Connecting with our Lord.

If you are anything like me, your days are packed. Going from one class to another, to the gym, to extracurriculars, what-have-you. We are so busy, its absolutely unbelievable. So its very difficult for us to take time out of our day to connect with Jesus, because we're always in "on the move" mode. 

I think prayer before a meal is a very easy and nonobtrusive way to check in with Jesus. Before you eat, cross yourself and just think to yourself, "Lord, forgive me for not checking in sooner. You are the spirit of my life, the thing that keeps me going. I know that without you, I could not have achieved anything that I have. I trust you and love you. Be patient with me. Amen." That's all it really takes. But, if you eat at least twice a day and pray before you sleep at night, then that means you've connected with Jesus at least three times that day. Not half bad!

The ideal, of course, is to make Jesus the central focus in your life, to make him the foundation upon which we have built ourselves. Most importantly, it is crucial that we develop a personal relationship with the man who is our savior. How can He save us if we don't connect with him? How can He help us, guide us, strengthen us if we don't actively bring him into our lives. Then, not only will be have the confidence that comes from walking with the Lord, but we will also be able to give some of that magic to those around us. Jesus rubs off on people :-)

Just remember: He wants to have a relationship with you. Yes, YOU! And he's waiting for you to talk to him, and he wants you to know his story.

Bloc Voting? religion and the role it plays in the next election

When you believe in a certain faith - and particularly identify and connect with a particular sect within that faith - there are certain tenets that you have to buy into. For example: In order to be a Mormon, you kind of have to believe that the President in Salt Lake City is a living prophet. If you're a Catholic, you believe that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ. There are certain parts of the religion that, although not the one of the more central tenets in the faith, are still important to believe in.

In the Roman Catholic faith - which is the primary topic of this blog in general - we believe in the hierarchy of the Church. From the laity to the Pope, everyone has a place and a role in the religious community. The main purpose of the mid-level bureaucracy in the Church - the bishops - is to provide leadership and instruction for a large populace. Most of the time, bishops can be rather docile. 

During election season though, the bishops come out with the big guns. As I've said before, Catholics make up a quarter of the total population of the national, and we are by far the largest religious group in populous (and pivotal in an election) California, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois. This puts the Catholics, and in particular the bishops that lead them, in a very powerful position.

This year, the message of the bishops is incredibly clear: the abortion issue is absolutely critical. We must vote with the intent of ending abortion in the United States of America, and we must vote for the candidate who would do that.

By law, they are not allowed to endorse one candidate or another. But they've learned how to toe the line. And they're message is so obvious a blind man could see it: vote McCain.

Roman Catholics are supposed to listen to their leaders, particularly their religious leaders. And no doubt, many of us will. But I am ignoring they're suggestion and voting for Barack Obama (in fact, I already have), and I'd like to tell you why.

Sen. McCain has spent 26 years in the Senate, and there were several years when Bush was first elected when the Republicans held the House, the Senate, and the White House. But they didn't outlaw abortion. They had the opportunity. They could have done it. But they didn't. Why? 

This is my theory. The Republican party, although its base is made up of evangelicals, has moved farther and farther away from the interests of its base over time. While the Republican party used to favor small businesses and lower taxes for the common man, they have turned to protecting giant corporations and giving tax cuts to the top 2% of the wealthy. The fact is, the Republican party does not support Christian values, such as the care for the poor and needy. The only things the Republicans have in common with Christians are two social issues: abortion and gay marriage. 

It is my belief that over the years the Republicans have come to take advantage of this. They have abused it, even. It is their platform upon which they run, but they have never come close to fulfilling their promises. Why? Because if they did... what would they have to run on? The Christians would realize that the Democratic party, which supports the poor and is against the death penalty, has more in common than the Republican party does. And the GOP can't let that happen.

That was a very long way of getting to my main point. I'm voting for Obama because he and I agree on more issues. I agree with McCain on abortion, but I doubt his commitment to banning it. I quite simply don't trust John McCain to keep his word. And I don't trust his judgement. Picking Sarah Palin, a two year governor from Alaska, was the worst choice of a running mate he could have possibly made. She would be only one heart-beat away to having the nuclear codes and having to protect our country. I don't trust a hockey mom / moose hunter who has no foreign policy experience to do that. I believe Obama has the brains and the diplomatic capability to protect our nation with more than a wall of dead American soldiers in Iraq, and I believe he can turn this economic "crisis" upside down. He makes me believe in America again, and he makes me excited to be apart of remaking this country, a country that has lost its identity by being split in two by partisan politics.

This is not my usual post... I usually try to be more objective when I'm writing, but as my goal was to state my opinion, I don't feel as bad.