Is it possible for conservative evangelicals to be respectful of their political opponents?

While I have my concerns, I can respect Christians who stand on the Republican side of the fence. What I can’t tolerate is how they seem to be the group most likely to muckrake and speak unkindly of their opponents.

I’ve long since lost count of friends and acquaintances sharing videos and links that paint the Democratic candidates as though their presidency would bring the Earth to its end while praising the Republican candidates’ every move. I can’t, however, think of more than a small handful of times when any opposing group did the same to such a large degree. Maybe this is because I am, more often than not, surrounded by Christians, most of which probably lean Republican.

Ours is the only population that I have seen doing so much to disrupt their chosen opponent. My concern is that such action is not showing the supposed fruit of a healthy faith. If anything, I would expect and hope that the community of believers would be the least likely to be planting seeds of disarray.

I’m trying to address this issue gently; I’m well aware that I’m not perfect or that more often than not I don’t show healthy fruit in my own faith. To be transparent: half of me writes this judgmentally, but the other half is out of honest concern for the way my fellow believers carry out their beliefs.

Is it loving to call a political opponent disgusting when they disagree with you on a particular issue? Furthermore, is it respectful and honoring to those who do not share your political views?

To put a face on it: I’m an Obama supporter. I don’t agree with his entire policy, but we agree on the issues that are most important to me. That’s not my point, though. My concern is that, if I feel disrespected and judged when my Christian peers speak harshly about Obama (and I do), how much more are non-believers going to feel that way?

May? What happened to April? I guess I’ve been busy or something.

April was a month of playing artists on repeat: Bon Iver; Jimmy Eat World; Foals; Does It Offend You, Yeah?; Portishead; Grizzly Bear. There was also some Coachella reminiscing and a healthy scoop of bitterness towards Western evangelical culture (check out the Chris Thile song), but those are rants for another time.

1. Grizzly Bear - “Alligator (Choir Version)” (Friend EP)
2. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - “Let’s Make Out” (You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into)
3. Jimmy Eat World - “Firefight” (Chase This Light)
4. Grizzly Bear - “Little Brother (Electric)” (Friend EP)
5. Foals - “Two Steps, Twice” (Antidotes)
6. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - “We Are Rockstars” (You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into)
7. Jimmy Eat World - “Kill” (Futures)
8. Bon Iver - “Skinny Love” (For Emma, Forever Ago)
9. Bon Iver - “re: Stacks” (For Emma, Forever Ago)
10. Chris Thile - “The Believer” (Deceiver)
11. mewithoutYou - “The Sun and the Moon” (Brother, Sister)
12. Bon Iver - “The Wolves (Act I and II)” (For Emma, Forever Ago)
13. Vampire Weekend - “Mansard Roof” (Vampire Weekend)
14. Portishead - “Machine Gun” (Third)
15. International Superheroes of Hardcore - “Dirty Mouth” (Tip Of The Iceberg/Takin’ It Ova!)
16. Man Man - “The Ballad of Butter Beans” (Rabbit Habits)
17. Les Savy Fav - “The Sweat Descends” (Inches)

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to working 24/7 and getting the life sucked out of me by tactless people that I still try hard to love.