I’m really surprised by some of the posts that I read, especially as we get closer to the elections. My biggest surprise is from those who are Christians who say that they are voting for President Obama (or any other Democratic candidate).
My surprise is not because I think that President Obama (or any other Democratic) is a bad person. It’s not because of the color of their skin. It’s not even because of any candidates’ faith (or lack of).
What surprises me the most about Christians who vote Democrat is that they seem to disregard what they are voting for and focus on who they are voting for. What I mean is, it appears that some Christians just vote for the candidate without considering what that candidate or his/her party represents, and will seek to legislate if elected.
A primary example of one of these issues is abortion. Most Christians (at least evangelicals) believe that abortion, the taking of an innocent life for the convenience of the mother, is murder. The Christians who believe this also normally believe that murder is sin, as declared in the Bible. Thus, most Evangelical Christians would have no hesitation in saying that abortion is sin.
I doubt very seriously that any of my Christian friends would volunteer to work at an abortion clinic or otherwise lend their support directly to abortion. But isn’t that what they are doing when they vote Democrat? The Democratic platform clearly states that “women have a right to control their reproductive choices.” Therefore, they will do everything that they can to keep abortion legal as well as increase access to, and government funding of abortion. Therefore, a vote for the Democrats is a vote for abortion. Said very crassly, a vote for the Democrats is a vote for murder.
Too harsh? I don’t think so.
How can a Christian consciously vote for murder? I think that it is because if they are considering what the party stands for, they make other issues a higher priority. Like taxes, or the economy, or foreign policy. We all have our own views on these issues and others. Many think that the Democrats will do better with some of them while the Republicans may do better with others. But for those who think that the Democrats will do better, they place these issues above the issue of abortion.
So essentially if the economy or lower taxes are the most important issues for them, what they are saying is that to have more money in their pocket is more important than the lives of unborn children. Does that seem right?
They will quickly counter, that if the economy is bad, or taxes are too high for low-income families, or (fill in the blank) then people will suffer. True, but I did a Google search to see how many people die in the US annually of starvation. What I found out was that the government doesn’t keep track of that figure because it’s so low. How many die from abortion every year in the US? Nearly a million (or over a million depending on your source)!
So if I have to prioritize the most important issue, it seems clear that since more lives are lost to abortion than starvation in the US, abortion should be a higher priority than the economy or taxes.
But what about foreign policy? Republicans are more likely to involve the US in armed conflict and therefore more Americans will lose their lives in war. OK, valid argument. But again let’s look at the numbers. Since the beginning of the United States, approximately 2,757,196 Americans have died in major wars. Since 1973, 54,559,615 Americans have died as a result of abortion.
Once again, if I have to prioritize the most important issue, it seems clear that since more lives are lost to abortion than war in the US, abortion should be the higher priority.
I could go on, but hopefully you get my point. As Americans, we are generally very selfish and materialistic so will vote for the candidate who promises us more “stuff” while we close our eyes to the millions dying as a result of our vote.
What is my point? Do I think that every Christian should vote Republican? Absolutely not! One of our freedoms as a Republic is the freedom to vote according to our conscious without intimidation or fear of reprisal. What I would like to see, though, is more Christians seriously weighing the issues and getting their priorities straight. We shouldn’t blindly vote for any party or candidate but we should closely examine what they stand for so that we can vote intelligently and with the right priorities.
So with less than a month left before the election, I encourage you to examine the candidates’ views on the important issues (Both President Obama’s and Governor Romney’s). Look at the party platforms (both Democrat and Republican). Spend some time in the Bible and in prayer. Consider what is most important. Then vote what is right.
Here I Sit 
(A reasonable comment I received in fb for this link:) Roe v. Wade is law whether we like it or not, and I do not. However, Romney has stated on Oct 9 or 10 or sometime near that , that he will not pursue any new abortion legislation. I believe it rarely, if at all, happens that established laws are overturned in this country. So, rather than making abortion (which is a moral issue) a political football, lets consider foreign policy, jobs, the economy and such as the real issues in this presidential race. Just my opinion!
(And my reply:) That is a good point, if we believe that nothing can change in regard to abortion. The fact is though, even with abortion being legal, there are other aspects that can either decrease or increase the number of murders by abortion in the US. For example, increased federal funding, permitting federal facilities to perform abortions, child/parent notification laws, etc. all have an impact on how many people will die by abortions in the U.S. And all of these will/can be affected by who we elect. So who we vote for still has an impact on the number of murders via abortion which makes it a political issue as well as a moral one. And as Christians, I think that saving a life should be more important than saving a buck! (IMHO!)
However, even with my strong opinion about this, I still acknowledge John Wesley’s advice, “1) To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy, 2) To speak no evil of the person they voted against, and 3) To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.”!
(and her further reply:) John Wesley was very wise in warning us about this! I have been thinking, on the issue of abortion that the church should be more actively involved in pregnancy centers or such, to help those who need counseling or provide adoption services and education for unwanted pregnancies( Catholics). These women need help and the abortion centers are waiting to grab them up so they can get their federal funding. Abortion is morally wrong, but we are looking at the wrong solution if we are waiting for a politician to do something about it. Politics itself is evil!!!
(then my response:) You are absolutely right about the church being more involved! I wrote an article several years back titled, “Abortion, is it the worse sin?” questioning whether our (the church’s) neglect of women is worse than their getting an abortion. . . perhaps I should pull that out and post it! Nevertheless, while we should do more as Christians/the Church, I believe that we shouldn’t limit our focus but should use every avenue possible to help save lives. I don’t think that it is an “either-or” proposition but rather a “both-and” one.
I think you hit the nail on the head. People voted for the person because of his color (and he wasn’t a Bush), not the strengths or weaknesses of his policies. I have been demonized because of my pro-life stance, not because of the moral implications of it, but because I do not possess a uterus. This automatically nullifies my opinion. You bring such great points and reminders for all of us.
[…] it, protest against it, write about it, send letters to politicians to encourage them to outlaw it, even vote for candidates who are against it, but as wrong as abortion is, which is worse: a murder that allows that baby to avoid the trials […]
[…] more on why I believe we should vote our Christian values, I encourage you to read my blog, “Is murder OK as long as my taxes are lower.” But for a complete look at what the Republican and Democratic parties support, view their […]
Perhaps I should have chosen a better title since it’s generally believed that Governor Romney would bring both lower taxes AND be against abortion. But my premise is still correct: Christians need to consider who they are voting for based on Biblical values such as the sanctity of life.
[…] informed by Scripture. Some of my thoughts on that can be found in my other posts like “Is murder OK as long as my taxes are lower?” and “What about the 3rd-party candidates” so I won’t go much into that […]
[…] issues informed by Scripture. Some of my thoughts on that can be found in my other posts like “Is murder OK as long as my taxes are lower?” and “What about the 3rd-party candidates” so I won’t go much into that here. I would like […]
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