Commentary by Jan Cook, Executive Director, Katalyst Inc.
Have you been called or referred to as a RINO (Republican In Name Only)? Establishment? Consultant Class? Election Denier? If you haven’t, you’re probably not politically engaged.
As I write, we’re in the middle of the June 2022 Colorado primary. Ballots have dropped. Many ballots remain in mailboxes ready to be picked up, along with negative campaign literature. Statewide races, Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer and Attorney General are up for election. Every statewide seat is currently held by Democrats, including the U.S. Senator.
Every two years, all statehouse seats are up for election, and some state senate seats. Colorado’s statehouse is dominated by one-party rule, the Democrats. This makes the Democrats all-powerful. They can push forward any policy they desire without any ability from the opposing party to stop it. That is why the horrific HB22-1279 Reproductive Health Equality Act (RHEA) sailed through both chambers. Despite hundreds of citizen’s testimonies and rallies at the Capitol against the extreme abortion bill to allow abortion on demand up to exiting the womb. And, Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed this awful bill into law.
Add to this mix of statewide and state legislature elections, citizens throughout Colorado will be voting for local officials to govern their counties. like the Assessor, Clerk and Recorder, Coroner and Sheriff to list a few.
On the Republican front, there are multiple contested races. Greg Lopez, small business owner and Heidi Ganahl, CU Regent and Founder and former CEO of Camp Bow Wow for Governor. Pam Anderson, Michael O’Donnell and Tina Peters are vying for Secretary of State. Pam is seen as the “establishment” election-integrity denier, Mike the “risk free” newcomer and Tina the “mighty champion” of election integrity.
Conservative grassroots are the traditional backbone of the Republican Party. They consistently support get-out-the vote efforts. In an election with many elected offices in play one can imagine loyalties are split. Split loyalties far too often have led to name calling among friends and political acquaintances –especially during the final weeks of the primary.
The Douglas County’s Sheriff race has four primary candidates. This is the perfect race to illustrate how elections with multiple candidates lend themselves to create a house divided.
Longtime friends supporting their preferred sheriff candidate suddenly feel comfortable defending their chosen candidate by denigrating their friends. What is particularly disturbing is the name calling and accusations leveled among friends on social media and group texts. People disparage their friends in conversations with others, because the friend chose a different candidate.
Then there are those who use God as a reason to condemn or justify their own behavior. They claim they are protecting their own soul from damnation, because their candidate is the godliest. Only God knows which candidate is the godliest. We must trust God.
Since the beginning of mankind, we live in a fallen world. We only need to look to the Bible for examples of man’s brokenness through time (Genesis 3). In fact, because God determined that human nature is weak and incapable of true godly perfection, He sent His only son to save mankind from its transgressions (John 3:16). It is by the grace of Jesus we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Throughout the Old Testament and New, God demonstrates how He works through man’s weaknesses to achieve His plan. David was an adulterer (2 Samuel 11:4) and plotted to have another man killed (2 Samuel 11-14), because he coveted the man’s wife. Solomon embraced the worldly and came to accept pagan gods (1 Kings 11:3-13) The self-righteous Pharisees couldn’t understand why Jesus was in the company of sinners (Mark 2:15, Luke 19:10).
As you read the New Testament, you find Jesus did not condemn people, call them names, or speak ill of them. Rather, Jesus the Good Shepherd speaks from a place of truth stated firmly, but with compassion. He didn’t employ innuendo, make assumptions without facts, or gossip.
Jesus gave His Apostles a new command to love one another.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” 1 John 4:11
How can we put Jesus’ commandment into practice; especially in the political arena? For one, we can avoid name calling. References like RINO and establishment have become meaningless; they only serve to stifle opinions that differ from our own. They make us lazy talkers, or social media posters. Rather than discussing our viewpoints and having to think through our positions, we throw a word bomb.
Another way to follow Jesus: do your best to assume people mean well, and are not evil if they disagree with your opinion or analysis. Especially if people who agree with you on principle eighty-five percent or so, don’t allow fifteen percent disagreement to divide you. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to pray for whom you disagree.
Tuesday, June 28th is Election Day. It is the final day to turn in your ballot in to a secured drop box by 7:00 pm. The following day everyone will know the results of the primary races, and the candidates the voters selected will move on to the November election. When the dust settles, it will hopefully be time for friends to come together and work toward the common good for the state of Colorado.
Don’t you agree it will be far easier to come together after the 28th if we refrain from name-calling and don’t assume the worst of our brothers and sisters over the final days leading up to June 28th?
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
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