Emergency Election Day Post

I was not planning to bring too much election politics into this blog, but some rhetoric today from those confessing to be Christians has thoroughly disgusted me. I have found too many words of hatred and slander to keep silent. Particularly, I have in mind the accusations of Obama being a terrorist. It is well known that multiple news agencies have investigated the allegations and have found no evidence of a serious relationship between Bill Ayers and Barack Obama. In the absence of any real evidence, it seems to me that the accusations, even implied accusations, are nothing but slander, an activity of which those confessing Christ as their Lord should repent.

I have also been vexed by the marriage between fiscal conservatism and evangelical Christianity. If a Christian finds herself in favor of conservative economic policies, that is fine. However, to suggest that someone who is in favor of policies that are most beneficial to the poor, the meek, the orphaned, and the widowed is somehow holding to an anti-Christian view seems nothing short of bizarre to me. I don't mean that a Christian cannot support fiscally conservative views, but to declare liberal economic policies apostasy seems disingenuous to me.

On the issue of abortion, I am in disagreement with Obama and the Democratic platform in general. I see pro-life to be the stance that favors a disadvantaged party and thus support legislating against abortion. However, this is not the only issue at stake. Christians must weigh all issues on the table. There are good reasons, congruent with Christianity, for voting Republican and there are good reasons, congruent with Christianity, for voting Democrat.

The Christian must remember that the ideology of neither party fully represents the gospel. As a result, the actions of the state will not fully manifest the Kingdom of God. This situation should not inspire a lack of hope in the Christian. Jesus, contrary to messianic expectations at the time, did not bring into being a new theocratic state. His kingdom is near, but has not yet arrived. It will not fully arrive until the resurrection of the dead and the enactment of the new creation (Rom. 8).

For now we ought to vote in the way that we think best favors the gospel, but we ought not vote in an attempt to create God's Kingdom out of our political institutions. Jesus is Lord and he will bring his kingdom. That is the foundational creed of Christianity.