Vote On Principle, Not Personality

I'm not sure who is saying those things. No one I know.

On issues this election, the most moderate candidate wins. The most moderate candidate is actually McCain. Obama is trying to spin himself as a more moderate figure, but any look at his platform shows he is much further left than McCain is right.

Sady, we don't vote the issues in this country.

Goo-goo and gah-gah this Amerikan! Did you forget that people voted for Bush because they thought he was someone they liked to have a beer with.Talk about an aura of blind faith. Instead of parroting the GOP talking points, why don't you read one of Obama's books and learn what he is about.PS: I live in liberal Hollywood. You think you know us but you don't. We are hard working people who care about our families. I'm sure you also think that one can't be a Christian and be a Liberal Democrat. How dare you question my moral compass.

That's the scarey part....I have. His grandmother lives down the road from me (truthfully).

Some people have their beer drinking buddies but the majority of us saw a different Bush....certainly not the feigning "masses" falling over Obama.

Hard work and love for family is very noble but does not equate to "Christian." And, yes, I will question the amoral compass of liberal Hollywood! That is exactly what Jesus did. And look, where it got Him...nailed to a cross...for you and I.

I think Phil Cooke proves that there is a thriving Christian community in Hollywood. Hollywood has strong Christian roots. Hollywood was founded by puritans who wanted nothing to do with show folk. In fact Hollywood is like in many American towns there is a church on every major corner. The Hollywood bowl was originally used for Sunday Gospel services. It seems to me that Hollywood would be a cool place for Jesus to hang out. It seems more likely then Jesus going to the Bible Belt. According to what I know about the guy, he hung out with the so-called undesirables. Jesus never hung out with the religious people in his time, and you sound like one of those Pharisees. Isn't there something in the Bible about Love your neighbor as yourself or loving the sinner and hating the sin?

Jesus hung out with everybody including the pharisees but He did not like what they represented about God because they did not have a true loving relationship with God and did not know Who He really was and is. In fact if you read the Gospels very well Jesus was able to teach and preach in the Synagogues and they (pharisees/sadducees - the ruling council) would not allow just anybody to do that especially in that time of the Roman empire! It is also indicated in the Gospels very clearly that Jesus attended the Synagogue/Temple on the meeting days and it was His custom to do so - who was He listening to? What you need to understand is that the pharisees were legalists bound to the law without knowing the God who gave the law which made them become elitists and oppressive to the people while the Gentiles and Jewish 'sinners'/tax collectors were bound to the flesh (and idols) and therefore lived lives without restraint leading to destructive behaviours and damaged relationships - both the pharisees and the 'sinners/tax collectors' needed a restored living relationship with God the Father which could only be possible through Jesus Christ. The difference between Jewish 'sinners/tax collectors' was for the most part they were willing to agree that they needed help but the pharisees did not see or recognise the need for help. Please the next time you read the bible find out where the woman with the alabaster jar poured it out on Jesus Feet.

I do know of born-again Hollywood Christians but they are a slim minority. And I admire those believers who have a "calling" to reach Hollywood with the Gospel...we all have our calling.... mine just isn't Hollywood. By and large, Hollywood is representative of the essence of liberalism and rebellion against God. One only has to take account of the genre of films they produce. I appreciate those producers in Hollywood who have seen the need to produce more family-oriented films, instead of continued R-rated junk.

Often, "the church on every corner," is just that, "another church," to many people. What we need are strong daring churches who will preach the Gospel, loudly, with conviction, where both sinner and saint will fall to their knees for God's mercy and forgiveness. God's love carries with it, sometimes, a "two-edged sword." The one side is grace and mercy, the other is conviction and judgement. They go together. Jesus showed us, clearly, the full picture of God's love. It isn't always, "tip-toeing through the tulips."

AmeriKan and Breaklight seem to know their Bible. They seem to know it well enough to pass judgement on me, my hometown and my politics. They also like to question my faith. As a Liberal I defend their right to do so. God Bless America! I just want to know what in the name of Paris Hilton does this have to do with the topic of "Vote on Principle, not Personality"?

Please I am not passing judgement on you - I don't think it is constructive to venture down that road. If that is the way you feel about my comment you may need to examine why the feeling is there. But if you feel that was my intention I apologise and ask that you do not hold it against me. To answer your question. If Jesus were to vote on personality or principle which would He go for (I am not speaking in terms of the candidates but in terms of the choice between personality or principle)? Jesus dying for humanity had nothing to do with our personality but rather a decision based on purely love . But we (please note my terminology) often, even us Christians included, go by what we feel, see and percieve of a person emotionally more often than not rather than observing what they live for, what they stand for and what the true essence of their nature is and what they can/will eventually become given the right opportunities. Finally in regards to Hollywood and Christians I have no comment for now - when the Lord completes the media work I am involved in here in the UK, then maybe I will be able to say something about Christians in Hollywood. It is a tough road just being in the media:-)

