Jun 26 2008
A Political Post - and a Disclaimer
First, the disclaimer: as Christians, our hope is not in leaders or in governments, but in Christ. If we put our hopes anywhere else, we’re guaranteed of disappointment.
Secondly, I caught two interesting articles today, one on the Supreme Court’s decision in the Second Amendment case, and the second on the possibility of evangelicals staying away from the elections this fall.
The SCOTUS decision was interesting in that it showed that the court was willing to address such fundamental issues. From YahooNews:
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices’ first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.
The court’s 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia’s 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.
The Constitution does not permit “the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home,” [Justice] Scalia said. The court also struck down Washington’s requirement that firearms be equipped with trigger locks.
What’s troubling is that it was a 5-4 decision. The next president will likely appoint 2-3 new justices to the court; what happens if the wrong guy gets elected and those new justices are Ginsberg or Souter clones? Hard times for civil liberties…
That leads to the other article, also from YahooNews, which suggests that evangelicals might sit out this election because John McCain is hardly a social conservative.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - If Christian conservatives stay on the sidelines during the fall campaign, presidential hopeful John McCain probably stays in the Senate.
Christian conservatives provided much of the on-the-ground, door-to-door activity for President Bush’s 2004 re-election in Ohio and in other swing states. Without them, the less-organized and lower-profile McCain campaign is likely to struggle to replicate Bush’s success. And so far, there’s been scant sign that the Republican nominee-in-waiting is making inroads among these fervent believers.
“I don’t know that McCain’s campaign realizes they cannot win without evangelicals,” said David Domke, a professor of communication at the University of Washington who studies religion and politics. “What you see with McCain is just a real struggle to find his footing with evangelicals.”
Family groups in Ohio outlined their doubts about the Arizona senator in a meeting with McCain’s advisers last weekend. They’re concerned about his record on abortion rights and on campaign finance laws that they believe limited their ability to criticize candidates who are pro-choice on abortion.
McCain is damaged goods as far as many (including me) are concerned, but he’s all we have. Hopefully, he will choose a good social conservative VP, like Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal. If you’re concerned that future Supreme Court decisions could go the wrong way, hold your nose and vote for John McCain. Damaged goods are better than no goods at all.
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June 28th, 2008 at 22:09 pm
True, McCain likely can’t win without Evangelicals. But, if he wins with Evangelicals, what will that tell him (and the party and future candidates) about Evangelicals? It will tell them that they can carry this vote simply by being less odious than the alternative. That does not seem to me as if the Evangelical vote is bringing any salt or light to the country or the culture. As you said, God is in charge, regardless of the results of any election. He can prolong or shorten the life of any president, candidate, Supreme Court justice - or nation. Should we live our lives - or base our votes - on the conventions of man and the fears of the flesh, or on the word of God?
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June 29th, 2008 at 22:51 pm
Night Writer,
Welcome. Obviously we are to live our lives in accordance with Scripture, and not the conventions of man. Ideally, those would coincide, but they certainly don’t in this case.
What do you do when none of the political candidates are godly men? Hold your nose and vote the the person who will do the least damage to the values you hold essential? I think that’s where a lot of conservatives are in this election. Bob Barr (Libertarian) is probably going to get a lot of protest votes from disgruntled Republicans this time around.
June 30th, 2008 at 18:33 pm
Yes, it’s difficult, and something I struggle with. But isn’t voting for the lesser of two evils still voting for evil? Will I one day have to explain my vote to God? (Of course He’d already know - and already knows - what my vote is/was) but can I explain my reasoning? Does God’s view extend beyond four-year cycles? Is this the point where I raise a standard and say, “Here I stand, I can do (and vote) no other?”
June 30th, 2008 at 19:49 pm
Night Writer:
Great point. God’s view is certainly bigger than ours. You said in your previous comment: That does not seem to me as if the Evangelical vote is bringing any salt or light to the country or the culture. Does a non-vote accomplish that? I’m not sure, but maybe it does in this case. Bob Barr is now running as a Libertarian and he had one of the most conservative ratings in his congress. I’ve considered a protest vote his way, but the Libertarians are little too loosey-goosey on prostitution and drugs for my taste. Maybe we’re better off, and a better witness, if we just abstain this November.
July 1st, 2008 at 23:09 pm
I think we need to vote, because I see it as a God-given right. It is your voice in saying what you believe and what you will or will not support, even if you have no chance of “winning”. I believe that in politics, as in economics, you get more of whatever you subsidize. If you subsidize “liberal-lite” candidates and policies that’s what you’ll see more of - again because they can position themselves as being “not as bad” as the alternative, knowing they’ve got you. Whether you compromise on a mainstream candidate because he’s not as bad as the alternative, or vote for a fringe candidate, your views are still being marginalized. Your conscience, however, can be clear.
I have no time for those who said, after the last elections, “You silly Evangelicals/Conservatives, you sat it out and look what we got is even worse! You’re to blame!” First, me not getting on the boat had nothing to do with it hitting the iceberg; you can thank the captain and officers for that. Why should I get on a boat that’s going in a direction I don’t want to go? It just means I’ll be even further away from where I want to be when it finally does get turned around. Second, there will always be a choice for freedom for those who honor it, even if their voice is like one crying in the wilderness, showing that there is and should be a difference. We cannot be that difference unless we live it so others can see it. Honor God before Country, and Country before Party. Perhaps we can be the anchor point that causes the whole ship to come around.
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