I don’t like fighting. I don’t like arguing.

I like hugs and kisses instead.

This is one reason I have often avoided writing about politics.

However, it has become increasingly clear that if I value hugs and kisses for everyone, I need to fight.

I never thought that the value of human life would be a political argument. I never thought people would side with killers. I never thought that I would live in a country where minor crimes would be punishable by death, without trial. I never thought I would live in a country where people legitimately argued that death was a proper response to any misdemeanor. I thought I lived in country built on the ideas of equality, respect, love and diversity.

I was wrong.

I’m not going to try to explain why we should value human life more in America, and especially Black lives. Plenty of people have explained that better than I ever could. But also, it shouldn’t be a question. If we have even a fraction of love for humankind– we should understand that murder is not a proper response to any crime or any behavior. We should also understand that we cannot call people guilty without proper trial. We should also be able to see when minorities in America are treated blatantly worse than white Americans. It shouldn’t be a political debate. It should be human decency and logical commonsense.

Unfortunately, it is a political debate.

I have grown up in the Mormon church. Sometimes I have been more involved, sometimes I have been less involved. But my involvement has definitely given me a strong understanding of Christ’s teachings.

I know there are a lot of Mormons voting for Trump. There are a lot of mainstream Christians voting for Trump too.

This is my plea with my fellow Christians to NOT do that.

When Christ told people to not throw stones at the adulteress unless they were sinless, I’m sure he was also speaking to those who use brute force in the criminal justice system.

When Christ said that no one had sinned to make the blind man lose his sight, I’m sure he was also telling us that privilege is usually unrelated to righteousness and that often the very best of people can end up in the worst of circumstances.

When the woman with a bleeding condition she’d had for twelve years touched his robe to be healed, Christ didn’t ask if she had a small fortune to pay for the healing.

When Christ told us to love one another, I don’t think he made any exceptions to whom we were supposed to love.

Some people might find this sacrilegious but I think if Christ were alive today, he’d vote democrat. I think if Christ were alive today, he’d ask us to end the cruelty in this country. I think if Christ were alive today, he’d ask us to love everyone and stop judging them for sinning in a different way than we do.

To be honest, if he didn’t want that, I’m not sure I’d want to follow him.

So please, if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, don’t vote for Donald Trump. NOT AGAIN. I think that if Trump wins this election, God will cry. And to be honest, so will I. Because if we let Trump win again, we will be telling the world that we don’t value human lives equally, that we don’t love everyone. We will be saying that we don’t love women, minorities, immigrants, disabled people, impoverished people, or LGBTQ people.

Here’s the deal. God loves all those people. So if you don’t, stop pretending God is the reason.

As the old hymn says, “God is Love.”

This election, let’s prove that. Let’s prove it by voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.