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I have been thinking a lot lately about politics. Those who know me well know that I have never been a big fan of politics. Usually when I hear campaign speeches and see the millions of campaign adds on television I just roll my eyes, grrrr and mumble some smart alec comment under my breath and change the channel. Politics have always brought out a negativity in me because I find the issues just that: negative.

This most recent election, however, I was actually excited about. We are currently at a very pivotal time in our nation’s history – a time when major policy changes and decisions can and will be made on issues such as the economy, health care and the Iraq war.

I paid much closer attention to the caucuses and the debates this year than I ever have in the past. I weighed the issues and compared the candidates, all-the-while thinking and praying about the issues that I, as a Christian, should be most concerned about.

That last phrase, however – thinking and praying about the issues that I, as a Christian, should be most concerned about – is one of the reasons I have been contemplating about whether or not I should actually write this post. I am actually really nervous about writing this and may regret it later (depending on the response)…I realize that I am taking a risk here. I just hope that the people who read this blog and truly know me and respect me will respect what I have to say and will have an open heart and mind to hear what I have to say.

Growing up in a Christian family, the only issue I ever really contemplated was the issue of abortion because life is sacred – a gift from God. If a candidate was pro-choice, he would not get our vote. Period. As I have gotten older and learned more about the world we live in and how decisions affect generations after us, I have found for myself that, although abortion is an important topic that should be addressed, it is not the only thing that should be weighed when choosing to whom one is going to cast his or her vote.

Let me pause right there to make one thing very clear: I am pro-life. I believe that life is a sacred gift from God that we must treasure and protect.

But…

What is the best way to do that? As this Christian blogger points out in her blog:

In 40 years since Roe vs Wade 28 of those years were governed by Republican Presidents, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, Bush. Yet, NONE of them succeeded in getting Roe vs Wade overturned. They appointed Judges, congress went from Democratic control, to republican and back again, yet nothing changed politically. YET abortions dropped and continue to drop, why? Well I think Operation rescue activities in the 90's raised awareness, also Science now can show the development much earlier and birth control is much more accessible. SO nothing in the halls of congress or the white house actually caused this decrease in abortions.

I personally believe that Roe vs Wade is never going to be overturned. If it hasn’t happened in the past number of consecutive Republican administrations, why would it happen now or down the road, regardless of the president in office? I guess anything is possible, but I honestly don’t think it is likely. Again, not to say that this isn’t an important issue, BUT I think that if the number of abortions is really going to go down in our country, we first have to find the root of the problem. Just outlawing it is not going to make abortions go away. Yes, it would make it more difficult for women to go through with abortions and would deter a number of them; however, women are still going to find a way to have abortions if they really want them (even if it does get more difficult for them) but in unsafe ways. If we are going to fix the issue of abortions in our country, we must first find out WHY women are getting pregnant with “unwanted” children in the first place. We must fight against poverty in America. We must fight for better education that is more easily available to ALL children. Too many children are getting left behind – no thanks to NCLB.

(Another note: another thing I am learning from well-respected Christian democrats that I know – pro-choice does not necessarily mean pro-abortion. I have never heard a pro-choice person say that they love abortions and want people to have them. No one likes abortion – Obama even said that in one of his debates with McCain – it just comes down to the philosophy of where you are coming from when thinking about abortion. Granted, there are extremists out there, but that’s not who I’m talking about.)

When I traveled to Guatemala both this past summer and the summer before that, I saw a cycle of poverty that doesn’t seem to end. Children are born into poverty – many with one parent at home…kids are left at home while parents are trying to find work…can’t find their way out of poverty, do things (legally and illegally) to try to earn money…there is little-to-no education for children because they must spend their time working to earn enough money to keep food on the table and clothes on the backs of their family members…and then those kids grow up and the cycle continues. This is especially true in relation to the gang violence. Gang violence won’t stop by passing a law saying that gang warfare is illegal. We need to work towards fixing the root of the problem: poverty, single-parent homes, lack of education, etc, etc, etc, which is much bigger a task, but, if even a fraction successful, will have much longer-lasting results. The essence of this issue is not limited to Guatemala. It is right here in the US - just ask my friend, Deborah, who is working in Jersey City and sees poverty first-hand every day. We just don’t always see it in the nice, safe, sheltered suburban areas where we live. Furthermore, many (not all, but many) of the people who most often make and pass laws are mainly white, middle-to-upper class men who have not experienced poverty, single-parent homes or lack of education first-handedly. I think if more people in power experienced those things or knew people personally who do every day, a lot more people would think differently about some issues we vote on and their long-term consequences for ALL Americans, including the least, the last and the lost.

No matter who you voted for in this past election, I hope you at least respect the fact that Obama worked as a community organizer and lawyer to defend those who didn’t have a voice and to help people in poverty find hope of a way out for themselves. He’s been there. He knows what it’s like to grow up in a poor single-parent home. He is where he is because people who loved him made huge sacrifices for him. And he also knows that the story doesn’t end there (as was made extremely obvious by his election this past Tuesday). He committed himself to working in poor communities before he even thought about running for president because it is a part of who he is and part of what he believes will make a difference in the world. There are too few people in this world that work with all their hearts, souls and minds to help the least, the last and the lost find a voice in an oppressive world that favors those who have money, prestige and power.

Granted, I don’t agree with all of Obama’s positions (I can understand why people did not vote for him) and I understand that there are a number of other issues that qualify or don't qualify someone to be a president, but I have a really hard time when I hear Christians – Christians – say hateful things about him. Does that really solve anything? Is that what Christ would do? I think not. Or when I hear absolute fear in their voices as if he were 100% of the Devil (he is a Christian, by the way). More and more I feel like too many Christians equate democrats with the Devil’s work in our world. This angers me to no end because I know plenty of amazing, devout Christians who are democrats or who are moderates that do amazing things for God and for the people around us – Christian and non-Christian; young and old; clean-cut and dirty; English-speakers and non-English speakers.

Beyond the issue of abortion, we MUST be just as concerned about protecting our environment, standing up for the rights of the poor, international relations, health care, the economy and the list goes on. I believe that these topics are just as “Christian” to be concerned about because God calls us to be stewards of his creation and to love our neighbors (meaning our enemies) and to take care of the poor and the needy around us - his call for the latter is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Should we be elevating one over the rest? I think it is our duty as Christians and as citizens of our country to be just as concerned about these things. And, if we are so concerned with protecting life, then why are we continually sacrificing the lives of so many innocent people in a war that intelligence now tells us began prematurely? Don’t those lives matter just as much as the unborn?

Another thing I struggle with: is it our duty as Christians to impose our beliefs of people who don’t believe the same way through law-making? Is that even the best way? I don’t think so. God even tells us in his word that we cannot hold non-believers to the same standards as believers. It is not our place to judge, but his alone. To me it makes way more sense to love those around us first and foremost and then, through our words and actions, they can hopefully come to know and love Jesus Christ. I frankly doubt that is going to happen through passing Christian moral-based laws. Jesus didn’t impose himself on others or force others to live out a certain life-style. He simply lived among them – including those who were rejected by their society – and loved them. Period.

All in all, we are never going to be fully satisfied with any candidate that gets elected into office – even if John McCain won the election. They are human beings and they are going to fail just as we do every day. I am praying God’s blessing on President-Elect Barack Obama and hope and pray that you do, too.

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 09, 2008 at 2:52 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.