Mixing Politics and Religion is Very Dangerous

So, I got an email today that is evidently being forwarded around to as many people as possible. This one has really fired me up! It started off with this:

This is too serious to ignore! Please read all the way through, take it to the Lord for more insight and than forward to your sphere of influence. THANK YOU!

As if to say, "I am sending this out as a "prayer request." Prayer request or not, it is still filthy gossip. It goes on to slander the character of Barack Obama, all in the name of preserving Christianity in our culture. Supposedly, it comes from a missionary couple who is living in Kenya, and knows the family of Barack Obama personally.

We are living and working in Kenya for almost twelve years now and know his family (tribe) well. They are the ones who were behind the recent Presidential election chaos here.

Surely, they would not in all seriousness try to blame the violence and unrest of a nation on this one people group? It is just plain arrogance to presume to know so much about a people group as an outsider. It doesn't matter how long they've been there, they are still outsiders. They were not there when the nation was colonized and brutalized. They were not there when the people were divided and pit against each other. They were not there when the Kenyans fought for their independence and freedom. Being among a people group does not make you one of them. It makes you among them. Please do not believe for a moment that all that has happened in Kenya can be simplified into saying, "They are the ones who were behind the recent presidential election chaos." The nation as a whole is behind the chaos. The international body who did not step in soon enough is behind the chaos. The Church that did not bring about true forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing from past hurts and colonization was behind the chaos. The West who colonized them to begin with and pitted tribe against tribe for the sake of easier conquests is behind the chaos. Grow up and stop pointing fingers! They also slander the character of Raila Odinga, the opposition party who has been fighting for fair elections and POSITIVE change in Kenya. It says:

Raila Odinga...is a socialist trained in east germany. He has been trying to bring Kenya down for years and the last president threw him in prison for trying to subvert this country!

What we would like you to know is what the American press has been keeping a dirty little secret. Obama IS a muslim and he IS a racist and this is a fullfilllment of the 911 threat that was just the beginning. Jihad is the only true muslim way. We have been working with them for 20 years this july! He is not an american as we know it.

Please do your research before you buy into this crap, and yes, I will boldy call this crap and then send it on out to others! These are just bold-faced lies. If you will pray for anything, pray for a wisdom of discernment and do the hard work to research this stuff. Don't just believe whatever is sent to you because it sounds good, seems to makes sense, or lines up with a political agenda. This email calls Obama a racist Muslim who is trying to create jihad in the US. Grow up, folks!! Political dirtiness is expected, but don't spread this filthy gossip in the name of Christianity!! Christians can be some of the ugliest, most self-righteous, judgmental folks on the face of the planet, always wanting to point the finger at someone else so that they won't seem so bad in the end. To those who know Christ and are passing this crap around, grow up. Stop being so presumptuous as to think you could understand the deep political & tribal tensions of another people group. Stop behaving as the pious pharisees who rise above everyone else. Don't take it upon yourselves to "warn others" by slandering the character of another human being, bearing the same image of the Creator that you do. Truly, if the Body of Christ were living the humble, servant lifestyle that we were called to live rather than slandering the names of others who are trying to make a difference, this planet would be a very different place. This one has really riled me up! I sure wish folks would take responsibility for the filth that they are spreading around, rather than pointing out how bad someone else is. You think he's following a lie, full of corruption? Then humble yourself and pray for your enemies. Don't slander his character by spreading gossip.

***Disclaimer: I am not writing this because I am a follower or supporter of Barack Obama. I am writing this as a follower of Jesus Christ, who has called us to leave worldly ways behind us, humble ourselves, and never cease doing what is right. Gossip is not right. Sending it in email format or as a "prayer request" does not make it any less gossip.