Changing Demographics
This is a post from 2015 but the content is still relevant and its five years later. I was watching meet the press this Sunday morning as I always do, David Gregory the moderator who replaced Tim Russet was having his usual round table discussion with different journalist who's views generally represent both the right and left wing of politics. They were discussing the political atmosphere in our country right now, of course our current President Barrack Obama was central to the discussion. Representatives from the republican party were as usual making deceptive comments about the president that could be misconstrued or interpreted in a negative fashion. For example Newt Gingrich who currently holds no political office but is positioning himself for a run at the white house in 2012, which I might add has been unsuccessful since Mitt Romney all but has locked up the nomination. Mr. Gingrich always has a host of skewed statements about the left that he likes to toss out as political thought to help set the agenda for the right. Mr Gingrich argues that the presidents political objectives have roots in Kenyan anti colonial behavior, meaning that he is advancing a political agenda that would be anti American. It also suggests that he is not American and his religious views would be anti Christian. I believe I can positively state that he is neither and I believe the public record on both will substantiate that.
I believe as Christians who are not of the world but in it we also have an obligation to be informed about our world and what goes on in it. One area that has always held my interest is the political arena of our elected officials who are supposed to have all Americans best interest in mind. Both parties, the democrats and Republicans have representatives who make statements that often times offend people on both sides. It would seem to me that there are fringe groups in the republican party who make a habit of making statements that are insensitive and down right offensive if not outright lies. This statement made recently by Mr. Gingrich would certainly fall into that category. What I find discouraging about all of this is none of the experts seem to be able to ever invoke God into the discussion, and you certainly will never hear any of the major media networks suggest this train of thought.
The difficult task I face as a christian when discussing these topics in my blog is how to make sense of it all as I attempt to put a spiritual explanation that has some viable relevance to God and Christianity. The problem I have with the republicans and these type of statements is it sends a message loud and clear that they are insensitive to the wants and needs of minorities and people of color in general. Their real motivation would become clear if they would just come out and say, "hey" we don't like you people of color." It would seem that every time a issue is being tabled in congress or the senate that would advance the cause of the less fortunate or minorities they are always and I do mean always on the opposing side. This can't be a coincidence. It is estimated that right now our countries population is approaching the 400 million mark. A new CNN census reports says: "By 2050, minorities will be the majority in America, and the number of residents older than 65 will more than double, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Minorities, classified as those of any race other than non-Hispanic, single-race whites, currently constitute about a third of the U.S. population, according to Census figures. But by 2042, they are projected to become the majority, making up more than half the population. By 2050, 54 percent of the population will be minorities." What that says to me is that in the very near future minorities are going to have the political clout to change the face of politics in America. I think that is what our president was suggesting in his inaugural address two years age when he said that the powers to be don't realize it but the political ground has shifted. It is going to favor people of color.
The religious connection I would like to assign all of this to is the story in the bible of the tower of babel. This genesis story is just after the flood and mankind had come together to build a tower that would reach into the heavens. Yahweh came and saw hat they were up to and said; "They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withhold en from them which they purpose to do." So Yahweh said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech." And so Yahweh scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel "because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the Earth."(Genesis 11:5-8). God recognized that when people learn to work together with a real sense of purpose there is nothing we can't accomplish together. He so recognized their abilities so much so that he scattered them and confused their language so they would have difficulty communicating. This also attributed to the forming of the races and made our planet a diverse community.
I believe as Christians who are not of the world but in it we also have an obligation to be informed about our world and what goes on in it. One area that has always held my interest is the political arena of our elected officials who are supposed to have all Americans best interest in mind. Both parties, the democrats and Republicans have representatives who make statements that often times offend people on both sides. It would seem to me that there are fringe groups in the republican party who make a habit of making statements that are insensitive and down right offensive if not outright lies. This statement made recently by Mr. Gingrich would certainly fall into that category. What I find discouraging about all of this is none of the experts seem to be able to ever invoke God into the discussion, and you certainly will never hear any of the major media networks suggest this train of thought.
The difficult task I face as a christian when discussing these topics in my blog is how to make sense of it all as I attempt to put a spiritual explanation that has some viable relevance to God and Christianity. The problem I have with the republicans and these type of statements is it sends a message loud and clear that they are insensitive to the wants and needs of minorities and people of color in general. Their real motivation would become clear if they would just come out and say, "hey" we don't like you people of color." It would seem that every time a issue is being tabled in congress or the senate that would advance the cause of the less fortunate or minorities they are always and I do mean always on the opposing side. This can't be a coincidence. It is estimated that right now our countries population is approaching the 400 million mark. A new CNN census reports says: "By 2050, minorities will be the majority in America, and the number of residents older than 65 will more than double, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Minorities, classified as those of any race other than non-Hispanic, single-race whites, currently constitute about a third of the U.S. population, according to Census figures. But by 2042, they are projected to become the majority, making up more than half the population. By 2050, 54 percent of the population will be minorities." What that says to me is that in the very near future minorities are going to have the political clout to change the face of politics in America. I think that is what our president was suggesting in his inaugural address two years age when he said that the powers to be don't realize it but the political ground has shifted. It is going to favor people of color.
The religious connection I would like to assign all of this to is the story in the bible of the tower of babel. This genesis story is just after the flood and mankind had come together to build a tower that would reach into the heavens. Yahweh came and saw hat they were up to and said; "They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withhold en from them which they purpose to do." So Yahweh said, "Come, let us go down and confound their speech." And so Yahweh scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel "because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the Earth."(Genesis 11:5-8). God recognized that when people learn to work together with a real sense of purpose there is nothing we can't accomplish together. He so recognized their abilities so much so that he scattered them and confused their language so they would have difficulty communicating. This also attributed to the forming of the races and made our planet a diverse community.
This confirms to me that God intended for our planet to have diversity as a part of his plan for earth going forward. Isn't it time that our political leaders realize this truth as well? America is a melting pot of all different races, this is a strength not a weakness. The republican party needs an agenda that can appreciate that not imply that it is a weakness. If its good enough for God our creator it should be good enough for all of us.
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