No apologies necessary. You said, “Christians go by what we feel, see and perceive of a person emotionally more often than not rather than observing what they live for, what they stand for and what the true essence of their nature is and what they can/will eventually become given the right opportunities.” I feel that a large amount of Christians in this country vote the Republican party line with out question. In fact many feel that the Religious Right highjacked the GOP almost 30 years ago. I have heard Christians say that you cannot be a Christian and be a Democrat. Usually topics are distilled down to Abortion and Gay Marriage. That’s two topics out of how many issues in this campaign? I also have seen many Pastors (on and off TV) tell their flock how to vote and who to vote for thus making the “Vote On Principle, Not Personality” discussion hard to do with an open mind. Often on this site Phil brings up topics that should de discussed and debated pragmatically from a media, faith and cultural point of view. For example “How can TBN improve it’s programming” Then anyone with any sort of constructive criticism from a media point of view gets attacked from a biblical or religious point of view. This is what I feel is happening here. I see many people responding to the topic of “Vote On Principle, Not Personality” by getting on their political soapbox and using their Christian beliefs to support their politics. Instead I challenge all you media people to put your politics and faith aside (lets also put aside the Abortion and Gay Marriage issue too) and dissect the candidates and their campaigns to meets your best interest.Please note that Phil never mentioned a party or candidate above.

Point accepted. But I will beg to differ on the point made where we are to put our faith aside because that is who we are and what we are and what we will become - like Jesus and that is not something we do accurately but by faith, hope that we are trying. Secondly it is because of God's Word that we have a criteria to make appropriate decisions based on faith (because we don't have all the answers or the complete truth but we can point to it and identify with it) on every facet of life because without God, this world will be dark, empty and void. Besides, no light no media. The problem is over 90% of the Body of Christ are not walking with God because of the way we do Church. That affects everything. We do not understand God's idea, purpose & plan for Church in the first place or else Christians would not be sitting in 'Church' for another performance from the pastor and the worship team but would rather be meeting to affect change & transformation - that is a team effort(I do not have the time to go into this neither is this the place). Secondly many Western Christians relate to God from a Western mindset which is really rooted in humanistic and pagan ideals and therefore God is just another compartment/task on their schedule of their 'busy lives' and not the essence of where they live their lives from - a totally different mindset. God is not the centre of gravity for well over 90% of Christians - one brother I know believes that it is close 99% of Christians that have no clue about what it means to live and function in God's Kingdom here on earth. If you really knew and understood this, it will no longer be an issue of who is right or wrong, but it will be a question of, can I be the example of Jesus Christ in my generation whether it is in business, media, education, sports or whatever field of life a person is involved in. It is easy to blame those ahead in the 'limelight' but it is another thing when the question is asked what am I doing to make it right or better?

Christian beliefs and "faith", as in Phil's "media, faith and culture," are one in the same. They all three influence each other. Your suggestion would be like telling George Washington he could not bow on bended knee and pray for the Almighty's guidance, whether in war or in the oval office. My daughter has her graduate degree in political science from Fordham in NYC...can't get much more liberal than Fordham. But her Christian conservatism is her guiding monitor, just like the Bible should be, daily, a believer 's plan for living. In essence, what you (Tony) are asking is that the moral compass of the Bible be removed from our daily decision making which includes how one would cast their vote on the issues. To lay "politics and faith aside," and "Vote Principle, Not Personality" is illogical. It is secularism and humanism that influences a liberal's philosophical views and I would not expect them to separate the two from their decision making. This is what makes each of us, "who we are."

The issues are innumerable, as I listed in my first post. Abortion and gay marriage are a part of that list and, all together, they are what constitute a canditates agenda and platform. To relegate abortion and gay marriage to the back burner would be too convient for some to just push it under the carpet and act like it is "no big problem." By themselves, they are huge, though not inclusive.

Phil doesn't have to name names or parties. We all know what he is talking about. This is an election year! Breaklight is right. Feelings and emotions are not what should be leading us but rather a belief system of who we are that is rooted in and based upon the principles of the Word of God.

