Why Christian Republicans Should Vote for Obama

My wife and I are Bible-believing Christians and registered Republicans. This year we will vote for Barack Obama, and we encourage others to do so, too.

The American electorate has come to believe that Bible-believing Christians should vote for Republicans automatically, especially for national offices. I nowadays only rarely find a Republican for whom I can vote – not because I am a Democrat, but because I am a Christian. The present alliance between the political and the religious right has encouraged the belief that to be a Christian is to support policies that openly favor and protect the rich at the expense of the poor, as well as policies that favor military intervention over efforts to find peaceful solutions. Present-day priorities are revealed starkly by our comparative spending for making war, on the one hand, and for guaranteeing an opportunity for the pursuit of happiness or at least the relief of human suffering, on the other. As Republican President Eisenhower once said,

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who are hungry and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.”

Anyone familiar with the Bible knows that many present-day Republican policies contradict the plainest teachings of Jesus and his apostles.

As a child in grade school, I was taught that a primary difference between our own system of government and fascist or communist systems is their belief that the end justifies the means. I was taught that our nation, instead, is built on the belief that certain acts and policies are simply wrong, however useful they may be in gaining even worthwhile ends, because they conflict with basic individual rights and freedoms. I am afraid that our leaders in the past eight years have forgotten this heritage by suspending the most fundamental rights of citizens in the name of more efficient surveillance, by “justifying” torture of detainees by the claim that it is an effective way to get information, and by "justifying" preemptive war, too, in a utilitarian way, as a useful way to promote our national economic and geo-political interests. Does the end really justify the means after all, or have we started to betray our most basic principles as a people?

Republican President Theodore Roosevelt always insisted that conservatism should have something to do with conservation, with conserving what has genuine value. The list of things that deserve to be conserved is no doubt much longer, but surely it contains:

Honoring and protecting basic individual rights and freedoms;
Policies that lessen instead of increasing human suffering;
Equal opportunity for all individuals to rise to the level of their ability and willingness to work hard;
Provision of a base-line level of living beneath which human beings – simply because they are human beings – should not be allowed to sink;
Protection of the environment;
Policies that are fair to future generations and not just to presently existing people;
Promotion of peace, tolerance, and mutual respect among all nations.

If it turns out to be the destiny of the Republican Party as a whole to continue lock-step in its present drift toward military intervention and economic imperialism abroad, as well as deception, secret-police tactics, and social Darwinism at home, then my wife and I, however reluctantly, will cut all ties to the grand old party and work for needed changes as Independents. At present, we think that the only responsible choice for us as Christians and old-style Republicans is to vote for Barack Obama.

Comments (7)

Georgine

You say you are a Christian so I challenge you to stand on the Word of God. Not the word of the world. The word of the world cries out with empty words about human rights. It makes us feel like we care more than others but there is no accountability to God. Psalm 139 states very clearly that God knows us while we are still in the womb and yet your list of things to be considered did not include anything about the injustice to life in the womb. Don't tell me they are not humans till they come out of the womb because that is just geography and does not fool God for one minute. I am tired of the empty words of the world crying out for human rights when the right to be human is being denied at a very brutal level....

[Note from website publisher: Certain ad hominem statements have been deleted by the website publisher from this comment in order to comply with this website's rules about disallowing unfounded attacks against human beings. We favor discussion of ideas, but disallow attacks on the character or behavior of others unless sources or facts are cited]

Anyone can say they are a Christian but unless you are truly standing on the word of God, you are not in relationship with the savior of this world. The Lord Jesus Christ who bore the sins of the world on his back to save the likes of Barak Obama and all the misguided people that would vote for him. I won't even go into the sanctity of marriage only between a man and woman. Obama is highly funded by the gay rights crowd. Read your bible and get right with God before you call yourself a Christian. Stand on the Word of God. He loves everyone and wants everyone to come to HIM! He is hungry for relationship with us because He loves us. He died for us! Please seek Him in prayer and read His word. Just because someone says he is a Christian, does not make it so. Are you living your life for Christ and trusting on His wisdom or trusting in the wisdom of government and smooth talking people to make this world a better place? The old testament is filled with stories of God promising to go into battle with His people and many times He told them to kill everyone and take no prisoners. God is sovereign and knows better than us in dealing with the enemy and that includes detainees! Again, read the Word of God. People think they have all the answers. Open the Book!!

