My rebuttal

I have stayed away from politics for a very long time.  Once I was initiated into the Church, it really lost all meaning to me.  Then when I entered the Fellowship, I lived my life in accordance with Tradition Ten, "No opinion on outside issues."  If it didn't directly relate to the safety of my flesh or soul, I really didn't care, and if it could compromise my serenity, by causing opposition, I wanted nothing to do with it. 

And generally speaking, I've always been rather self-centered, to the point I have questioned if I am a sociopath.  But the past year, I have read reports in the news on ISIS, and it evoked an actual physical response, like a gut wretch, like I actually have wanted to be sick about things that I am reading about.  And learning the past week of all of these deaths of civilians fleeing Syria and Turkey, I have actually wanted to shed tears.  

Furthermore, I am now aware of what my government's policy is on refugees, which is that it is not our problem.  They actually said this.  

In lieu of the federal election coming up, the Conservative government's campaign ad is that Justin Trudeau is "not ready", but I believe that he is, and I posted a link of my profile stating so.  I was then told by a Christian that because Trudeau won't let anyone on his caucus be pro-life, he can never vote Liberal.  I understand that as a Catholic, I am to vote for the religious-right, but no, faith without works is dead, and this is one of those times when just prayers is not going to cut it.  I am OK being a heretic, in fact, I am proud to be one, and this heretic will still be communing with Christ at least once a week on Sundays.

My name means "Free One", and I believe that we should ALL be free: free from spiritual, cultural, and material oppression, free to marry who we like (To be "owned" by someone, with resources readily available for aid, because monogamy and emotional connections can be trying), free to prosper, even free to give our bodies for a night and not have it affect the rest of our lives and communities (even though I think that the attitude toward sex has become dangerous, and is now a tragedy, and the lack of support in understanding how an abortion can forever change a woman just as much so).

I have no idea what is happening with ISIS.  It is a strange organization, strangely powerful, strangely vicious, and strangely unopposed, but what I do know is, we need to get everyone who wants to get out of there, out of there, and we need to get into power the people who will have the compassion to get first things first done, even if they are sympathetic to the hedonistic.