Politics, religion work better sans parties, sects

John Kanelis, in his excellent March 20 column, "Donkeys, elephants not allowed at City Hall," declares that partisan politics doesn't belong in city government or the election of judges, tax assessor, county clerk, etc., because all these offices deal with "the nuts and bolts of what's good for the residents." At the conclusion, he states with no evidence whatsoever that "partisanship has its place on Capitol Hill or on Congress Avenue."

Why is federal partisanship acceptable? Is it because the federal government deals with matters less important that have less effect on citizens than city and county offices? Hardly! Most of us would agree that our federal taxes pertain to quite a few nuts and bolts that affect our lives.

We've just completed one of the most bitterly partisan political seasons in our history. For some, the bitterness and rancor continues. Others wonder if and how the hostility can be reduced.

The report of the 9/11 Commission revealed that because of poor radio communication in the Fire Department of New York, firefighters in the upper floors of the tower didn't get the command to evacuate. Police officers, who had better radio contact, got the order, but when they passed it on to firefighters they encountered, many weren't about to accept advice from cops!

Partisanship between police and firefighters didn't serve them or their city well, did it?

In a Feb. 12, 2004 column, "Holy Moly! Hard to have faith in politics," editorial writer/columnist Dave Henry mentioned that there are a couple of things you do not want to discuss with a friend if you want to remain a friend - religion and politics. This is generally true, and sad, but have you ever wondered why that is the case?

Let's see if we can discuss religion and politics rationally for a moment and get away with it. As a Christian, suppose I tell you I'm a member of the very denomination Jesus and his apostles founded, and that as an American, I belong to the same political party George Washington belonged to.

Sounds impressive, until you realize that denominations are as foreign to God's constitution, the Bible, as political parties are to the U.S. Constitution.

No denomination is even mentioned in the Bible, and political parties are not even mentioned in our founding documents.

George Washington, our greatest president, didn't belong to any party. In "The Federalist Papers," James Madison, Washington's successor, pleaded that such "factionalism" wouldn't take hold in American politics because of the harm that such political divisions would bring our nation.

Similarly, Christ, the night before he died, prayed that his followers wouldn't be divided so as to produce unbelief in him. With the election that gave us Thomas Jefferson, partisan political campaigns got a start in this country and have grown ever since. Now, one party will oppose another's policy, based not on what's best for the nation, but purely on which party proposed it and will benefit from it.

Democrats were all for reforming Social Security while they were in power but decry the concept when Republicans are pushing it. Some prominent Democrats pushed abolishing the filibuster in the Senate, but now that some Republicans are pushing it, it's the biggest threat to constitutional government ever. Such antics tell us that the real issue is not the welfare of the citizens or the merits of reform, but purely partisan political interests.

Political parties control our congressional institutions, committee assignments, majority/minority leadership, amd campaign financing, yet all this is based solely on House and Senate rules.

In religion, most controversies arise over denominational names, organizations, traditions, actions and contradictory doctrines, giving rise to great skepticism of religion as a whole, and rightly so.

In politics, the vast majority of energy is expended defending not America's interests, but the interests of the party, and aren't we impressed? No, skepticism of the political process is at an all-time high, while citizen participation is at an all-time low.

Surveys frequently remind us that most Americans have no use for the partisan political wrangling that constitutes much political discussion, any more than they do partisan religious wrangling that poisons religious discourse.

It seems that in religion, someone promoting the way of Christ without all the denominational trappings would be more effective, and in politics, someone promoting national policy without all the partisan political trappings would, too.

Few Christians and few politicians seem to realize this. If you're skeptical about religion and politics, you might profit from giving a little thought as to why this is.

You tell me of what denomination Jesus' apostles were, and I'll tell you what political party George Washington was in.

Samuel G. Dawson of Amarillo is a recent retiree from the aerospace and software industries. He is a frequent contributor to the Other Opinion page.

"You tell me of what denomination Jesus' apostles were, and I'll tell you what political party George Washington was in."

Okay, I'm game. George Washington was a Federalist George Washington - POTUS

The Apostles were mostly jewish and some gentile. They didn't become christians until anfter the crucifiction.

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