Many republicans will support John McCain next Tuesday because they hope he will continue to elect justices to the court who will overturn Roe v. Wade. While abortion is a very important issue in our day that must be eliminated, there is plenty of evidence that people like John McCain and most republicans in general aren’t going to cause it to happen. The New American has published a good article, Would McCain Change the Court? that examines the history of justices that have been appointed by republicans over the years. Looking at the history of Republican appointed justices shouldn’t give much hope. Combine that with the fact that McCain is a self professed maverick that likes to make a deal with the left (compromise), and I don’t see why anyone thinks McCain will help. Palin is definitely to the right of McCain on this issue but I don’t see her fighting her boss on this one.
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In this election as in past elections many people of principle get into disagreements about whether it is right to vote for the “lesser of two evil” choices for an office like the President. Many Christians will say things like “Pray as if everything depends on God, but act as if everything depends on you.” This gets interpreted as pray that God will bring the best outcome from my point of view and act to get that same desired end. The problem with this reasoning relates to “my point of view” and the acts that follow.
The outcome is always in God’s hands. This is clear to anyone with even the most limited view of God’s providence. God has also given us His Word which tells us how to act and which speaks to all of life. We are to do the right thing always and I don’t see where this includes “doing whatever it takes to get the desired end.” Even if the end were right (assuming that eliminating one evil at the expense of many others can ever be right), that doesn’t mean that you can throw out the rest of your principles.
Just because a candidate is pro-life doesn’t mean he is the right choice (is he moral in other areas?). There should be other factors in consideration. Anyone can win that God wants to win and the candidates God doesn’t want to win won’t no matter how many Christians vote for him “because he can win.” I am going to vote for Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. I admit that he probably won’t win which many will be too quick to point out (it won’t be my vote causing him not to win). Too many will say that I am wasting my vote. It may not seem unprofitable to many, but I cannot give my approval to either Barack Obama or John McCain – neither of these are good candidates.
In Acts 5:29 Peter says, “We must obey God rather than men.” This specific instance occurs when the high priest and the “senate of the people of Israel” arrested the apostles after they had been commanded not to teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:17-42). Christians today tend to believe that if the government suppresses the Gospel then we are charged to disobey the government and do it anyway.
This seems obvious and the New Testament text is clear. I want to ask if that is all we are called to do? What if the government breaks God’s law in other areas like murder, theft, idolatry or Sabbath breaking? Does it matter?
In 1 Kings 21:19 the LORD condemns Ahab the King of Israel because he “killed and also [took] possession” of the property of Naboth. The reason Naboth would not give it up was because of Old Testament inheritance laws (1 Kings 21:4). The reason Ahab is condemned is because he killed the owner and stole the property. Elijah condemned Ahab’s action.
Does the Christian of today have a responsibility to condemn immoral actions of the government or powers that be? Is that only an Old Testament principle? If it is only an Old Testament principle, then why do we vote? Or to be more specific, why do we consider any moral principles (like abortion) when we vote if that is only an Old Testament issue?
Bob Conley is running against Lindsey Graham for his Senate seat. From his campaign materials and other sources that I have read, he is conservative in all the ways that Lindsey Graham is not. A couple of points of interest from his campaign website:
Economy: We must implement fiscal policies to end deficit spending. Bob Conley believes we must change our monetary policy, restore sound, honest money, and halt the fall of the dollar. We must stop predatory lending practices, end the Wall Street bailouts, and put a lid on massive expenditures abroad.
Another area that is directly related to our fiscal problems:
Military: Overseas deployments of occupation are breaking our military. Deployments in recent years have left 80% of our National Guard units without the necessary equipment for training – and the missions they should be prepared to serve here at home. Our National Guard needs to be rebuilt.
Gun Owners of America gives Conley a higer rating than Graham:
2nd Amendment Rights: Bob supports the right of the individual to own guns and is a life member of Gun Owners of America. The GOA favors Bob over Graham in supporting gun owner rights.
He also has a Pro Life position on Abortion that separates him from the majority of Democrats:
Abortion: Bob is Pro Life and will work in the U.S. Senate to stop government funding of groups that advocate and / or perform abortions, including Planned Parenthood, which received $300 million in taxpayer funding last year.
Bob Conley is definitely a better choice than Lindsey Graham in most areas it seems. Lindsey Graham has proven in the recent bailout vote that he doesn’t understand economics and he doesn’t care what the people think. Unfortunately the one negative for many who call themselves conservatives is that Conley is a Democrat. This seems to be an extremely good example of getting beyond party politics and voting on principle.
If we can ever get beyond a loyalty to a party that doesn’t have any loyalty to the people (this includes both parties) then maybe the government will quit running our nation into the ground.
R. C. Sproul Jr. has written a good post titled No Children Left Behind on a large inconsistency of President Bush (and lots of “conservative” politicians) concerning abortion. If life begins at conception then all abortion is murder and we must remember that. While President Bush has done some good he is definitely not a President that Christians should think does only good or does only right.
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