Let me qualify what I am about to write by clarifying for you that I am not a Republican, Democrat, or anything in-between. I am a follower, a disciple, and a lover of Jesus Christ. This means that my citizenship is in heaven and that His eternal Kingdom is where my foremost allegiance lies.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”--- --Philippians 3:20
I am well aware of the fact that a statement like that instantly causes eyes to roll, and stirs the disgust of anyone who doesn’t profess Christianity, as well as a few professing Christians who are disgusted with much of the Church’s inability to engage secular culture in a relevant and meaningful way. But I am not writing this dissertation in expectations of changing or influencing the unbeliever. What I am about to share, are spiritual truths that were not taught by a human wisdom but rather are mysteries which have been brought to my understanding by a wisdom that comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Truths that can ONLY be understood through the enlightenment of the Spirit of Truth that IS Christ. Consequently, the unspiritual mind or even the un-renewed mind of a believer would be forced to render these dispositions as foolishness due to their lack of understanding.
As a nation, as a society, as a culture, as a people of faith, as a generation, as a matter of plain old fact; any way that you slice it or dice it...We have issues! So many issues in fact, that I am constantly and repeatedly being reminded of the absurdity or lack of reasoning that one must employ in order to be a “one issue” voter. The truth is--EVERYONE at the end of the day IS a ONE ISSUE VOTER. As I observe the political madness that has engulfed our society and dominated the airwaves, there is no denying that we are more polarized today as a nation than ever before. When I ask most people why they are voting for whomever they have chosen, there is inevitably ONE ISSUE that is driving their decision above all other reasons. For many Catholics and strong pro-life advocates, the clear and decisive answer is: McCain/Palin because of their strong Pro-Life position. Many of my peers under 30 have indicated supporting Obama because “we can’t afford eight more years of the same policies as the Bush administration.” Many folks in news interviews are choosing Obama primarily because he has effectively convinced Americans that his economic plan will rescue us from the present collapse. Veterans hail McCain because they feel he understands what they’ve been through. Finally, most of my Black American family and friends simply cannot shake the excitement and the possibility of a (half) black man in the presidential office…feeling that he understands what they’ve been through.
But let me cut to the chase. My issue is not with George Bush and his failed policies, John McCain and his stunning inability to inspire through annoying reminders of being the original maverick, or Barack Obama and his clearly powerful gift of inspiration through eloquence and poise. My issue is with the people of God and our willingness to compromise our belief in the infallible word of God, in order to “reconcile our faith with the ever-changing needs of our modern pluralistic society.”
This is also the number one issue that I have with the Obama Campaign. An alarming amount of leaders in the black community, believers in the body of Christ, and genuinely hurting people in our culture at large, have dangerously positioned Obama as a “Messiah” figure during these times of chaos. Through the reassuring promises of HOPE and CHANGE, Barack has effectively mobilized millions to harness what faith they may or may not possess, into his ability to bring change and reformation as a leader. While I am well aware of God raising voices of righteousness, truth, and change throughout human history…I am challenged to weigh any and every voice upon the same scales that I and every other person are being weighed: Righteousness.
While many spiritual leaders have been eager to put Obama in the same league as such beacons of hope as Martin Luther King, Jr., they have neglected the spiritual discernment necessary to weigh Obama’s ideology objectively upon the scales of God’s living Word. MLK, dreamed of a nation that would one day judge a man strictly upon the content or substance of his character and not the color of his skin. He received and articulated this dream from the fundamental core conviction that in Christ men are no longer distinguished as Jew or Gentile, Roman or Greek, Black or White. That Christ had not only created all men equal, but that EVERY man’s NEED to be blood-washed through Christ in order to enter eternity…was the greatest equalizer of all. Rich or poor, black or white…we would all have to go by way of the cross. MLK’s biblical conviction on inequality was so deep, it drove him to challenge the created order of the day and force the issue of racial inequality to the forefront of a society that possessed as many issues and crises as our present day reality.
A week or so ago, me and a dear friend engaged in discussion via email after he had felt compelled to share some of his thoughts with me as to why he would be voting Obama on November 4th.Interestingly, this friend falls into a number of demographics that are relevant to this dissertation and to the “one issue voter” discussion in a variety of ways. He is:
a. A Black American.
b. A Christian Pastor.
c. A former supporter of the Republican Presidencies of Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II
d. Pro-Life
e. Supporting Barack Obama for President.
After a brief exchange of very lengthy and thorough responses, I think him and I were both appreciative and challenged by our conversation. He then sent me a link to the keynote address that Barack Obama delivered at the “Call to Renewal-Building a Covenant for a New America” Conference back in June of 2006: http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/index.php
In Obama’s address, he articulated some very powerful and accurate truths concerning the present intolerance, suspicion, and divisions between people of faith and secular America. I couldn’t have agreed more with many of his observations concerning how Christians have inaccurately engaged their faith in society, as well as how liberals and progressives have inappropriately labeled religion in the public arena as fanatical, inherently irrational, or intolerant. I was impressed to see him challenge secularists to stop “hatin’” on religious folks and for politicians to stop acting like they have faith when they really don’t. Equally impressive, was his call for us to come together and address the religious/ideological divides head on…something that you rarely hear from a politician’s mouth. But despite all the many great and redemptive truths that were espoused in this speech, there was a growing undertone throughout the message that ultimately set up the exposure of Obama’s true worldview.