Either you guys just proved my point or I failed to make my point. I will be magnanimous and assume the latter. I said that, “I feel that a large amount of Christians in this country vote the Republican party line with out question. In fact many feel that the Religious Right highjacked the GOP almost 30 years ago.” And “Usually topics are distilled down to Abortion and Gay Marriage.” Everything else doesn’t take a back seat... they aren’t even in the car. We as media people know that some poles can prove the above to be true and others can prove the above to be false. We as media people know that the bottom line here is that to Joe Six Pack voter “perception is reality”. I also know Christians who hate being automatically associated with the GOP and I also know republicans who hate that they are automatically associated with the Religious Right. To them these perceptions are an insulting stereotype. As media people and Christians we should really be more sensitive to that. I challenged all you media people to put your politics and faith aside (let’s also put aside the Abortion and Gay Marriage issue too) and dissect the candidates and their campaigns to meet your best interest. By your responses it seems that you want to instead shut off your Media instincts, knowledge, experience and common sense. Perhaps I should have said that at the end of your analysis to add Abortion and Gay Marriage back to the mix. Perhaps if you assigned an equal point value to Abortion, Gay Marriage, Education, Jobs going overseas, Alternative Energy, Global warming, Off Shore Drilling, Fuel Costs, Separation of Church and state, People loosing their homes, Our two Wars, Terrorism etc you might still be with your same candidate. It is not my intention to tell George Washington, George Bush or even George Forman that he could not bow on bended knee and pray for the Almighty's guidance. Anyone who suggests that needs to take a civics class ASAP. It is also true that our political leaders should not tell us how, where and to whom we pray. I don’t want my leaders to preach the gospel to me and I don’t expect my pastor to fill the potholes in my street. Finally I do believe that we can separate our politics from our religion and still be good Christians and even better citizens. In fact historians and theologians believe that politics and religion should be seated at separate tables so one does not corrupt the other. We as media people should use our well tuned “BS” sensors to serve the public interest even if it is to the detriment of our own candidate. I’m Tony Figueroa and I approve this message... Who are you anonymous people?

I think we thoroughly answered your points about, "faith aside" and "using Christian beliefs." Much as the left would like, removing them (faith and Christian beliefs) from the political sphere just is not going to happen. For some reason you are overly sensitive when it comes to abortion and gay rights. The Christian circles I am a part of believe that those issues along with education, healthcare, energy, terrorism, etc. are all of equal importance. I agree with your statement, "Christians vote the Republican party." I don't believe the religious right highjacked the GOP anymore than the liberals highjacked the left. I was, first, registered as a Democrat but over the past 40 years their agenda has CHANGED. For decades we have been fed the "religion" of liberalism by our liberal-controlled media. Now we have Fox News and conservative talk radio that has and is making vast inroads in the media. The liberal Democrats are "taking on much water" with "gnashing of teeth" because of it.....they would love to silence that voice. The Christian right is a huge block of voters which could sway any election when united.

The idea of "shuting off your media instincts, knowledge, experience and common sense," shows the intolerance of the left when anyone disagrees with them. It's OK if it is knowledge and experience that agrees with us (liberal left) but anything different is "preaching to me." I am secular, university educated with advanced degrees but I have strong conservative, Christian-based beliefs. Who are we? We are a Judeo-Christian nation....anything but anonymous.

Don't forget to vote on the latest CR blog!

Actually I’m not overly sensitive when it comes to abortion and gay rights. I think that those issues are getting more than their fair share of the spotlight. That’s why I wanted them to be removed from my experiment. I am more concerned with people loosing their homes and jobs, our troops and the environment (Color me liberal). I am glad to hear that your Christian circles believe that those issues are all of equal importance. More often than not I have heard Christians and Pastors say, " For Christians abortion is the ONLY issue".

I do believe the religious right (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Hal Lindsey etc) highjacked the GOP. To be fair the teachers Union not the liberals have been accused of highjacking the left. I agree that the Christian right is a huge block of voters which could sway any election when united. My question is "Will they unite with a candidate who drastically altered his position to get their vote?"

When I said, "Who are you anonymous people?" I was referring to your screen names. Forgive me if I’m wrong but I feel like you speak to me as if I’m not a Christian. I am a Christian and one who finds these discussions intellectually and spiritually stimulating. I also look forward to future discussions under new topics.

I was being facetious with the anonymous comment.

As for the teachers union, my mother, sister and other family members have been long time educators and the NEA could not be more liberal. The NEA is right up there with those who highjacked the left.

The term, "Christian," is often used very loosely in America. We have an abortionist (third trimester) in our city who is a member of a local mainline denomination. He claims to be a Christian. With no reservation, I question his motives and beliefs. I, too, am a medical professional and we are to be givers of life and not destroyers of life. Dr. Abortionist, has a big problem. I have a distant family member who is also a member of another mainline denomination and claims to be a Christian but does not believe in the virgin birth or that the Bible is "necessarily" the inspired Word of God.

When someone says they are Christian and, yet, does not feel that belief system should be a part of their decision making process in the political arena, then I question how "strong" those beliefs really are. Or, "how much" they are actually a part of one's life....especially when they are so quick to cast those convictions aside on a moral position or on other major political issues effecting our daily lives. Whatever your core belief system is...that is where you will pull your strongest arguments from. If one is so willing to cast that aside, then maybe your Christian convictions are not that strong or are based on something else besides the Word of God.