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？還是一孔之見？
章興國
2024-10-20
下麵是三個教友關於美國總統大選的對話：
甲：一個是想恢複美國的傳統價值觀，抱著“God Bless America Bible “的總統候選人，反對墮胎無結止的謀殺已成型的胎兒。
另外一位行相反價值觀的總統候選人，她無論胎兒多大都可以墮胎，同性戀、同性婚姻、甚至到小孩在學校也鼓勵孩子變性、鼓勵吸毒者吸毒，毒品都是免費的，她要毀掉美國人信仰，開放邊境，讓罪犯充滿各個地方。
哪一個候選人合神的旨意？
乙：一個候選人不接受 2020 年大選失敗的結果。不遵守民主體製的規則。他給成人電影女星封口費。是幹擾總統選舉的重罪犯。他的副總統，國家安全顧問，國防部長，說他是民主體製的威脅。他的司法部長說他是超級的自戀者。
這樣的人當總統不是太危險了嗎？
丙：甲，你買車的時候，用什麽標準來選車？
甲：我選車的標準是看車的可靠性。那種經常出問題，要去修的車我不要。
丙：車的安全性呢？ 你考慮嗎？
甲：什麽是安全性？
丙：如果撞車了，車裏的人是否安全？
甲：我沒有碰到過撞車的事情。車的可靠性最重要。
丙：乙，你買車的時候，用什麽標準來選車？
乙：我覺得 零碳排放最重要。對我來說，環保是最重要的。
丙：看來你們兩個人在選車的時候，有很不同的側重點。在選總統的事情上，你們也有很不同的側重點。
甲：乙，你是基督徒，你怎麽能夠選支持同性戀的候選人呢？
乙：哈裏斯的側重點是保護同性戀者 與普通人有一樣的權利。她沒有支持在小學裏教關於同性戀的事情啊！普通基督徒的側重點是避免 同性戀群體在社會裏不斷擴張。 這我同意。 但是同性戀者也是有權利的人。 我們不能像以前英國政府對待科學家阿蘭 圖靈一樣，解雇同性戀者，逼他們每個人都進精神病院，都長期吃藥吧？
川普與哈裏斯在同性戀問題上，側重點不一樣。冷靜地看的話，兩派中的溫和觀點之間 並沒有矛盾之處啊！隻是側重點不一樣而已。
兩派中的極端者，會歪曲對方的立場，把對方描繪成邪惡，同時把自己當成正義的化身。
甲：2020 年大選肯定有舞弊。我們會看到越來越多的選舉舞弊者被繩之以法。
乙：2021 年，曾有超過50 個共和黨人關於 選舉舞弊的在全美各地的起訴。 沒有一個案子贏了。全部輸了，或者因為證據不足被法庭撤銷 。 好幾個共和黨的律師，被取消律師資格。有幾個甚至被定罪。難道為了堅持你的觀點，你要否認美國的司法體係嗎？ 難道要 “砸爛公檢法” 嗎？ 那與文革有什麽區別呢？川普之前的所有總統候選人，在輸了之後，都會說 “我接受美國選民的選擇。我呼籲我的支持者，從今天開始與我們的對手放棄前嫌，為美國的前途，攜手合作。”  川普不那樣做。他是現在美國人嚴重分裂的重要原因。這是不能允許的行為。
丙：是的。我們不能被選舉中的極端言論  (rhetoric) 套住了。選舉一結束，兩派應該馬上放棄偏見，攜手合作，一個一個的解決美國的問題。 如果對方是邪惡，那兩派人就永遠不可能攜手合作了。 那就不正常了。
乙： 甲，你隻看哈裏斯的負麵。不看川普的負麵。這是一孔之見。你還自以為 真理在手呢！
甲： 我看誰的政策 符合神的旨意。誰不是罪人啊？ 神很多次都啟用了罪人，比如大衛。不是嗎？ 丙，你說呢？
丙： 我現在舉棋不定。 你們兩邊都有道理。我還要想一想。