Letter to the Editor: Don’t feel sorry for me

To the Editor:

Mr. Quandahl has written several letters to the editor questioning the validity of Christians who voted for Hillary Clinton. I must admit, Secretary Clinton was not my first choice. I merely voted for her because she was and is better than #45. I am not a fan of ad hominem attacks so I will refrain from speaking to Mr. Quandahl’s character or his sense of morality. Instead, I will defend my faith as well as refute the idea that Christianity and Left Wing politics are mutually exclusive.

The first claim I wish to refute is the following quote from Mr. Quandahl: “(#45) won big, and the big help came from Christians and Evangelics - 82% for and 18% against. I really wonder what kind of Christians the 18% are. Are they for killing babies, throwing the Bible and Ten Commandments out, no mention of Christ in schools, ministers forbidden to be involved in politics?”

I take issue with this statement. #45 did not win big. He lost the popular vote. I realize this fact means nothing in terms of the election of the president but it is worth noting the division in this country is much closer to 50-50 than any kind of blowout his followers claim to have had. Secondly, my faith as a Christian is precisely what prompted me to vote against #45. I find it interesting we read the same book and come to such wildly different conclusions regarding the contents of its pages.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who understands if a church body or pastor wants to utilize his or her voice to sway voters in an election, the church should be taxed. I also do not think children should be forced to practice religion in school. We are called to share the good news, not to shove it down people’s throats. There are plenty of after school activities at several churches in the area in which children come to study the Bible. They come by choice.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who understands the need to house refugees fleeing a war-torn country. I also believe we should not tear apart families for the sake of deportation. You should try doing therapy with a ten year old suffering from severe anxiety that he will return home from school to find his parents have been taken away from him. Will you still see them as animals to be rounded up and shipped off after listening to him cry for an hour?

People should not be inhibited from pursuing a better life based on which side of an invisible line they were born. Also, with respect to their humanity, these people are more easily exploited by employers who know their workers cannot contact authorities. Oftentimes they go unpaid, and are subject to unjust working conditions. Undocumented immigrants also generate, on average, $11 billion per year in taxes. We need to welcome people of different faiths, languages and skin tones with open arms. Diversity is not a curse. It is to be celebrated.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who understands dominion over land, sea and animals is not a free pass to do anything we want. There is a responsibility to take care of our planet. I stand with Standing Rock and the rights of Indigenous people. Pipelines are dangerous and present risks to the environment. How is #45’s mission to abolish the Clean Water Act so corporations can legally pollute our lakes and rivers benefiting anyone? Did Fox News fail to cover that? Also, please review research on climate change. It is imperative that we act quickly to combat the dangers which lie ahead.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who believes healthcare should be a human right. Every human being will become sick at some time in their life. People should have the right to not die from preventable diseases simply on the basis they cannot afford care. I have personally seen people in my own life play by the rules and still get screwed over by the outrageous cost of healthcare in this country. Deuteronomy 15:11 reads: “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor’.”

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who understands outlawing abortion will do nothing to eliminate them. Instead, women will seek them out on the street, in back alleys, and on the black market. This will result in more loss of life. I happen to be pro-choice and want to lower abortion rates at the same time. Abortion rates under Obama were the lowest they have ever been since Roe v. Wade. The only true way to combat abortion is comprehensive sex education in all schools nationwide as well as universal coverage to women’s health and contraceptive care.

There is a reason why districts which teach abstinence only hold some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the nation. Let’s assume for a moment that most abortions aren’t extremely painful and personal medical decisions women have to make in accordance with their doctor, family and faith, and, instead, are your average party girl’s back-up birth control. Are you going to help cover childcare? Food? Shelter? Or would you instead complain about how this individual is now a drain on society?

If all you want is a child birthed and not fed, educated or housed, then you are pro-birth, not pro-life. In fact, my dedication to supporting people throughout the lifespan probably means I am more pro-life than you. Anyone who uses the phrase “Hillary wants to kill babies” is severely understating the complexity of this issue. Also, please review the Hyde Amendment. Taxpayer dollars have not funded abortions since 1977. They get the funding elsewhere.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who understands that when people who are not like me receive equal rights under the law that my own rights are not compromised. Christians are not discriminated against. We as a group are the oppressors. If someone says “Happy Holidays” just smile and say thank you. Stop looking for excuses to play the victim. Let people live their lives.

I am a Christian. I am a Christian who resents the fact that an old man constantly berates me and others like me for the very fact that our interpretation of the Bible is one of a loving and devoted God, one who calls on us to love others, as opposed to a spiteful, vengeful ruler hell bent on punishment and division.

I respect Mr. Quandahl’s right to advocate and to vote for anyone of his choice, but to question my faith because I did not vote for a man who defies all aspects of that faith is unacceptable.

Best,
Jacob Galema
Lansing

P.S. Don’t feel sorry for me. I feel sorry for you. You have obviously misinterpreted a great portion of the very book to which you so desperately cling.