lesser of the two evils, but, it seems like that's what a lot of people are doing.

The thing that I hate the most about election time is that it seems people can't just stand on their own two good feet. And, what I mean by that is, that IF the candidate says something positive about themselves, it's usually followed by or preceded by something negative about the other candidate. I know it's a naive hope of mine, but, I still cling to it like a child to a blanket. I'm the same way in sports, too, I'm all for cheering for a team you love, but, don't boo the team you don't.

Like I said, I have been reading these threads trying to get a better idea of what the heck these two men stand for and it's so back and forth, it's hard to know what to believe. I also wish the debates between followers involved a little less bashing, but, that's just the nature of the beast.

Anyway, I don't even know if you'd call that "my two cents", but, it's what was on my mind. I'm hoping, when the time comes, I'll have someone in mind.

[mugsy]

Originally posted by Mkitty
i think it is good that Bush has his religious beliefs involved with his presidency, but i don't think he's trying to push it down our throat.

No it's not good MKitty....we have something in this country called separation of church and state...

It's great he has his religious beliefs, but, keep it out of the White House and don't use it to make political decisions that affect all of us.

[lizzielou742]

guster girl,

Good for you for jumping in here and being honest about your opinions and thoughts!!

My only advice - and I know you didn't ask for it - to help you decide who to vote for is to find one issue that will affect your life in the next four years, or that means a lot to you. Education, health care, job creation, the environment, tax cuts, whatever. Something that will directly impact you, or already has directly impacted you. Then try to figure out which candidate best matches up with your opinion on that issue.

Here's a popularly used comparison tool, if you haven't seen it before - AOL's President Match:
http://www.presidentmatch.com/Compar...list=5%7C10%7C

Or there's the question-and-answer section, where you plug in your beliefs and it matches you up with a candidate:
http://www.presidentmatch.com/Main.jsp2?cp=main



---

DJFyrewolf36 -
I had never read that verse before!

[dukedogsmom]

Hey Lizzie, I took the test and it confirmed what I already knew. 66% was for Kerry. That was pretty neat.

[Kfamr]

I just took the test --
74% for Kerry
10% Bush

[aly]

The quiz confirmed my standing too.

68% Kerry 10% Bush

[mugsy]

74% Kerry
28% Bush

Molly's opinion....neither....vote Libertarian!! lol