Worldview is something that we all have whether we know it or not. It is the foundational lens through which every human being sees, processes, and interprets life. According the website asa3.org, “A worldview is a theory of the world, used for living in the world. A world view is a mental model of reality — a framework of ideas & attitudes about the world, ourselves, and life, a comprehensive system of beliefs — with answers for a wide range of questions.”
Obama’s worldview is one that ultimately hails the wisdom of man’s ability to reason and intellectually attain peace, above the reality of God’s ability to communicate in a manner that is powerful enough to be relevant to our modern day pluralistic society. According to his own confession, He believes that our faith must be “reconciled with the modern pluralistic society”, rather than reconciling the modern pluralistic society with the Sovereign Lord. Although he is a strong advocate of allowing religion into the corridors of public discourse, he ultimately believes that the Bible offers wisdom for personal application and guiding a congregation; but must be modified or altogether set aside when it comes to informing public policy. Even if this were true, the simple fact that Barack has presented himself to this nation as a Christian; instantly subjects him to the standards that the Bible commands every believer to be vigilant and mindful of when discerning the character of another man of God. If Barack did not claim to be one, it would not be fair for him to be measured by that standard. But as it is...Obama has clearly exposed the true content of his character in his actions, well as in excerpts such as this which was spoken after a moving recount of his “road to conversion”:
“Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of what's possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It's the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences.”
He said it himself. “Religion does not allow for compromise. It’s the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then the followers are expected to live up to God’s edicts, regardless of the consequences.” This statement is chillingly true. But the glory of the Good News and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, is that His Spirit is ALIVE on the inside of us once we choose to live a life of total surrender to Jesus as Lord. He Himself empowers the true believer through the supernatural power of Grace through faith, to do the “art” of the impossible on a daily basis. Regardless of the consequences!
Barack not only has NOT known the measure of that kind of faith in Christ (which would compel him not to compromise his character on the issues that Heaven has clearly outlined as abominable for the sake of cultural peace), but is a compelling symbol of the current condition of the American church at large. We are a people who have negated our voice in the culture because of our blind willingness to compromise in order to please men. Because we have not fully believed in the word of the Lord, we have allowed compromise to fill our minds and effectively strip us of our ability to fear God. Proverb 1:7 informs us that:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.”
The fruits of a Christian people that lack the fear of the Lord, is a contingency of religious folks that are scared to stand on the truth of God because of what secular society may say or do. We are afraid of being labeled a “Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, or Alan Keyes”, because that would mean that we are out of touch with reality. Like Obama, I believe that there needs to be real and honest discussion between people of all faiths, sexual orientations, ethnicities, etc. in the public arena. And I believe that the true Christian should be able to engage differing worldviews with language that speaks to the “common” longing inside of every human. However, the representative of Christ, must not compromise, overlook, or be afraid to speak the whole truth…regardless of the consequences. My pastor friend, along with a great chorus of people in the faith communities and people in the secular culture; have been inspired by Obama’s ability to bring a certain transcendence to our society for the “greater good.”
Indeed, Christians have increasingly become one of the most mocked, ridiculed, and hated people groups in America for taking a stand on issues like abortion and gay marriage. Admittedly, the media always seems to interview Christian spokesmen who are idiotic in their responses. But Barack has succeeded in getting the very people groups who hate the Biblical worldview, to champion his policies and sing his praises by leaving his “personal faith” at the door, instead of standing on issues that “further divide.” But in Luke 12:51 Jesus said:
“51 “Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Jesus did not come to bring peace. He brought a sword that divided everything that could be divided. In other words he came to bring a split in the earth, a distinction between the nature the Holy nature of God and the unholy nature of man. A divine confrontation between the temporal world of darkness, and the eternal glory of His coming Kingdom. An atheist can’t even study history without having to navigate the measurements of B.C. and A.D...testifying to the fact that Jesus was actually born, walked the Earth, and died. Jesus' very life, split human history in half. But the bottom line is, when the sword of God’s truth confronts a modern pluralistic society…one of two things are going to happen. Either the pluralistic society bends the knee in submission to the authority and the love of Christ, or society rejects and violently opposes the authority and love of Christ. The true peace that comes from Heaven always brings conflict, confrontation between light and darkness, and decision. 2 Corinthians 2:14 says:
"For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.
This means we will be either received or rejected just as Jesus and all the Apostles were received or rejected with absolute obedience…even unto death. Jesus passed the ministry of reconciling man to God first and THEN man to man, to His church. That is the order and the definition of true peace. Any other peace, a peace that is built upon compromise and allowing humanity to stay content in a darkened worldview, is a pagan peace. Pagan peace is what the body of Christ is buying into with alarming assurance, and this is my chief concern with the upcoming elections. This leads me to the abortion issue.
