I know that "politics and religion" are volatile subjects and as been witnessed by history can lead to the most heinous forms of human behaviour.  I submit that we, as people of "the way" should be free from the pollution of either philosophy.  I know the Republican party is being seen as the party of morality and the democratic party is seen as the philosophy of lawlessness---this is the current thinking.
    This concerns me----first of all because which ever party is in the white house and congress----it seems that the morality of our country is not affected.  A good deal of the conversation is concerning immorality  and a desire for fainancial security as opposing forces.  I feel that this war in itself it immoral.  We attacked a country who had made no overtures in any way to attack our nation.  This country had been brought to it's knees by the first Gulf war and sanctions----this country had not had one participant in the highjackings that resulted in the deaths of our citizens and yet, we manufactured a reason to attack.  Why?  Because Saddam was a cruel dictator?  What about North Korea---what about the Rawandan massacre---what about China and her abuse of Christians?   We attacked Iraq because the powers that be saw it as a weak target that would generate nationalism behind the Republican party and as huge revenues for certain financial interests. What about saving the Iraqi people----the best estimates I could find said that we have probably killed somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000, although our government is not particularly careful about seeing that those numbers are recorded where we can access them. Now, I ask you ---how can we see this as a moral victory---we attacked without any real provocation, we have killed far more than Saddam probably would have in the same amount of time and we have cost the lives of many of our fine young people who are the future of our own country.  AND---all of this at a dollar cost that is growing by leaps and bounds.  We have our elders paying large percentages of their fixed imcomes for necessary drugs just to stay alive, we have millions of people with no health insurance at all , and yes, we have children going to bed hungry.  We have families where two minimum wage incomes just barely keep body and soul together and our social security and medicare systems are in financial straits, and yet we can justify spending 83 billion and growing to fight this questionable war??  And this is morally responsible---this is the sort of thing that our Lord advocated?  Iraq belongs to the people of Iraq and however foolishly they were goverened----it was their responsibility to change the system.
      Please think.  Don't just assume because God's name is mentioned or because a flag is waved that the Lord is flying that banner.  When Israel was suffering under Roman rule, he said render to Caesar what is Caesars---he didn't say start killing Romans and that was their own God given soil!!!!    I am ashamed that we have done this thing----that hundreds of our own have died ----and that still----the leaders are seen as morally admirable for doing so.  Democrat or Republican----the direction of our nation is wrong for multitudes of reason---fleshly lusts, weaknesses, but also hunger for power and influence and the desire for huge amounts of money----not just decent wages but bigger and bigger corporate profits.  These profits benefit the elite few----at least wages and good working conditions benefit the many, the ordinary families that are the backbone of our nation.  So consider these things when you are making pronouncements about how to vote and what that vote means.