Articles tagged: presidential+election
Posted by: Brent James on January 18, 2008 Biblical Values •
Perhaps at no other time in our history will Americans have a more critical decision to make than that of electing a president this November. Among us, we Christians have an exclusive call to be salt and light to this to this generation and as such will set our country’s course (or ‘curse’ should we fail). This will require some homework and discernment, but not to fear, we have time and God gives us wisdom in full.
Daily news interviews feature voter reasoning that defies rationality. I shudder when I hear well-meaning citizens offering the strangest reasoning in support of their candidate. “He’s really a nice guy” or “She is really smart and cares about America.” I shudder even more hearing the reasoning of believers articulating their own musings along these lines. Shouldn’t logic and values go hand in hand? One would think.
One would also think that endorsements at this stage of the game would be few – especially among evangelical leaders. We should’ve learned from 2000 and 2004. It is still too early. Paul Weyrich and Pat Robertson have made amazing endorsements. Logic and faith are not mutually exclusive, yet many, including these men, have overlooked glaring differences between their values and those of the candidates they’ve endorsed. What does that say about our faith? Are we to make concessions on our beliefs in order to support someone who has a better ‘chance’ of winning?
Talk to anyone about this election and the big question becomes “Yeah, but can they win?” or “Are they really electable?” Should that be our standard for supporting a candidate? What chance did Gideon’s band have against an army of 130,000? What chance did Sampson have against 1000 Philistines or the Hebrew nation against Pharaoh’s chariots? We don’t work that way. We should vote the tenets of our faith and leave the results to God – not try to determine the outcome based on what looks outwardly promising minus a few concessions. Samuel would not have chosen David as king.
Dan Bartlett, a former Bush advisor, gave this analysis of Mike Huckabee’s problems as a candidate, “..having the last name ‘Huckabee’ you’ve got to be kidding me! Hope, Arkansas? Here we go again.” While saying Huckabee’s name is too ‘hick’ might make for amusing political banter, it lacks the faith component God requires. Before all this is over many strange and unusual twists will have played out.
Watch and be diligent. This process is our great privilege. Our hope is not the wishful kind. Ours is a hope of action.
|
|
|
|
|
Back to top of page.
