Cart, Cart, Cart, HORSE!

Christians have really messed up the last thirty (40?) years or so, to increasing degrees as we retreat in the "culture war" (ugh). We really seem to be people obsessed with sex, and specifically, other people's sex lives. "If you're not into X, then don't X - don't try to stop other people from X" is something I hear people say (usually meaning don't get gay-married, but the formula would fit all sorts of things). Why can't we mind our own business?

So non-Christians, lapsed Christians, casual Christians, and heck, even dedicated Christians who've gotten cart-focused, here's the horse that goes unsaid, the reason for this "obsession" we have with sex, sex ed, marriage, etc.

Christianity teaches that God loves you, more than you ever thought anyone would love you, and because of that he wants you to have the best life you can*. And one of the biggest parts of your happiness, or lack thereof (I really like what Robin Williams said - the one thing worse than being alone is being with someone who makes you *feel* alone), is your emotional connections to others - and sex is a huge shortcut, or potentially, a short-circuit, for those connections.

So what you do with it is important - who you do it with, when you do it, all that is very important. But it's important because God wants you to be *ultimately* happy - like a dietician won't tell you to go ahead and stick with your Taco Bell diet (even though that always leads to short-term enjoyment), or a financial planner won't tell you to put 20% of your investments in lottery tickets (even though, well, they *could* all come up winners, maybe). God has advice, about sex and marriage, because he loves you and wants you to have the best life you can**.

Christians might disagree about things that go in the cart - sex ed, divorce, gay marriage, etc - with differing positions on those things. But the horse*** - love for people and wanting what's good for them - is worth our focus, attention, and concern.

That's an oversimplification. There are other factors, and other angles, but that's far and away what does drive the cart of "Why won't Christians shut up already and mind their own business when it comes to sex and relationships?"

* Within the scope of whatever things you're going to go through (that is, he doesn't magic away things like war and unemployment, normally).

** I believe God is probably a utilitarian, wanting the greatest good for the greatest number of us, with some constraints and variations. But unlike us, he's good at math and calculating all the impacts. Where we say, "Taco Bell is delicious", he sees the 3 hours shorter *that* beefy 5 layer burrito makes our lives, leading up to a painful heart attack. For most people, utilitarianism in practice boils down to, "Here's a thing that makes my nerve endings happy - and I don't have to stab anyone for it - so I should do it!"

*** More broadly, the horse also includes things like feeding the homeless and housing the hungry, but 1) Keep in mind our leader told us to do our good deeds in secret - a lot of Christians do a lot of amazing things there, and 2) Much as I disagree, it's fair and allowable to believe that's not the role of government, and so we can be compassionate, caring and charitable while voting to shrink those programs.

Running Faster in the Wrong Direction

So, Ted Cruz is running for President, as of today.

For some reason, both he and Liberty University (the largest evangelical college in the country) thought that he should announce his candidacy there. Some thoughts:

This really drives the unspoken narrative that if you're a democrat, an independent, or even a moderate Republican (as Ted Cruz is one of the most extreme members of the Tea Party), Christianity and evangelicalism especially are not for you. Which, if you're here, you know I find upsetting.

It's also just ugly to me that a Christian university is letting an extremely polarized politician speak there, let alone announce their presidential bid. God is not a Republican or a Democrat.

It's particularly ridiculous that they let *Ted Cruz* speak there, as very few politicians have been as callous toward the poor, the immigrants, and the oppressed, which evangelicals who actually read their Bibles will know God wants us to look out for.

The last line of the article about "Liberty" University and this libertarian-ish candidate: "Student attendance at the convocation is mandatory." Ironic, though I suppose that's about chapel, generally, and not this particular chapel (which somehow is being led by a *distinctly* un-Christian politician). While highly ironic, it adds to the kafka-esque "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills" sensation - a Christian university is requiring it's students to attend a political rally. Rend unto Ceasar, indeed - or something.

All that said, the propoganda video he linked on his "announcement tweet" is amazing - my inner 3rd grader (who believes all the ridiculous "America is the free-est place in the world, since we INVENTED freedom" stuff I was told growing up) really wants to vote for him when I watch it.

Sigh.