Super Tuesday II is tomorrow. This is the primary race that goes on and on and on. And most likely it is not going to end tomorrow night, no matter what the results might be.
Because of all of this, I thought that this recently reported trend from the Barna Organization was particularly interesting and worth noting. The reason why this trend caught my attention is because I have been reading the book, UnChristian. In the book, UnChristian, the authors make note that many outside the church view Evangelical Christian as synonymous as being Republican. This view has become a barrier for the church in reaching out to those Jesus’ misses most, the least, the lost and the last. Here is an excerpt from the report:
Born Again Voters No Longer Favor Republican Candidates
Party has lost the allegiance of many born again voters. The November election is truly up for grabs – and if the election were held today, most born again voters would select the Democratic Party nominee for president, whoever that might be. The study also looks at the preferences of evangelicals, the role of “values voters,” and people’s beliefs about whether Mormons are Christians. Read these new insights into the future of our country and the role that people of faith are playing in it by clicking here.Born Again Voters 2008
I know that for me, my political views have become more moderated. In fact, this election cycle, I am for the first time in my life seriously considering not pulling the Republican lever.
What about you? Have your political loyalties and views shifted and changed over the years? If so, why?
Bill Reichart is a pastor at Big Creek Church in Forsyth County, GA. He blogs at his personal blog, Provocative Church and his ministry blog, Ministry Best Practices.
Relevant Christian 
Absolutely!
Oh I’ve definitely started to teeter on my party association. I’m Christian, military and a gun-nut – so I have a lot of directions from which my political stances originate. It used to be – for me – that being a republican was sufficient for them all, but not in the last couple of years. I want a faithful president (well, one as faithful as our government and population allows them to be); but I’m also sick of working/deploying twice as much because our military numbers are so low – more with less was a bad idea; finally – I want to keep my guns, and the right to use them. The histories behind the current lineup – Dem or Rep – have me in fear from all directions; almost as if I’m going to lose ‘something’ no matter which way I go.
For the first time in many years we have a republican candidate who actually cares about social issues other than abortion and gay marriage. We have a candidate who cares about the environment. We have a candidate who wants to end pork barrel spending. We have a candidate who understands the terror threat and wants the war to end but does not want to fight a worse one later. We have a candidtate who wants to secure our borders but who also knows it’s impractical to think we can “round up” 12 million people and push them back across the border. We have a candidate who has a proven record of being able to work with those not in his party. We have a candidate who knows the out sourced jobs aren’t coming back and so we need to focus on job creation and training not just wishful thinking. How any Republican or Independant could vote for Senator Clinton with a 97% voting record of sticking with her party or Senator Obama with a 96% record, or a canidate who want universal health care (translate that the tax payer pays), or a unilateral foreign policy (we bend over backwards to get foreign governments to like us but get no guarantees in return) is truly beyond my understanding.
No, to answer your question. Christian does not equal Republican. But this time the Republican does address a wide spectrum of issues.
Absolutely Not…I am with you Bill….the more I learn about the political candidates the more I am inclined to vote other than Republican.
Remember the good old days when it was a no-brainer to vote for the Republican candidate. Man I miss Reagan!
I would have to admit though that if Huckabee were the Republican candidate, he would get my vote.
Is there such a think as a “pro-choice” Christian? That’s almost as bad as asking if there is such a thing as a pro-final solution Jew.
All humans are sinners, but The Miami 666 preacher is more likely to be a democrat.
William…here is where I usually get a lot of flack from friends…I will not vote for someone just because they are pro-life or pro-choice. Sure…I take it into consideration…but it in now way is the final say on the way I vote.
Don’t get me wrong…I am a Republican….but I have voted Democratic a few times…it has usually been for local office.
i think we do our country a disservice if the only reason we vote for a candidate is whether or not they are pro-life.
Lengthy discussion going on at C. Michael Patton’s blog Reclaiming the Mind about the abortion issue. And if Christians can be pro-choice. and how they “should” vote.
Jimmy–What problems do you have with McCain?
None really….
My two choices were Fred Thompson or Mike Huckabee….but alas…
My only point really is that I don’t vote for someone just because they may happen to be pro-life.
This is a good lively discussion…I used to vote straight down the ticket believing that anyone else besides a Republican wasn’t an option for me as a Christian. I am not convinced of that anymore…one of the biggest issues that has swayed me toward this view has been the pro-life issue. I have voted Republican because I really cared for the un-born. I still do, but what have my votes gotten me…nothing. I have put too much hope and expectation on politicians to do the right and courageous thing…and most of the time they have offered empty promises in order to get my vote. I am tired of being used. (watch the documentary “With God on Our Side: George W. Bush and the Rise of the Religious Right in America” if you have any questions of how the evangelical community has been taken advantage of by politicians over the years)
Will I vote for a Democrat in the fall? Not sure, it depends. But at least I feel as if I have the freedom to weigh the issues and choose and not just blindly pull the lever. Will I still speak out and fight for the unborn, of course…but I am not convinced that political power is the best solution to bring about change.
I don’t think that my personal views have changed that much, but the Republican party has. They seem to be doing everything they can to attract the liberal vote. So I haven’t left the party…but the party has left me. There is no longer a major party that represents the moderate-yet-conservative viewpoint.
If you pick a candidate only on pro-choice vs. pro-life, you are woefully off course.
Like it or not, the abortion issue is largely settled law that is unlikely to change. We have national security and economic issues that are far more likely to topple this country. We need to address these first. Then we can talk abortion.
Just stumbled in here…
I’m an evangelical and Obama supporter. I don’t agree with my candidate on everything, and some of those things are serious. Abortion is the most important. That said, I use what has happened under Ronald Reagan’s 2 terms, George Bush 1’s 1 term, and George Bush 2’s 2 terms, as my main reason for rethinking a single-issue vote. In short, twenty years of Republican Presidents has done very little to nil in pushing back Roe v. Wade. I honestly do not believe any Supreme Court, not matter how conservative, will repeal Roe at this point. (Don’t believe me? Read up on the deep background behind the Webster decision, the one time since 1973 that Roe was in deep trouble.) That dog will no longer hunt.
We’ve got to come up with alternative ways of addressing abortion, which may be in part actually working with pro-choice forces to further empower mothers so that abortion is less and less an attractive option. We can also — and here I go into uncharted waters, since I’m not sure of this site’s theological center — at least consider feminist / womanist theologies (a conservative version of these represented by http://cbeinternational.org ).
Just some thoughts…
Jesus Christ COULD have expressed concern over abortion and homosexuality – which existed in his day, and long before -. But INSTEAD he expressed concern over the issues which have concerned liberals over the centuries and Democrats for the past 70 years : justice and fairness for the victims of injustice and exploitation.
How can Republicans claim to be the authentic followers of Jesus, while opposing most of the liberal positions which Jesus took, on the grounds that they are against abortion and homosexuality, issues which didn’t even bother Jesus ???
All those who are serious about following Jesus are invited to discover http://LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/Christlike and become “Liberals Like Christ”.
Communism looks great on paper, but doesn’t always happen. Just remember that when you go vote for your president today. I think that while our economy and housing market is in the crapper right now, it is terrible for one of our candidates to be accepting money for his campaign from one of the largest lenders.
We as Christians should also grieve in our hearts the same things that grieves the heart of God. One of those is abortion, for even David talks about God being present with him in the womb. There is a plan for each one of our lives and for us to make that choice of taking that away is us taking over God’s role.
Another one that grieves God’s heart is homosexuality. The bible is very clear on this being an abomination upon God’s great design.
While these two issues do not need to solely comprise the campaign trail of any candidate, it is necessary to take these into serious consideration.