Here you go... Dana on Politics...

We've almost made it. Less than a week to go and I've really pretty much avoided political posts. And, though I've wanted to avoid opening that can of worms, I'm afraid I may be doing it now.. I'm not going to tell you who I'm voting for. That's what those little curtains around the voting booths are for. But, this is the first time that I have followed an election so closely. I have re read the constitution. I have looked at charts of parties in the senate and in congress under different presidents of the past. I've looked at tax levels under presidents of the past. I've looked at tax plans and health care plans of the candidates. I've looked at court cases involving abortion. I have looked at poverty, abortion, education, divorce, economy statistics and how they relate to certain laws, governing, taxes, and the economy. I investigated almost every e-mail forward that I received giving me information on why I should not vote for a candidate. Just for the record, I found a lot of that information to be false. I received these e-mails from people pulling for both candidates. If you sent me several e-mails and I discovered the first few to be false, I wrote you off as an in-credible source on this topic. I will try to be open minded towards you about other subjects in the future. But I will do so with caution. I believe that you should investigate and make sure that information is true before you pass it on. Especially when someone's character is at stake. In an effort to get unbiased information, most of my research has come from historical records. There will always be various opinions but there are some irrefutable facts. Though, this can never be done completely, I've tried to start from a blank slate, putting everything I've ever thought about politics back up on the table. I have the desire to find out who I am for myself. The conclusion? I still don't know... But these are the things that I have discovered. Some of these seem to fit directly into politics and some don't. But in my mind, they're all connected. I cannot separate my views from my faith. I make no apologies for that. However, I do realize that my faith is my own and not yours. I welcome you here regardless of whether you agree with me or not. The question is, will you still welcome me? If I'm being honest, I'm glad that I don't fit neatly into one category..

I believe that political parties by nature divide our nation.

I believe in feeding the poor, clothing the naked, taking in strangers, caring for the ill, and visiting those in prison. I believe that when we do those things, it as if we're doing them to Jesus. Matthew 25.

I Believe abortion is wrong. However, I believe that if we insist that these children are born, we have the responsibility of making sure they don't starve to death once they are.

I believe in an honest days work for an honest days pay. However, I believe that the world is a better place when those that have more share with those that have less.

I believe that there will always be those that take advantage of a heart willing to help. I don't believe that relieves us of our responsibility.

I don't believe that children should be held responsible for their parents choices.

I believe that the idea that everyone in America has an equal opportunity for education is uninformed.

I believe that our economy might benefit from privatized social security. However, I also wonder if that could be disastrous.

I believe that America is the land of opportunity and we should never forget why we are here to start with. However,I believe that immigrants should have to pay the same taxes as Americans and that English should be the official language of the U.S.

I believe that taxes are sometimes a necessary evil. Especially when America is borrowing money from other countries. I believe it is Biblical to repay debts.

I believe that war is also sometimes a necessary evil but that God hates it and that we should always be moving in a direction of peace.

I believe that there has to be a way in a country as rich as America that everyone can have affordable health care.

I fear that outlawing firearms completely would put guns in only criminals hands.

I believe that true friendships can endure a difference in opinion and come away respecting each other.

I believe that you can never achieve right by doing wrong.. I don't believe that political campaigning is an exception. A lie is a lie no matter your reason for telling it.

I don't think that fear is a good motivator.

I believe that my first allegiance is to my God, not my country.

I believe that Americans could solve world hunger if they would reduce their Christmas spending by 10 percent and place it in MUCH more needed places.

I believe that as in anywhere there are always people who do bad things but I believe that at the core, America is a great country that wants to do the right thing. I'm proud to be an American.

I believe in all things.. moderation. Except in love and of that, there is no limit to it's benefit.

Blessings,
Dana