Is it based on the Bible, or tunnel vision?

Xingguo Zhang

2024-10-20

The following is a conversation between three church members about the U.S. presidential election:

Amy: One is a presidential candidate who holds the "God Bless America Bible" and wants to restore the traditional values of the United States. He opposes the endless murder of fetuses through abortion.

Another presidential candidate has opposite values, she can abort the fetus no matter how old it is, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and even encourage children to change their sex in school, encourage drug addicts to take drugs, and make drugs free. She wants to destroy the faith of Americans, open borders, and let criminals fill every place.

Which candidate is in line with God's will?

Bruce: One candidate does not accept his failure of the 2020 presidential election. He does not abide by the rules of the democratic system. He gave hush money to adult film actress. He is a felon who interfered with the presidential election. His vice president, national security adviser, and secretary of defense said he was a threat to the democratic system. His attorney general said he was a consummate narcissist.

Isn't it too dangerous for such a person to be president?

Carole: Amy, when you buy a car, what criteria do you use to choose a car?

Amy: My criteria for choosing a car is the reliability of the car. I don’t want the kind of car that often has problems and needs to be repaired.

Carole: What about the safety of the car? Do you consider it?

Amy: What is safety?

Carole: If there is a car crash, are the people in the car safe?

Amy: I have never encountered a car crash. The reliability of the car is the most important.

Carole: Bruce, when you buy a car, what criteria do you use to choose a car?

Bruce: I think zero carbon emissions are the most important. For me, protecting the environment is the most important.

Carole: It seems that the two of you have very different priorities when choosing a car. You also have very different priorities when choosing a president.

Amy: Bruce, you are a Christian, how can you choose a candidate who supports homosexuality?

Bruce: Harris’s focus is to protect homosexuals and give them the same rights as ordinary people. She does not support teaching homosexuality in elementary schools! The focus of ordinary Christians is to prevent the homosexual community from expanding in society. I agree with this. But homosexuals are also people with rights. We can't fire homosexuals, force them into mental hospitals, and take long-term medication like the British government did to scientist Alan Turing, right?

Trump and Harris have different emphasis on homosexuality. If you look at it calmly, there is no contradiction between the moderate views of the two sides! It's just that the two sides have different emphasis.

The extremes of the two factions will distort the other side's view, portray the other side as evil, and portray themselves as the embodiment of good.

Amy: There must be fraud in the 2020 election. We will see more and more election fraudsters brought to justice.

Bruce: In 2021, there were more than 50 lawsuits launched by Republicans across the United States for election fraud. No case was won. All lost or were dismissed by the court due to insufficient evidence. Several Republican lawyers were disbarred. Some lawyers even got jail sentences. Do you want to overturn the American judicial system in order to stick to your point of view? Before Trump, all presidential candidates, after losing, would say, "I accept the choice of the American voters. Starting from today, I urge my supporters to put aside the past grudges with our opponents and work together for the future of the United States." Trump did not do that. He is an important reason why Americans are now seriously divided. This is unacceptable behavior.

Carole: Yes. We cannot be trapped by extreme rhetoric in the election. As soon as the election is over, the two sides should immediately abandon their prejudices, work together, and solve the problems of the United States one by one. If the other party were evil, then the two sides would never be able to work together. That is not normal.

Bruce: Amy, you only look at the negative side of Harris. You don't look at the negative side of Trump. That is tunnel vision. You still think your decision on the presidential election is based on the Bible?

Amy: I look at whose policies are in line with God's will. Who is not a sinner? God has used sinners many times, such as David, didn't He? Carole, what do you think?

Carole: I am undecided now. Both of you have good reasons. I need to think about it.

=== below is the Chinese version ===

是真理在手？还是一孔之见？

章兴国

2024-10-20

下面是三个教友关于美国总统大选的对话：

甲：一个是想恢复美国的传统价值观，抱着“God Bless America Bible “的总统候选人，反对堕胎无结止的谋杀已成型的胎儿。

另外一位行相反价值观的总统候选人，她无论胎儿多大都可以堕胎，同性恋、同性婚姻、甚至到小孩在学校也鼓励孩子变性、鼓励吸毒者吸毒，毒品都是免费的，她要毁掉美国人信仰，开放边境，让罪犯充满各个地方。

哪一个候选人合神的旨意？

乙：一个候选人不接受 2020 年大选失败的结果。不遵守民主体制的规则。他给成人电影女星封口费。是干扰总统选举的重罪犯。他的副总统，国家安全顾问，国防部长，说他是民主体制的威胁。他的司法部长说他是超级的自恋者。

这样的人当总统不是太危险了吗？

丙：甲，你买车的时候，用什么标准来选车？

甲：我选车的标准是看车的可靠性。那种经常出问题，要去修的车我不要。

丙：车的安全性呢？ 你考虑吗？

甲：什么是安全性？

丙：如果撞车了，车里的人是否安全？

甲：我没有碰到过撞车的事情。车的可靠性最重要。

丙：乙，你买车的时候，用什么标准来选车？

乙：我觉得 零碳排放最重要。对我来说，环保是最重要的。

丙：看来你们两个人在选车的时候，有很不同的侧重点。在选总统的事情上，你们也有很不同的侧重点。

甲：乙，你是基督徒，你怎么能够选支持同性恋的候选人呢？

乙：哈里斯的侧重点是保护同性恋者 与普通人有一样的权利。她没有支持在小学里教关于同性恋的事情啊！普通基督徒的侧重点是避免 同性恋群体在社会里不断扩张。 这我同意。 但是同性恋者也是有权利的人。 我们不能像以前英国政府对待科学家阿兰 图灵一样，解雇同性恋者，逼他们每个人都进精神病院，都长期吃药吧？

川普与哈里斯在同性恋问题上，侧重点不一样。冷静地看的话，两派中的温和观点之间 并没有矛盾之处啊！只是侧重点不一样而已。

两派中的极端者，会歪曲对方的立场，把对方描绘成邪恶，同时把自己当成正义的化身。

甲：2020 年大选肯定有舞弊。我们会看到越来越多的选举舞弊者被绳之以法。

乙：2021 年，曾有超过50 个共和党人关于 选举舞弊的在全美各地的起诉。 没有一个案子赢了。全部输了，或者因为证据不足被法庭撤销 。 好几个共和党的律师，被取消律师资格。有几个甚至被定罪。难道为了坚持你的观点，你要否认美国的司法体系吗？ 难道要 “砸烂公检法” 吗？ 那与文革有什么区别呢？川普之前的所有总统候选人，在输了之后，都会说 “我接受美国选民的选择。我呼吁我的支持者，从今天开始与我们的对手放弃前嫌，为美国的前途，携手合作。”  川普不那样做。他是现在美国人严重分裂的重要原因。这是不能允许的行为。

丙：是的。我们不能被选举中的极端言论  (rhetoric) 套住了。选举一结束，两派应该马上放弃偏见，携手合作，一个一个的解决美国的问题。 如果对方是邪恶，那两派人就永远不可能携手合作了。 那就不正常了。

乙： 甲，你只看哈里斯的负面。不看川普的负面。这是一孔之见。你还自以为 真理在手呢！

甲： 我看谁的政策 符合神的旨意。谁不是罪人啊？ 神很多次都启用了罪人，比如大卫。不是吗？ 丙，你说呢？

丙： 我现在举棋不定。 你们两边都有道理。我还要想一想。