Goshen College student, Emily Miller shows off her support for her candidate for president on the door of her dorm room. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune / April 29, 2008)I am not sure if it will help him much, but Barack Obama seems to have locked up the college-aged Mennonite vote. At Goshen College, a Mennonite institution, a recent poll among the students shows that the messiah of death leads among the students.
[Chicago Tribune]The political fervor on campus coalesces around Obama. A campus poll of students and faculty found the Illinois senator was their first choice, McCain was second and Clinton third. But before drawing conclusions from that poll, be aware that these students bring a different point of view to the political arena. They aren’t much interested in all the campaign spinning over who said what. For instance, flaps over Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. or accounts of sniper fire in Bosnia may have played in headlines across the nation day after day, but they are barely mentioned here. If pressed on those things, students say they have no interest in the backbiting but focus instead on the big issues that influence their lives and religion.
I suppose that these youngins’ have yet to realize that Obama has no respect for religion or its ideals. Just ask the babies who survive an abortion. Oh yeah, you can’t. So you might ask yourself, why would our buggy driving brethren support Obama?
“Mennonites aren’t nationalistic,” said Thomas, who also is editor of the church’s magazine, The Mennonite. “They see themselves as global citizens. They are patriotic but view patriotism through the lens of What can we do that benefits the world?”
Obama views patriotism through a lens of how does it benefit Obama. Remember how he used to refuse to wear a flag pin? When times got rough he changed his tune about flags.
Anyway, my message to the Mennonites, (do they read blogs?) if you want to do something that benefits the world, you can start by not voting for Obama.
May 7, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I live in Mennonite country (most of the land in our county is owned by them along with many businesses) and they are strange and not very likeable folks but never seemed the type vote for Obama (they still mostly dress like the Amish here).
There appears to be a lot of fracture in the Mennonite Church between the conservatives and the more liberal minded. I think we can pretty much assume these are the more liberal types and they have been imbibing in the kool-aid.
May 7, 2008 at 5:05 pm
They don’t drive buggies!
May 7, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Here in Kansas, there are quite a few mennonites, but most of them do drive. However, they dress much more simply, kind of like the amish (not as extreme), and don’t listen to the radio or watch tv. But of course, there are still liberal factions.
May 7, 2008 at 7:28 pm
“Just ask the babies who survive an abortion. Oh yeah, you can’t.”
Actually, yes you can: http://members.tripod.com/joseromia/survivors.html
May 7, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Geoffrey,
I should have said “couldn’t if Obama had his way!”
May 8, 2008 at 2:28 pm
You know, when I see the lemmings coo and fawn over this guy, especially those wo are self described professing Christians gush over this guy gives me pause.
The Feast Day of St Athanasius came up on the Calendar, and I think of him, and Nicholas, and Jerome, who were the few holdouts in the tidal wave of Arianisim. I think there is an analogy here, IMHO. It gets kinda lonley being a holdout in Obama-mania!
It just makes me want to go all Charleton Heston, and run throught the streets yelling …”Soylent Green is People! People!”
May 9, 2008 at 2:47 am
What a sweet wholesome girl; what a head full of mush. But as Churchill is supposed to have said if you’re not a liberal at 25 you have no heart (and if you’re not conservative by 35 you have no brain). Can we repeal the 18 year old vote? Kit
May 10, 2008 at 7:32 am
Those 18 year olds living in dorms that mom, dad, and the feds paid for are so darned sharp!
May 10, 2008 at 7:35 am
Besides, anyone can see BO is for change, and for hope and for a new tomorrow!
What sort of trogladyte would you have to be to be against change and hope and a new tomorrow? Why if you are against against change and hope and a new tomorrow, I don’t think I want to hand out with you… Because I only want to hang out with people who are not against change and hope and a new tomorrow.
College kids always give me hope because they are all for change and hope and a new tomorrow.
See if, you repeat it enough, even though it means nothing, it really starts to sound convincing.
May 11, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Yes, those long-haired sixties college kids who put flowers in the National Guard guns may have been a little idealistic (and a lotta high) as they protested the war in Vietnam — but history tells us they were right and the war was BS.
How moronic do you have to be to poo-poo the ideas hopes and dreams of the young, questionably idealistic but undeniably the leaders of the future?
Wake up people …..
May 12, 2008 at 1:56 am
Yeah never mind the million Vietnamese who were slaughtered because we abandoned them. So history has many things to say about Vietnam.
May 12, 2008 at 2:56 am
“How moronic do you have to be to poo-poo the ideas hopes and dreams of the young”
Obviously we have an Obamanation member here.
Don’t you get it people? Obama is for hope!IF you don’t like it you must not be for hope!
I will take my chances hoping elsewhere. I know some have gone whole hog with Leader, but even if Leader tells us he is for hope 1000x…
Well I guess I hope for better things. Sorry, when he made it clear his biggest regret was voting to support measures that forestalled the starvation of a comatose woman… Well that blew my mind. Terry Schiavo was just as dead as ever by the time all was said and done – it was delayed a few weeks because of him…
If he had it to do all over again, he would have seen to it she got starved even sooner!
I hope for better things.
July 11, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Well it seems to me that Obama has much more respect for the teachings of Christ than John McCain.
But it sounds like most of you here have your minds so closed, there’s no reasoning with you.
But for many Christians like myself the ideology of the current incarnation of the Republican Party seems just about as anti-Christian as you can get.
I certainly don’t hear the Beatitudes in a Rush Limbaugh rant and I don’t see Matthew 25 in Bill O’Reilly’s hate-filled diatribes.
