[This is part 1 of 9 in a series answering the question who American Christians should vote for in the 2024 Presidential election]
Intro – Biden – Trump – Issues Not Addressed – Third Parties
– Biblical View – Fear – Summary – Final Summary
Who Should I Vote For? Initial thoughts:
The issue of who to vote for has come up a couple of times this week in my conversations, and I thought it might be time to lay out my position a little more clearly. A couple of notes off the top:
1 – The Bible is my ultimate guide. If you are not a believer, or perhaps a believer that has a more flexible approach to the Bible, then this may not apply to you.
2 – I’m a pseudo-historian. That is, I have a Master’s Degree in History, but I’m not a professor or employed as a historian. So, as a consequence, I have some tendencies and ways of thinking that are “historical,” but not necessarily “academic.” If you don’t see the difference, then just assume I’m an historian and go with that.
3 – I will have to break this into multiple posts, because this is going to be book length, and I know you don’t have the attention span to listen to me ramble that long. I will however try to sum up in the last post, so hopefully that will make it easier.
First note: You Probably Aren’t in the Middle
Everybody feels like they are the middle. But the middle is what we decide it is. For example, in Europe, universal health care is “center.” It’s just kind of assumed as something developed countries do. Which they all do, except for the US. Here, it’s considered a “left” issue, and fairly far Left (Bernie Sanders left, not Biden Left). So, is it liberal, or is America really Right?
Everyone will say something they think is catchy but is overused:
“I’m too liberal for the conservatives but too conservative for the liberals.” No, my friend, you aren’t. If you vote a straight party ticket, you’re pretty much average, just like “most’ people (that’s what “average” means).
I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but I used to have people tell me “I’m not just a right winger,” but then they’ve voted straight Republican for 40 years. Maybe you aren’t. Maybe it just so happens that every Republican was the better candidate. Or maybe you’re a little more partisan than you think. Be honest enough with yourself to admit it, and then move forward.
That said, most people ARE in the middle of many issues. For instance, the vast majority of people want “some” assistance for the poor. The vast majority want “reasonable” limits on abortion. The vast majority want freedom of the press and religion. Yes, the loud crazies on either side get on the news, but most people don’t think that way. You probably know that for “your” side. Try assuming it’s the same for “their” side. We might not be as divided as media tries to make it appear.
Final note before I break this out into sections – if you believe one candidate is demonic, and the other isn’t, then I think you need to really step back and ask yourself if you’re looking at people the way God does. All people, liberal, conservative, socialist, fascist, are made in the image of God. If you enjoy watching others hurt when they lose, if you enjoy “sticking” to “Them,” if you enjoy the cruelty of the one-liners, then I think you might need to address some deeper spiritual issues than just who to vote for.
Ok, off we go.