“…is it surprising that today we have become so morally blind (for wickedness blinds) that we save the baby whales at great cost, and murder millions of unborn children?”
~ Alice von Hildebrand, The Privilege of Being a Woman, p.24
Political Discernment
If an Indiana Jones fan, you’ll remember that scene where the gentleman selected the wrong cup, drank from it and rapidly disintegrated into a pile of dust. Afterward, the old knight remarked, “He chose poorly.”
How can one reliably discern which political candidates will best serve you? Well, if you’re an atheist, anarchist or homosexual, any ole candidate will do. But, if the bookends of your world view are the Old Testament and the New Testament, or if you have only one of those on which to pin your life perspective, you probably have a set of values characterized as the Judeo-Christian ethic.
According to the Bible, the Word of God, every word, is right “to those who have found knowledge”. So, how does this work for me? How can I discern candidates whose values align with my Judeo-Christian worldview?
A Brief Tour of the Bill of Rights
Before we go further, let’s review an important phrase in the Declaration of Independence.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ~ Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Life, an unalienable right? Yes, life. Let’s also consider this simple phrase.
We the People of the United States, in Order to…secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ~ Preamble to the Constitution
By omission of some words I intentionally draw focus to one word: Posterity – all future generations. Our posterity is all our future generations, all the unborn Americans. All life is precious, a gift from God.
The Bill of Rights is based on the Right to Life. For example, the Second Amendment wasn’t added to assure us the right to “keep and bear arms”. It was added because within the scope of the Right to Life we have a right to self-defense. The whole of the Bill of Rights exists to support this Right to Life: liberty, freedom from self-incrimination, preservation of property essential to preservation of life, and so on.
The Bottom Line on Endorsements
I have learned an important truth: first and foremost, if a candidate is genuinely pro-life, he or she will have the best chance of getting everything else right.
A second factor is spiritual life. Is the candidate a faithful member of a local church or synagogue?
Third: what is the candidate’s track record? To what office(s) has the candidate been elected? What is his/her record on volunteer service? How has he/she participated in LOCAL leadership by way of political party or community organizations? What have they published?
Almost as important to me as the first is knowledge of history – not education (degrees), but knowledge.
Summary
2012 elections are upon us. People rapidly latch onto one favorite candidate or another. The Bible admonishes, “lay hands suddenly on no man…”. Let’s be thoughtful about whom we support for public office. Furthermore, let’s not allow ourselves to fall victim to the “halo effect”.
Above all, keep in mind we are vetting candidates for the PRIMARY races, not the general election. Your favorite may not make it through the primaries.
