The first national election that I could vote in was back in 2000. At the time my criteria were pretty simple - the candidate must be anti-abortion and anti-slavery. George Bush (or as Ben calls him Jooj Pus) seemed to fit nicely into those categories so I voted for him in 2000 and 2004. In 2003 he signed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban and hadn't repealed the 13th amendment so he met all of my standards for a good president. Since that time, however, he has done very little that I have agreed with, and it has forced me to reconsider my voting criteria.
The 2008 race helped me narrow it down to 5 main factors:
1) Integrity - After Mitt Romney changed almost all of his positions on social issues just to run for the White House, I knew I had to add this one.
2) Basic Competence - After Sarah Palin failed to string together coherent sentences about major policy questions in her television interviews, I knew I had to add this one.
3) Humble foreign policy - I'm not a pacifist, but I think some occassional humility certainly wouldn't have hurt during the last eight years, and it didn't seem to me that McCain would have done anything to change this. Singing "Bomb Iran" to the tune of "Barbara Ann" didn't help his cause.
4) Abortion - I think there are a lot of things to like about Barack Obama (or as Ben calls him Bak O Mama) but his abortion record is attrocious. Hopefully, he'll be too busy fixing everything else to spend time on this issue.
5) Not a hobbit - This one may unfairly eliminate Dennis Kucinich, but I just feel like this rule needs to be here.
I voted for Huckabee in the primaries (even though he is a border-line hobbit), but since no one met all of my criteria, I didn't vote for a president in the general election. This election season was good because it forced me to sit down and think about what really matters in a president. It also made me think about what principle or ideal Christians should be working toward when it comes to government. Some think it’s freedom, others think it’s lining up the govenment's laws with Christian values, others think it’s social justice, and others think Christians should just step away from politics altogether. I'm curious to hear what you think.
I'll get back to posting Benjamin pictures and videos next time, but thanks for reading. Don't forget to pray for President O Mama.
4 comments:
Interesting thoughts. I also abstained from voting this year -- partially because there were key issues I couldn't come to terms with for both candidates and partially because I've been questioning the role that politics should play in a Christian's life. (Okay, and partially because I was too lazy to figure out how to do the overseas voting thing -- and not totally convinced my vote would mean anything since they normally announce the new president before the overseas votes have been tallied. So there were a lot of reasons, I suppose.)
I'm interested in looking deeper into the Christian's role in politics. There are several books on the subject that are probably worth reading.
”When good men do nothing, evil prevails.”
This sign once hung in our church foyer…I do not know the original author so I can not give proper attribution. It is probably someone famous and I am showing my ignorance. In any case, it makes clear to me why Christians must vote and must involve themselves in politics. Adolph Hitler was ELECTED, initially, to his office. Where were the critical Christian votes? Were they uninformed as to his beliefs or did they just stay home because they did not want to be involved?
We live in a democratic government. We must “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” I don’t think this just means taxes…It also means due diligence in the voting booth to, among other things, avoid electing another Hitler. Not only is it our duty before God but also a necessary form of appreciation for the blessing of freedom given to us by God and, through His power, the sacrifice of our forefathers since the signing of the Magna Carta, by the gifts of their money, blood and very lives.
The first election I voted in was McGovern vs Nixon; so I have been voting for the better of two evils for a long time. By that I mean, only human beings have run for office so far and not one candidate has been up to Jesus’ standards. I have voted in every “major” election and will continue to do so until I am dead, or so senile I cannot find the voting booth.
Some Christians of a certain denomination think that because none of the candidates are of that same denomination, that none of the candidates are Christians and therefore it does not matter who they vote for, as the candidates are all the same. Yes, I have actually heard apparently sane people say this. Even if they are not the same kind of Christian as you or I, we still have the responsibility to use our God given minds to determine if they follow through word and deed the teachings of Christ and then to vote accordingly. Will the candidate be true to the vow: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
I did vote for Sarah. I REALLY believe that the media did their best to discredit a very talented, godly woman. I am going to be a mommy very soon. Hearing Obama talk about abortion during the debates made this pregnant woman cry! :( I still feel like that is a HUGE issue, but I'm also beginning to see another huge issue that completely effects my rights to raise my children in the Lord. I would really encourage you to sign up for emails and updates from parentalrights.org.
I do think we need to be aware that there are ways that we could have our ability to discipline and teach our children taken from us (it is already happening in European countries). In that way, I think we as Christians need to be vocal in writing congress men and women, geting involved in local politics, and voting for those who will allow us to keep our freedoms as Christians worshiping God and quietly raising our families. I shudder to think that people could see taking my children away as a service to them because of my "narrow minded, evangelical Christian views." I don't think we should ever be complacent. Satan wants to destroy us and our families.
That being said, I will pray for our president and the preservation of our freedoms. I will also vote, write, and share information with others or do anything else I see as helpful so as to not be swept away in Satan's master plan.
I must say that I do agree with Phyllis and Andrea. And also that this year I was almost exactly where Alisha was. I didn't exactly abstain from voting, but I DID miss the voting date (forgetting that I needed to turn my vote in MUCH MUCH earlier than the actual voting day since I live out of country and my state doesn't accept votes after the voting day regardless of postmark...). And also I was not so happy with either of the candidates this year. I am debating joining a political party JUST to help with the primaries!... I am undeclared as I never felt the need to 'label' myself. However after this mess, I am seriously reconsidering my thinking on that....
All that said, Obama is now our president. He is now the one with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He needs our support. We should pray for him, his family and our country. I hope that he will do a good job!
And we can no longer sit idly by as our country falls deeper into the abyss of sin and disgrace. We as Christians need to do what we can. We CAN vote. And pray. We need to do MUCH MUCH more of both.
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