10/5/24
Building People of Substance for Works of Power
It’s that time again: election season. I can tell because my phone is flooded with text messages asking for my money and my vote, the TV is non-stop vitriol, and at every intersection I see lots of tacky signs on sticks. I got a call last night from someone whose name showed up on my phone as “Donald J. Trump.” I don’t think so. I doubt anyone actually makes a decision based on all this rubbish. At least I hope not.
So, how should we decide who to vote for? I’d like to share three proverbs that have been helpful to me:
- First things first! Get registered to vote. NOW! If you don’t vote, you have no right to gripe about outcomes. Pray all you want, but faith without works is dead. After you’re registered, do some research on the candidates and the issues. That leads us to proverb #2.
- Place principles before personalities. There are plenty of people with charismatic personalities who have genuinely terrible ideas. There are others who may not be as attractive or articulate, but they share your values. I’d like to encourage you to vote according to principle.
- Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Part of that wisdom is to evaluate the promises made by a campaigning politician based on their past record. Do they keep their word? Most don’t. They are saying what they think you want to hear. Check the record!
So, what is a principle? It’s a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. It’s the things you believe that guide your choices. As a Christian, several things guide my vote: The sanctity of life (in all its stages), protection of minors, and protecting our national constitution, particularly the first amendment. Freedom of speech, religious exercise, and assembly are under an assault that threatens the infrastructure of the republic.
There’s still work to be done when it comes to the issue of abortion. I became a Christian in 1979. That meant I had to look for a candidate who believed in the preservation of life. I believe that life begins at conception. I believe that every effort must be made to allow that life to proceed to whatever result God intends. Being the image of God is not contingent on gestation length. Every human life is sacred. (For me that means all of them: babies, old people, and criminals)
I recognize that this position presents practical problems, the answers to which are not always obvious. In some cases there are serious conflicts between the well-being of the mother and the continued life of the child. In other cases a woman may have been impregnated by force or duress. There are serious moral and legal issues around these circumstances. We’re never going to see eye to eye on every issue in politics, but we can still try to influence the debate (and the culture) in a positive way.
It would be great if we could have open and honest discussions about these things, but it seems that the public forum is too divided right now to facilitate that. Most people fall somewhere between the two extremes of “the fetus can be aborted for any reason up to birth” and “every termination of a pregnancy by medical means is murder.” For purposes of an election, I’m looking for a candidate who recognizes the sanctity of human life and supports policies that seek to protect that life, while respecting the humanity and the distress of the mother.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the national debate has shifted somewhat. There are bills being proposed to establish a nationwide law on abortion, with both sides promoting their case. Positions on those bills are important. Also, since each state now has the power to regulate abortion, elections for state offices have become really important. It’s worth taking the time to look at what the candidates in your state and district are saying.
All that being said, please remember that our ultimate aim is to win the lost to faith in Christ. Jesus died for pregnant ladies in distress. Maybe a little prayer and compassion could save two lives. Remember also that the aftermath of abortion is often regret and shame. We have the balm for that wound. Our attitude comes from our Founder when He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Research sites:
Balletpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/
National Right to Life: https://nrlc.org/
The Goldwater Institute: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/
The Heritage Foundation: https://www.heritage.org/
VoteSmart: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
Next up: My biggest concern in this election.
Pastor Virgil
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85741
pastorvirgil.com 