Posted by Georgine | October 31, 2008 2:16 PM

Posted on October 31, 2008 14:16

Erica

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I too am a committed Christian who has always voted republican but feel as you do. And I must respectfully share that the above post is also exactly what is wrong with what is going on in the Republican party. To question someone's faith when he/she is not going to vote for the GOP is a violation of Paul's admonition to withhold judgment of a brother when he/she is acting according to conscience. All of this demonizing of democrats is so sad and a blot on the church's character. Thank you so much for your courage. I am sure you have had to deal with more than one irate Christian.

Posted by Erica | November 1, 2008 10:18 AM

Posted on November 1, 2008 10:18

Angelo Lopez

Thank you Stephen for your faith and your support of Obama. I agree with Erica that the demonization of Democrats and the questioning of motives is a big problem. I salute your courageous stand. Perhaps more old-style Republicans like you can fight to make the GOP more fair and remember its progressive Republican past.

Posted by Angelo Lopez | November 1, 2008 12:46 PM

Posted on November 1, 2008 12:46

As a true follower of Jesus, I am disappointed in the results of the election....
That is so sad. Human rights seems to be the common chant of the liberal, but what happened to the right to be human? I am a Christian. A follower of Jesus Christ and I am truly sad for the future of our great country.
Even though I voted for righteousness, I will pray for the winner. That is what the Bible says to do...

Posted by Georgine | November 24, 2008 6:48 PM

Posted on November 24, 2008 18:48

s_hunterii

How can you as followers of Jesus Christ be happy with voting for a guy that is in favor and promotes the killing of innocent babies at almost any stage of pregnancy. That is directly against what God wants and you should be ashamed for supporting as Christians a man that promotes abortion! I agree that the newer age Republican party has some major short comings, but I will not abandon that, I will do what I can to make it better! We need to get back to having a Kingdom of Consciousness! and we can only do that if our elected officials are honoring and always putting God first! The Bible says that our rulers are God appointed-That doesnt men they're all Godly- but we must Pray for them. I am not happy with Obama at all-He has made us less safe, He has spent more money then ever before in our entire US history combined, and he threatens our liberties and freedoms everyday by making us more like a socialist state! But as a God fearing Christian Man at 27 years old I will pray for him and our country every night when I get down on my knees and praise God for my Life!!!

Posted by s_hunterii | April 11, 2009 1:44 PM

Posted on April 11, 2009 13:44

Posted by s_hunterii | April 11, 2009 1:45 PM

Posted on April 11, 2009 13:45

Alisa Weidenheimer

So how is the change going for you? Is this the change you were expecting after all? So you have all the answers that republicans should vote for Obama? All political parties are corrupted, both democrats and republicans. Everyone voted out of emotions... Please study the facts. The government has grown so big that contributed tax hikes and loss of jobs in small businesses. How can anyone trust Barack Obama who has no track record and has no active bill in the senate when he was a senator. Each one of us is hypocrisy! God is so much bigger than anything... God chose him for this position, and people will realized that God is in control. He wants us to come to Him. He is the provider, not the government! He provides us to people who need help, He provides animals for food, etc. It's not up to the government to decide what we should do. Each of us has a unique skill and a purpose in everything. if you look at other socialist country regarding social order, it always fails. America has been a bless nation for so long. Amen!

Posted by Alisa Weidenheimer | August 27, 2009 4:40 AM

Posted on August 27, 2009 04:40

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