The Monday Muse: Single Issue Politics?
A few weeks ago I posed a question concerning the involvement of Christians in the political process. Jumping on the back of that question, I want to address another question relating to Christians and politics. It seems that conservative, evangelical Christians are often branded as single issue voters. What is the single issue? Abortion. Some thoughtful Christians argue that we must think and vote more broadly. They say that abortion is not the only issue to consider when voting for an elected official. On the other side of the coin, there are other thoughtful Christians who argue that abortion is the preeminent issue amongst all of the issues. Yes, we must consider the other issues but abortion trumps them in importance. So let’s put it on the table.
Does the issue of abortion carry greater weight and importance than all other issues? Or should we think more broadly even it leads us to vote for a pro-choice candidate?
Since this is a hot topic, please be respectful when engaging one another. In other words…play nice.
2 Comments
Mindy
Yes, I do believe we must go beyond that topic when voting for a president or any public official. Since this nation is not a theocracy, we as citizens cannot expect the laws of the land to follow the moral compass God would have it follow.
Even though the law of the land is that I could have an abortion, I choose not to because the Lord directs my life. That is the crux of this abortion issue; not if abortion is legal, but what people choose to do with that law. So, when it comes to a president of this country, I vote on economic issues. Now, that doesn’t mean I throw any moral characteristics of the candidate out of consideration. Instead, I vote on a mixture of morals and economics.
Jeff Lash
I agree and disagree with you. I agree that we need to think broadly when considering public policy and political candidates. We need to think of the implications of each issue so we can understand the policies of the candidates we are considering.
Here’s the dilemma…what happens when no one completely embodies your political views? I would guess that’s where the majority of people find themselves. You have to make a decision as to what issues are most important. Some people would want to put all issues on a level playing field. I think that is naive. Neither the issues themselves nor their implications can be viewed in this way.
This is a deciding factor for me. The results of abortion are not the same as the results of global warming. Should we take care of our planet? Yes. If I had to choose between a pro-life candidate with an opposing view on global warming and a pro-choice candidate with a positive view on global warming and taking care of the earth, I choose the pro-life candidate. Global warming (debated) doesn’t necessarily lead to the loss of life, at least directly. Abortion does. So for me, abortion and the death penalty are preeminent issues. And with abortion, we are talking about the rights of the defenseless. They can’t stand up for themselves.
I can hold out hope that a candidate will emerge someday who holds all of my views. I am not optimistic. I agree it is not a theocracy and we shouldn’t expect it to be. But we do have the ability to influence culture by the way we vote.