And to paraphrase an earlier post, why don’t you ask the million Iraqi civilians who have been killed in Geroge Bush’s illegal war if he seems like a follower of the Prince of Peace? Oh, wait you can’t ask them.
What’s the Christian response to torture? According to the Christian Right, it seems to be just fine as long as it serves U.S. purposes.
Maybe the translation of the Bible you’re reading says you should “Hate your enemies and waterboard those who would persecute you.”
But my Bible says just the opposite.
So go ahead and support the party that rises to power on hatred and fear. As for me, I’ll stick with Hope.
July 12, 2008 at 3:17 am
Well that is a sound little straw-man you beat up there anon. The reduction of the conservatives/GOP to Rush and O’Reilly… The narrow focus on self-serving criteria…
Go ahead and keep, hopin’!
October 4, 2008 at 11:51 pm
“buggy driving brethren”?
unfortunately for Patrick, the majority of Mennonites aren’t plain and don’t drive buggies. Actually, the Majority of Mennonites don’t even live in the United States.
http://www.mcusa-archives.org/Resources/membership.html
As a Mennonite, I am offended that such a shallow portrayal of Mennonites is offered in this article. I also happen to be a “college-aged Mennonite” at a Mennonite University. This article and the Chicago Tribune article make the students at Goshen sound very apathetic and uninformed about world events, which is interesting because all of the Goshen students I know have strong opinions about world and national events.
If the author of this article was trying to convince Catholics to vote for McCain, that would be fine. But it is not wise to attack another Christian denomination which he obviously has no knowledge about.
October 29, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I have to agree with “Rachel”–I too am a practicing Mennonite and I have to say if you are going to write about a faith you know nothing about than its best to do research. We are NOT Catholic–so applying your spiritual views to another is completely inept. McCain is Anti-environment, anti-helping those in need, anti-social programs, pro-war at ANY cost, supporter in merging church and religion, supporter of an angry/hateful/vengeful God and “fire and brim stone” Palin. The last few weeks have shown the wisdom in my choice for Obama–Palins hate filled rallies remind me of days 30+ years ago which I do not wish to see repeated. McCains stance against the poor and hawkish leanings are against EVERYTHING this faith is based on. Mennonites came to this country to ESCAPE persecution in Europe who at the time had church and state practically in bed with each other. The merging of the two is the LAST thing we want or need. As far as Obama’s tax policies regarding those who most CERTAINLY can spare it:
Luke 12:33. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.”
Deut. 15:10. “You shall give generously to [your poor brother], and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”
October 30, 2008 at 4:43 am
“Luke 12:33. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.”
Deut. 15:10. “You shall give generously to [your poor brother], and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings.”
Ahh, we see, when it comes to compelling people to do something that fits your ideology, then it is ok…
What informs which? your religion or your political ideology?
November 3, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I am absolutely appalled by this post. Not only is it ignorant and hateful, but also lacking of any substance or purpose. If your intention was to persuade Mennonites to agree with your point of view, then you have failed miserably. If it was to spew lies about Mennonites and to deeply offend them, then you have succeeded. It is clear from your post that you have no knowledge of or respect for this denomination. How can you pass judgment on people that you know nothing about? You have falsely assumed that just because these people do not share the same views as you, they must be uninformed. For someone who is so sure that Goshen students are uninformed, you certainly are ignorant. Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy. All of the Mennonites that I know are very informed about this election and watch the news daily. They understand the issues and always try to see the big picture. More importantly, they are loving and kind people, a concept that you do not seem to understand at all. Instead of doing something beneficial or Christ-like with your time, you waste your energy spreading hateful messages about other Christians. I can’t think of a more hypocritical thing to do. I certainly hope you’re proud of yourself.
-Ariel
November 3, 2008 at 11:03 pm
I am absolutely appalled by this post. Not only is it ignorant and hateful, but also lacking of any substance or purpose. If your intention was to persuade Mennonites to agree with your point of view, then you have failed miserably. If it was to spew lies about Mennonites and to deeply offend them, then you have succeeded. It is clear from your post that you have no knowledge of or respect for this denomination. How can you pass judgment on people that you know nothing about? You have falsely assumed that just because these people do not share the same views as you, they must be uninformed. For someone who is so sure that Goshen students are uninformed, you certainly are ignorant. Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy. All of the Mennonites that I know are very informed about this election and watch the news daily. They understand the issues and always try to see the big picture. More importantly, they are loving and kind people, a concept that you do not seem to understand at all. Instead of doing something beneficial or Christ-like with your time, you waste your energy spreading hateful messages about other Christians. I can’t think of a more hypocritical thing to do. I certainly hope you’re proud of yourself.
For someone who in turn wishes to present themselves as taking the high road, you use a lot of heavy-handed, rather nasty and bold invectives.
If you could point out where the ignorance is, and relay exactly what is so offensive and bothersome, that would be helpful. Simply insisting the poster is ignorant and hateful, while you and yours are caring and considerate, doesn’t do the job.
As for most of us who are readers of this blog, we are baffled that anyone could be enthusiastic about a politician who works hard to defeat restrictions on the “termination” of infants who are fully born alive. That is infanticide, and BO is on record as being a supporter and defender. There are no two ways about that.
November 4, 2008 at 6:45 am
hi this is jill stewart. do you believe abortion is murder but killing people in war is not? because john mccain’s hawkish tendencies concern me more than obama’s stance on abortion.