Kevin Ruiz
As one who has the blessings and responsibilities of a child of God, the Christian must cast his ballot only after a thoughtful and submissive consideration of his Father’s will. When voting, the child of God does his part not only in determining the candidate elected to office but also, to a certain extent, the direction in which the local or national moral compass will turn. A party’s platform sets forth its position on numerous issues from the economy to the environment. Many issues relate to matters of opinion, such as how to fix the economy. There are, however, some issues that rise to a much higher level of concern because they are matters of good and evil as established by God. These faith issues are the issues that must take precedence for the Christian over matters of opinion.
Political parties change. Parties’ views and values of fifty years ago have changed. The Word of God, however, has not and will not change. We must never be more loyal to a political party than we are to our Heavenly Father. Brothers and sisters, if the party we have long stood with supports same-sex marriage and legalized abortion, it is time to show that our loyalty is with God, not men.
How sad it is when children of God embrace the belief that there is nothing wrong with induced abortion. The Bible teaches that the body without the spirit is dead, and thus, by implication, that God gives the spirit, enabling life to begin, at conception (James 2:26). The sanctity of unborn human life is clearly established in Exodus 21:22-25. The life of an unborn child is shown to be of equal value to that of a man—to the extent that if a man caused the death of an unborn child, he paid with his life! Some of us have been under the impression that there are times when an abortion must be performed to save the life of the mother. Is this truly the case?
American Life League’s (www.all.org) medical advisors say the answer is a simple, unequivocal “no”—and any claim to the contrary is bogus. And many doctors across the country agree. American Life League circulated a statement (3/00) concerning this position to a select number of doctors around the country. More than 100 physicians have signed the statement — including former abortionists Bernard Nathanson and Beverly McMillan. The statement reads, “I agree that there is never a situation in the law or in the ethical practice of medicine where a preborn [unborn] child’s life need be intentionally destroyed by procured abortion for the purpose of saving the life of the mother. A physician must do everything possible to save the lives of both of his patients, mother and child. He must never intend the death of either.”
While he was the United States Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop stated publicly that in his thirty-eight years as a pediatric surgeon, he was never aware of a single situation in which a preborn child’s life had to be taken in order to save the life of the mother. He said that the use of this argument to justify abortion in general was a “smoke screen.”1
Another issue that must be considered by the Christian voter is that of same-sex marriage. Here again is another matter that no Christian can support with his vote. While true Christians love all people and seek their salvation—including homosexuals—God has made it abundantly clear that homosexuality is sinful. Need we be reminded of the sin that contributed to Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction (Gen. 19:1-25)? Even more pointed are the Holy Spirit’s words through Paul in Romans 1:26-32 where those practicing homosexuality are described with powerful language: “vile passions,” “against nature,” “shameful,” “debased mind,” “not fitting,” “unrighteousness,” “sexual immorality,” “wickedness,” “deserving of death,” etc. How can God’s children vote for a candidate/platform that defends the sinful practices God hates and which contribute to the moral degradation of society?
Our choices must reflect loyalty to God above party loyalties, personal desires, or opinion. Saul of Tarsus could have enjoyed a seemingly peaceful and prosperous life if he had made easier choices. Instead, because God’s will reigned supreme in his life, Saul the Pharisee became Paul the Christian. He wrote, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8, NKJV).
Brethren, we are neither Democrats nor Republicans—we are Christians. As such, our vote must demonstrate that our priorities are rooted in the spiritual foundation established by our Father and not in the policies supported by our favorite party. Moral issues must take precedence over socioeconomic issues because, as opposed to the ever-changing opinions of men, matters of faith are inseparably linked to the laws and character of God Himself. While no candidate is a perfect choice, God’s Word can help us rightly choose the one closest to the divine standard. Make your vote a truly Christian vote.
1Adapted from the book “Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments” by Randy Alcorn as reported on abortiontv.com. Access date: October 21, 2008. http://www.abortiontv.com/Lies%20&%20Myths/AnswersToProChoice.htm