NFL Bigger than the Election

By Matt:

I have always been disgusted that more people vote on American Idol on any given week than in the Presidential Election - or any election for that matter - but I am starting to see how and why this happens. In the last two weeks I have been engrossed in a topic that means nothing to the overall health of this country much like American Idol. The only political things that have perked my ears up and made me listen since the two conventions are that McCain’s numbers are continuing to rise - AWESOME news - and Obama continuing to throw the same tired old line of “do you want four more years of Bush?”

And, to make it worse, I am realizing that I have not really gone looking for news from the campaigns either.

Instead of listening to political talk radio I find myself consistently having ESPN on in the car. Instead of hearing what both candidates are saying on any given day, I’m searching out Tom Brady’s injury or what my Fantasy Football players' statuses are. And, instead of talking politics with my wife our conversations have become more focused on our 2-0 Packers.

Is that bad or are other people this intoxicated with the NFL??? Or is it that nothing is really happening on the campaign trail right now and we are all just waiting for the debates? We’ll see. Let us hope that McCain and Palin continue to rock the polls the way that the Pack has rocked the Vikings and Lions the past two weeks.

As a side note, I would like to thank Pastor Hickey for reading my post this weekend. Please don't call me "left" again. If you continue to read my blog, you'll find that it's a much more appropriate title to bestow on my counterpart.

"Choice" at the Gate

By Matt:

Choice. It's a word that carries so much symbolism when it comes to our county’s history. Choice is what has led this country to be so great!

The significance of having the power of choice could not be summed up better than what was stated in a recent mailer I received from Church at the Gate. The piece states: "Americans like options. We dislike being told what to do. As powerful as God is, he does not exert his power over human will, or a nation’s will for that matter. Theologians call this freewill.”

THAT’S AWESOME! I applaud the marketing department of Church at the Gate. It’s total B.S. but well done. The reason that it’s total B.S. is the because the Church is led by Pastor Steve Hickey. I check out his blog frequently and he is for choice about as much as Leslee Unruh is.

Not only is Pastor Hickey a major force in the Vote Yes on 11 Campaign, he is consistently using his blog to launch smear campaigns against anyone who doesn't share his point of view. Recently he went after a young woman at the SD Campaign for Healthy Families because of her work against Initiated Measure 11. He went so far as to post personal information about this young woman and her family. Totally uncalled for and totally disgusting.

He acts in a manner that is not consistant with any kind of Christianity that I know. What happened to Loving thy Neighbor?

But, it's his choice to act the way he does. It's his freedom. Just as it's my choice to call him out on it.