Thoughts on the Upcoming Elections

Excerpted from "Thoughts on the Upcoming Election," The Chuck Colson Center, by Dr. Timothy George. August 27, 2012--Earlier this year, in the midst of the presidential primary season, I was asked to address a group of Southern Baptist pastors on the question of Christian faith and political engagement. Though no one knew for sure who the candidates would be at that time, the first question I was asked was, “How should an evangelical Christian decide who to support in this election?” That was a legitimate question, and has prompted me to think of some wider implications.

1. We should be grateful to live in a representative democracy where the right to vote and the rule of law are respected. Vote!
   
2. The American republic was founded on a clear distinction between church and state, as the First Amendment shows, but this has never meant the separation of faith from public life. What we believe about ultimate matters has a direct bearing on how we deal with issues of everyday life. Distinguish!
   
3. In the Manhattan Declaration, Chuck Colson, Robert George and I (Dr. Timothy George) made a public argument, based on biblical wisdom and the right use of reason, that the three most pressing moral issues of our time are the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death, marriage as a lifelong covenantal union of one man and one woman and religious freedom for all persons. Of course, there are other issues that also call for Christian engagement: racial reconciliation, care of creation, immigration, education, care for the poor and sex trafficking, among many others. But today, life, marriage and freedom are threshold issues that provide a basis for our concern about many other things. They are also the issues most under assault at this moment in our culture. Discern!
   
4. There is a difference between Christian discernment and partisan politics. The Kingdom of Christ cannot be equated with any political party. Examine!

Regardless of who wins the election in November, the spiritual and moral issues that ought to inform our political acts will remain on the agenda. In seeking to make a wise decision based on a rightly informed conscience, we need to listen to God’s voice in the Scriptures, learn as much as we can about the candidates and what they stand for, and turn to God in prayer. These words spoken by God to the people of Israel long ago are still pertinent today: “If my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I’ll be there ready for you: I’ll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health” (2 Chronicles 7:14, MSG). Pray! Click here to read full article.

Commentary

CMDA CEO David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics): "The most astute thing I can say to Timothy George’s piece is, ‘Amen,’ though I would like to expand upon one comment. Dr. George comments that we should each ‘learn as much as we can about the candidates.’ What should we learn?

“While getting my evening exercise the other night, I listened to the Your Move iTunes podcast of Andy Stanley’s August 19th sermon in his series ‘Recovery Road.’ He hit the nail on the head as he related the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls for Jerusalem. Nehemiah not only used his own funds to pay the debts of downtrodden Jews so they could focus on building the wall, but he also faced down the local wealthy Jews who endeavored to loan the poor even more money knowing that Nehemiah would cover their debts. Nehemiah called a meeting to confront them and they all backed down, swearing to never charge interest to another Jew. Why? Because Nehemiah didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk. Though the Persian king made him governor, he did not levy taxes or enrich himself from the powerful position he held for more than 10 years.
“What did Nehemiah have? He had incredible integrity in every aspect of his life which gave him moral authority as a leader. He was trustworthy.
“Personal integrity does matter, especially for those in politically powerful positions. If a candidate for any office does not have personal integrity, we shouldn't vote for him or her. If they aren't generous with their own money in taking care of the poor, how can we trust them to spend our money wisely to take care of the disadvantaged? If they don't manage their own funds well, how can they wisely manage our tax money? If they are dishonest in their speech, how we can trust that they are telling us the truth? If they are unfaithful to their spouse, how can we believe they will keep the promises they make to us? If they devalue a helpless unborn life, how can they truly value our lives and liberties?
“It makes little difference whether a candidate is a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Tea Party candidate. If they have integrity, they are going to be able to honestly and faithfully work with others in government to deal with the huge problems we have in this country. What we need to learn about each candidate is not whether they are the member of the party we favor but simply this, ‘Are they a Nehemiah?’"