20081022

Father/Daugher Talk

This is an email that I received recently from a pastor at our church. It was attempting to show some insight into the Conservative mind. It seems pretty accurate but I have to ask the question: "is this a biblical attitude?"

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words, redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken a back, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, 'How is your friend Audrey doing?' She replied, 'Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.'

Her wise father asked his daughter, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.'

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!'

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently,
'Welcome to the Republican party.'

If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat, I'm all ears.


I have to ask, is earning all we have and then keeping it all instead of giving it all away; the kingdom of God idea that Jesus brought to earth? The words of Jesus are resonating through my head "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." If all things are Gods, we give up all things.

(It is important to point out that I am a registered republican)

3 comments:

  1. Is this a biblical mindset? My answer to that question is kinda two fold.
    First, you have the people that work hard to make a living and support their family. This is without relying on government programs to achieve this.
    On the other side you have the people that do nothing because they have government programs to rely on to sustain them. I understand that all people benefiting from government driven programs didn't choose that. However, it does breed a dependence or even entitlement to these "programs".

    With this said, I think the thought of a Christian should be what can be done to help get these people out of the government dependence.

    I think the parable of the talents might be a better lense to look at this through rather then give to Cesar what is Cesar's. What do you think about that?

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  2. Hey Mike, love your thoughts. I think you're right with the parable of the talents, however I think it would be even better to take Mathew 25 as a whole rather than isolate a section of text in the middle of a large speech that Jesus is making. Jesus starts with the bridesmaids, then quickly moves into talents, then moves very quickly into prophesy of the last days with sheep and goats. He says basicly that those who did not give to the poor, visit those in prison etc... will be cast away and those that did give will be brought into eternity. This leads me to say that these 2 parables and prophesy are insanly connected, Jesus was a master of communication, he didn't talk all over the place. My simple conclusion is that God blesses us, we become good stewards and multiply, then we give it all away for the sake of others. A smarter man than me said "God never gives to anyone as they deserve...he gives as they have need." Thanks for bringing up Matt 25 Mike, I think it's real important on this issue.
    Oh, and I do agree that it's hard to see people taking advantage of the system, but I wonder if we will ever come up with a perfect system where people cannot take advantage of kindness.

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  3. Here's the difference between Republicans and Democrats:

    Democrats believe the government should take care of problems such as poverty.

    Republicans believe the individual is much better suited to take care of problems such as poverty.

    Here's my opinion:
    1) Why should we trust the government to take care of these problems? Have they been overly successful in other areas? Dare I bring up our education system?

    2) Is it more God honoring for the government to "force" us to give to the poor, or for us to give to the poor on our own behalf? Which is from the heart?

    Let us minister to the poor and needy, both spiritually and materially. Let us also rejoice that God both puts it on our heart and allows us to serve him with what he has given us.

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