Can a Christian be a Democrat?
As November approaches, those of us who vote are faced with a variety of choices. Which party or candidate best reflects the values and beliefs that we hold to be true? Do we vote for the lesser of two evils and if so how do we define which evil is more palatable than the other? More importantly, as Christians, how do we apply our belief system to the political one? Can or should politics be separate from our religion and is separation of church and state simply a vehicle we use to avoid facing hard realities?
For the purpose of this discussion, I am focusing on the Democratic Party because here we find entrenched positions that we could argue are in direct contradiction with scripture. Read the following text taken from the Democratic Party Platform for 2004.
We will defend the dignity of all Americans against those who would undermine it. Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman's right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right. At the same time, we strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.
Obviously, there can be little debate that the Democratic Party supports abortion, but what if anything does the Bible say about abortion?
"I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly." (Psalm 22:10)
"Did not He that made me in the womb make him? and did not One fashion us in the womb?" (Job 31:15)
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward." (Psalms 127:3)
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy." (Luke 1:44)
I think the quote from Jeremiah is particularly significant. For if God knew us before we were even conceved than obviously every child aborted is one known to God.
Another position taken by the Democratic Party is one regarding gay rights. Most of the movement towards legalizing Gay marriage has occured in Democratic states. The Bible of course, addresses this issue.
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them.""And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. . . Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. " (Genesis 2:22,24)
"And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female . . " (Matthew 19:4)
"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female." (Mark 10:6)
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)
"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:27)
So, are we right to say the Democratic Party holds positions that are in direct condratiction to the teachings of the Bible? And we've not even touched on prayer in school, the display of the Ten Commandments etc.
Now a question. And the question may suprise you and I must admit to using a little misdirection to arrive at this point because this post has nothing to do with Democrats at all but with how we interpret the Bible.
So now the question: In your opinion, is the Bible the complete, infallable word of God?I don't know what political views each of you holds and, truthfully, I'm not making an argument for either party (although I did pick on the Democrats because some of their positions are more contrary to scripture..or are they?) because we can argue that the Bible is in opposition to various positions of both parties. So the question is if the scriptures referenced above are the inspired word of God, how do we apply them to our political positions? And if all scripture is not infallable, how then do we decide which sciptures to recognize and which are open to interpretation?
Our entire faith as Christians is dependent on the truth of the Bible and its accuracy. Can we pick and choose or without complete infalability is our relegion nothing more than a collection of stories destined to one day be included among the many myths of our species with Jesus relegated to the status of a Zeus or an Apollo?
posted by Death Warmed Over | 7:09 PM
5 Comment:
Xtianity already has so many variations I don't see how people can lump them all under one cross. I knew a guy whose version of the bible removed the resurrection of Christ, so apparently that's a minor throw-away detail not inherent to the religion.
As for the political parties, I think they only exist to get their people elected. Power is the goal, not the means or method. That's why I don't vote on parties, I vote for individuals. I still think the two best US Presidents we've had in my life time have been Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, 1 rep, 1 dem, both very different but generally effective.
Politicians die. Xtians die. J-usagi rule!
Just because you don't agree with one of the tenents of the Democratic faith doesn't mean you should throw the whole thing out. Who is more likely to help the poor, Dems or Reps? Jesus would help the poor, you know. Who is more likely to kill thousands of innocents in Iraq, D or R? Who is more likely not to care about keeping the Earth beautiful for their descendants? Who is more likely to be condemning though Jesus said not to judge?
I think a Christian can be a Democrat without accepting all of their platforms. I am pro-life, but it hasn't stopped me from voting democatic before. I am also against the death penalty--the democrats are ambivilent on that. I know what is said in the Bible about homosexuality, but I don't see it as denouncing gay couples who are committed to each other; I see it more as anti-rape, anti-promiscuity. In the days of the Israelites, it was not uncommon for prisoners (males) to be raped as a sign of ultimate degredation. Jesus never spoke on the subject; I know it appears in the epistles, but Paul also thought that marriage in itself wasn't good, because it could take man away from God. And there are plenty of gay Republicans, and I'm not refering to the recent scandal; I'm thinking of men I know who are gay and vote republican. I have rarely, if ever, voted for a candidate that really got my endorsement or enthusiasm. I voted for Gore, thinking he was more qualified than Bush, but it was hard for me to vote for Kerry; that was an anti-Bush vote because I don't see him as a good president. But I would vote for John McCain. I would never vote for Hillary Clinton. I think we will never get what we want out of any candidate, but we can at least hope for something. And Bush, for all his Christianity, has been surrounded by some unsavory folk. I believe that Bush is a sincere Christian, but I don't believe it of others around him, like Cheney, for example. I see the point you are making--forgive me if this comment is so long, but as Christians we are called to love one another. So my question would be: which candidate allows for the most love and least amount of hate? And that's a tough call.
I think that the separation of church and state is a fallacy. God is on our money, in the pledge to the flag which is said in our schools and so many other places with in the "state."
But having said that I think that any "state" or political allegiance with Christianity is mostly lip service or moral posturing. The Bible tells us not to kill or lie yet politicians support war and send our soldiers to die and they lie about everything and anything.
Jesus said to turn the other cheek and yet our country cried out for vengeance after 9-11. Christianity says to judge not lest you be judged, but we judge single mothers, gay couples and women who want control of their own bodies for being un-christian or immoral.
I don't go to church any more, I find it too hypocritical, and I have almost stopped voting, because frankly the only types of people who could make a positive difference are too good to become politicians.
For what it's worth, I believe that the Bible is the true, infallible word of God. My reasoning is simple: Any God who is powerful enough to create a universe is more than up to the task of proofreading dictation. That doesn't take the need for wisdom and to examine the context of the scriptures when applying them, but I still think they are the firm starting point.
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