Good Christians should vote Republican. You hear this statement all the time from Christian people when asked why they voted for the president and other Republican candidates. We’ve seen it from time to time in our own forums. The Republican Party has done a great job of convincing otherwise intelligent people that they will burn in Hell, if they vote for Democrats. Just listen to the recent rhetoric from Sarah Palin in a recent interview with James Dobson for Focus on the Family. She said, “God would do the right thing on Election Day.”
They have equated being a good Christian with being a Republican. In the documentary With God on Our Side: George W Bush and the Rise of the Religious Right in America, the evolution of this belief can be seen. Then they attempted to use the same tactics to court married couples by equating marriage and children with the same idea. In the documentary, David Frum, a former White House speech writer, articulated this belief. He said, “Are you married and do you have children? If you are, you’re probably a Republican. If you don’t, you’re probably not.”
As a married woman with children who attends Mass every Sunday, I was offended. I consider myself a liberal as well as a person of faith. Yes, we do exist. And in surprisingly larger numbers than some Republicans realize. According to most polls, nearly 90% of Americans believe in God and since about half the people voted Democrat in the last few elections, it can be assumed that not all people who believe in God vote Republican. The Democratic leadership must stop allowing the party to be cast as the evil, godless, hell bound party.
They are not only hijacking our election process and constitution, but God as well. To use God as a political tool is disgusting. These are not men of faith or followers of Jesus. They are hypocrites of the worst kind. They have people of faith fooled into believing they are one of them. They are not. Jesus was very clear about what he wanted us to do with our time on earth. More than anything else, Jesus commanded his followers to take care of each other. A consistent theme of caring for the poor and those unable to care for themselves can be seen in the words of Jesus.
Excess, greed, lying and selfishness existed in the officials of His time as well. Jesus stood in the temple calling them hypocrites. Abuse of power was rampant. Jesus didn’t remain quiet. He denounced tax collectors because they abused their authority at the expense of the common man. His criticisms of the religious and governmental leaders of the time are what ultimately lead to his crucifixion.
At the most basic level, to be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ and to aspire to live your life according to His teachings. If Jesus were president of the United States, what would He be doing? Would He be cutting the budget and taking heating oil away from the low income elderly, while dumping buckets of money into Iraq? Would He vote against extending health care benefits to children of the working poor, as John McCain did? Certainly not. Would He be waging war and causing untold death, pain and suffering? Would He be cutting taxes for the very wealthy, while ignoring our schools and the poor? Jesus was a progressive. He challenged those in power. His message is one of compassion and caring for those less fortunate.
To reach out to people of faith, this is what Democrats should be talking about. The Republicans have done a great job in making many religious people feel they have to side with them, and they use the pro life issue for leverage. Democrats need to show that their overall social agenda most mirrors the values held by most mainstream Christians and those expressed by Jesus during his time on Earth.
Jesus told us what we need to do to be his followers. Jesus said to Peter “feed my sheep.” How is this interpreted as cutting money used in food pantry programs? The food pantry programs at my own church and others around the country are struggling to feed the needy since they are now getting less funding and the current economic crisis has left a larger number of hungry families in need of help. Republican talking points ignore the true message of Jesus and focus on issues that inflame and divide. Never once in Jesus’ ministry did he speak of homosexuality. Yet, squashing the rights of gay couples has become a huge crusade in this administration and many in the Republican Party. This plays on fears and prejudice.
The abortion issue is held up as evidence of the evil of the Democratic candidates and a mandate for good Christians to vote against them. This is one thing the Democrats can’t avoid. Most people of faith aren’t crazy about abortion. They have been brainwashed into the Republican Party to vote solely on this issue. They must stand by the Republicans because they are Pro Life. O.K., so if this is true then there must be fewer abortions when Republicans are in office. Right? Wrong.
Eight years with Reagan, four with George HW, and five with George W, and no real changes. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease control, abortions dramatically decreased during the Clinton Administration. Yes, Clinton who is portrayed as evil incarnate by the Republican Party. The last year of George H.W.’s administration, 1,359,146 abortions were reported to the CDC. That number dropped every year of Clinton’s presidency. By the time he left office, the number was 857,475. That’s right; abortions were nearly cut in half during Clinton’s presidency.
This information wasn’t difficult to find; it’s available on the CDC’s website. Why haven’t I hear this during recent campaigns? The Democrats really need to wake up and fight back against this smear campaign by the Republican Party. An interesting side note, the highest abortion numbers in the last years of Clinton’s administration were reported in Florida and Texas, where the Bush Brothers were Governor.
Why did this happen? To repeat an often used phrase, it’s the economy, stupid. The economy improved dramatically over the course of Clinton’s presidency. Consider this possibility: Woman #1 has discovered she is pregnant. She and her boyfriend/husband both have good jobs and adequate health insurance. The economy is strong and their jobs are secure. Woman #2 just found out her boyfriend/husband is getting laid off due to closing/downsizing/factory moving to Mexico. The economy is bad and the company has to consolidate or close. She has health insurance through his job, but can’t afford to pay the premium once he’s laid off. The economy is bad and the job market tight. He hasn’t found a new job yet. Which woman will have her baby and which will feel she has no choice but to seek an abortion?
Too many liberals are responding with a knee jerk reaction. We don’t have to be opposite on every issue. Most Democrats believe in God. Being a Democrat doesn’t mean you are evil. This idea is the result of Republican brainwashing with a twisted view of God and religion. Democrats need to show people of faith that their party is the one who most reflects the values of Jesus. The Democratic party is the one that takes care of those in need and works to help working families and support education. These are the things I want to hear from our candidates. The Democrats have been spineless in the last few election cycles and have allowed the Party to be painted as unholy and evil. Democrats need to fight back against the idea that to believe in God means you are required to vote for Republicans, and they need to start now.