I apologize if you read the title of this post and thought I was going to write some new joke about an unusual group of men walking into a bar or something.
By the way, don't assume anything just yet about my own opinions, just because I started this post of with a mention about Sunday School. These days, there are few other places where people openly discuss deep ideas of spirituality, culture, and (yes, even) political thought in a similar fashion. Perhaps many Sunday School classes are not very open (or deep), but this one happened to be both.
If we seriously ponder the question, and the man, shouldn't it seem strange to us that professing Christians would openly imply that other professing Christians can't conscientiously vote for Obama, himself a professing Christian?
I've also similar derogatory references to the Democratic Party as a whole. "I've never really known anyone," I once heard a friend say, "who was a Christian, and also considered themselves a Democrat."
The people who made those statements would both see themselves as conscientious political thinkers, I am sure. However, from the perspectives of many other listeners, it might be hard to see anything other than a couple of sheltered, upper-middle class, white American males voicing sheltered opinions that only really make sense in their little upper-middle class world.
What is it that makes the Republican Party so Christian, and the Democratic Party so apparently unchristian?
Since the central figure of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ, maybe we would do best to ask what he would do, or say, or in this case, support. A few verses to consider:
Matthew 25:35-36, 40
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Mark 12:28-31
he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: '...Love the Lord your God with all your heart...' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
These two passages were just the first that came to mind; I'm sure I could find more to go along with what I'm about to say.
The least of these. The least of these is generally taken to mean children, or the poor, or someone with some sort of disadvantage in society. It's one of those distinctions that, taken in different ways, could be applied to almost anyone, based on the circumstances. In Matthew 25, Jesus is saying that works of eternal value are those that lift up "the least of these".
Drawing on these principles then, how would we structure society so that these undeniably Christian principles are best upheld? If we would like to see a society that is more favorable toward Christian principles, or in some ways holds Christian principles high, then which policies should we stand for?
Which party line should we tow? Is there a party line that matches these principles?
How about this: Can someone be a Democrat and a Christian, based on these principles? Can someone vote for Barak? You tell me.
3 comments:
Nice post here. Can someone be a Christian and vote Democrat? Of course. In my opinion, it'd be silly to think otherwise. If someone votes republican only because they are Christian and apparently Reblican is the Christian party (I don't particularly agree with the Republicans are Christians idea), then that person just followed their faith blindly. Of the worst things to do, I would say following faith blindly would be one of them. It is that same thinking that has caused countless "righteous" wars ... following faith blindly that is.
I'm a strong believer in freedom of choice. Everything one does, one chooses to do it. And, every action should have a strong base or reasoning to it. Having one reason and only one reason for doing anything is typically not the best situation.
Ok, extreme example. There is someone drowning in the middle of a river. You want to save them, so you jump in to swim out to them. Sadly, you aren't the best swimmer. Your only reason for jumping in had been that you wanted to save them. Now, you yourself need to be saved due to jumping with only that singular reason in mind. Had you thought it through, you could have grabbed a flotation device of some sort, realized that you should call 911, ... thinking through the situation rather than simply following based on a single belief is ... well ... ignorant (to be nice).
Am I saying that you shouldn't have faith? That you shouldn't make decisions on faith? Of course not. What I am saying, is that one should look at the total picture. That one should realize all the options and select the option that will result in the best outcome possible - with every single decision.
So, can a Christian vote democrat? Absolutely. I've actually never known a Christian to vote republican purposefully due to only being a Christian. If anything, the democrats, to me, have more Christian values than Republicans. Personally, I look at the candidate, look at what he/she will bring to the table, look at their beliefs and who they are, and then decide who I would like to lead our government for the next four years.
- Spencer Clark
The problem with democrats is that they always say "i think". However, just to make it clear, "Is God true or a liar? A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ period. If he says that no homosexual of effeminate or liar or adulterer will make it to heaven. What difference does it make what you and I think? When he says that not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will make it to heaven, what difference does it make what you or I think? You see the Christian message is to be the same as Christ's. Some say Democrats love their neighbors and yet promote the killing of babies (around 45 million) to date. You, democrats say homosexuality is natural and yet God calls it an abomination. Jesus did not feed everyone. He did not even heal everyone. He came to seek and to save and that is NOT the message of the Democratic Party which seeks to remove the Ten Commandments as a foundation of our country and a light to salvation. You talk about rights when Christ says you must give up your rights and follow Him. When everyone votes they are to vote based on Christ's view, not their own. Everyone has an opinion but that is not the issue. The issue is what does Christ say and follow, not blindly, but because what He says is ALWAYS true. Jesus said that there will always be the poor. When GOD create the Isreal nation, he did not say distribute taxes to the poor. He called for the all to give as God has prospered him. Bottom line, our goal should be saving souls which was Christ's. The Democrat agenda will never do that.
Interesting reply, but the last sentence leaves us with a bit of a problem... You said, "the Democrat agenda will never do that."
So, in your opinion, would the Republican agenda ever do that?
The problem is that party agendas are not supposed to save souls at all. I understand your dissatisfaction with the democrat party, but I don't think it's fair to accuse them on the grounds that their agenda does not save souls.
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