One-Issue Voter

"Am I a one-issue voter?" Jasmine responded, repeating the question Gwendolyn asked.  "No, of course not."

 

"Well, it sure sounds like it," Gwendolyn rejoined.  "When I asked who you were going to vote for, the first thing out of your mouth was something about abortion and not being able to vote for Obama."

 

"Well, yes, that's true," Jasmine laughed.  "But I'm basing my decision on all kinds of other things as well:  Like too much spending, increasing government control, too high taxes, national security, energy independence, this whole Benghazi thing, which has really caused me concern about our President's integrity.  There's actually a lot.  Not to mention my dad can't get a job.  We're living off my mom's income right now."

Jasmine continued, "But, even if abortion was the only issue, and I was a one-issue voter, would that really be such a bad thing?  Could you really hold that against me?  If abortion truly is what I and others -- and ultrasounds, for that matter -- believe it is, and I didn't make that the issue, then I would be a rather pathetic person.  If abortion truly is murder, murder of innocent little babies never given a chance at life, and I don't make it THE issue of every election, then I'm going to have a lot to answer for when I stand before Christ on judgment day.  

"And what's the big deal with being a one-issue voter anyway?" Jasmine added.  "If this were 1860 and I was making the 1860 election all about slavery -- even though there were other issues, like states' rights and whatever else -- would somebody get mad at me for that too?  If I were voting for Lincoln just because of one issue, would that really be such a bad thing?  And I would humbly submit that as bad as slavery was... abortion is worse."

What are You Doing for Halloween?

That's a very good question someone is bound to ask from time to time.  Here is an answer:

Well, a while back some Ugandan church leaders came to visit a friend of mine.  They came to visit right near the time of Halloween.  And one of the Ugandans, as he was visiting in and around town, asked my friend Tony in a rather somber voice, "Tony, you don't celebrate Halloween, do you?"

And my friend Tony replied, "No.  No, I don't."

The Ugandan was keenly aware that there is an unseen, yet very real, spiritual world.  And even though it may be lighthearted, it is not a good idea to be dabbling in things pertaining to witchcraft, the demonic, or vampires and such things.

So, for that reason, my wife and I don't like to support Halloween either, even if we were only dressing our kids in ninja or princess costumes.  Now, having said that, we do have a hard time passing up an occasion where entire neighborhoods of strangers freely come to your house and/or freely welcome you to theirs.  With that in mind, if the occasion can be used in a harmless* way for the proclamation of the Good News, then we tend to be more amenable to it.  If it's possible to dress up as a ninja and pass out a biography on someone who experienced God mightily... then hand me my mask and plastic saber.

* - Harmless meaning "not wearing costumes trivializing the reality of satanic power" 

A Forgotten People

Here is a video that my wife will appreciate. Enjoy. And defer to your introverted friends.