As stated earlier, I am not ignorant of the fact that we face many crises as a nation which must be addressed by the next administration with great zeal, wisdom, and expedience. However, abortion has consistently been marginalized and trivialized as a lesser issue in the grand scheme of all the other issues that we face as true crisis. Obama has successfully fashioned and implemented a campaign that positions him as a true “voice for the voiceless”, a messenger of hope during turbulent times, and a freedom fighter for “the least of these.” I would be a rich man if I had a dime for the many times I have heard him say that he is fighting for the marginalized, the oppressed, the working class, the middle class, etc. However, he refuses to acknowledge and take a stand against what is the most destructive practice of human indignity in the history of mankind, under the banner of “women’s rights.” Does that not speak volumes about this man’s character?
A friend of mine sent a link to a site called, “prolifeproobama.com”. After a 60 second review of the first page, it simply confirmed what I’ve always said about abortion being foundational to hundreds of societal issues such as health care, the economy, welfare, etc. The legalization of Abortion in the early 70’s was a logical response to the decade that preceded it. After the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, where millions of teens and college students cast off any semblance of restraint under the banner of “free love”; the fruit of this new-found freedom would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the consequences of their sexual actions. So this is what we do. We create laws that enable, empower, and ensure our ability to rebel against the laws of God.
Though ideas are noble and necessary, all of the other solutions that have been proposed to "drastically reduce the number of abortions"... simply side-skirt the most blatant and obvious approach in drastically reducing the number of abortions...outlaw it! Make it inaccessible, and take away the federal funding of over $300 million annually of tax payer money that goes to Planned Parenthood. Why does it cost $300-$500 dollars maximum to have an infant burned, dismembered, or it's brains sucked out of it's skull...But $18,000-25,000 MINIMUM to adopt a living child? If Obama really cared about the sanctity of life, maybe he wouldn't just propose more preventive education, but actively pursue re-directing that $300 million dollar fund into the broken foster care system. Increasing Sex education helps, but most eight-year olds are more educated about sex in today's society than I was at 16. All these other strategies are totally necessary, but like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole. There will be no healing until you take out the bullet and sew up the hole! Sites like this are just one of thousands that continue to divert our attention toward all the peripheral solutions, and away from the reality and the severity of what abortion really is: Legalized Murder. In my opinion, are the thoughts purveyed on this site rational? Totally. Truly Reasonable? No.
We live in a death culture where wearing skulls is hip and fashionable as a frill to be found at chic designer clothing boutiques. On any given night, we can turn on the television and witness a horrendous murder or three on primetime television. With eyes glued to the screen, we barely flinch as the dismembered body of a dead teenager rests with crime scene investigators scour the scene. We’ll pay $9.00 to see a blood, guts, gore, demons, and the demon-possessed at the local movie cinema. Enthusiastically encouraging filmmakers through our patronization, to keep pumping out movies about murdering puppets, like Saw FIVE. Moreover, at any given moment we can turn on the radios in our car, download mp3’s, and listen through the convenience of our iPods to songs about being a murderer, a girl kissing a girl, and licking a man’s lollipop. What this does to the human heart, is slowly but surely de-sensitizes us to the reality and the urgency of the spiritual depravity and the death that grips our culture. What’s more, it hardens us to the murder that is happening in the real world around us. As a result the willful slaughtering of tiny living human beings has become accepted as an “undesirable” but necessary and normal part of modern society. The North American Slave Trade was also accepted as a lawful, necessary, part of American society for over 200 years before the Lord rose up a generation of deliverers. The Jewish Holocaust normalized the open rape, pillage, and slaughter of 6 million Jews while displacing millions more, before a generation of deliverers from America and Great Britain demanded justice. Finally, segregation and blatant discrimination ruled the Jim Crow states of America for decades before God raised up a generation of deliverers less than 50 years ago. Does not the innocent blood of 50 million crushed, burned, and dismembered babies demand the same justice?
Think about this. The first sentence in the entire Bible, the Supreme authority on all matters concerning life and death is: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This means that the chief desire and priority of the Majesty in Heaven, was to reveal Himself to humanity FIRST as a CREATOR. “Created” being the fifth word in the entire Bible is no coincidence as this reveals the primary characteristic of humanity’s shared DNA with God. God created us in His image, meaning that he placed in us His very image! Thereby he has given us the ability to create what he values the most… human life! This is our inheritance from the Lord as a human and where the line between humanity and immortality grows quite thin because our earthly lineage extends beyond the endurance of our heartbeats. GOD LOVES LIFE! This is a non-negotiable Biblical standard, but as mentioned earlier, compromise on Biblical standards is why we’ve lost our voice in the culture and our authority to see the captive set free. There are churches on almost every block in every inner-city in America, but the fruit is minimal and/or rotten, relative to the widespread debauchery that has gripped our culture. As a result we should not be surprised that Obama is “personally opposed to abortion” BUT doesn’t have the conviction or fortitude to take a stand against it in the public policy arena. This fact alone is a stunning sentence of blighted character, considering his strong campaign of justice on every other human rights issue. We are nation who has lost our ability to fear the Lord, mainly because we don’t fully believe ALL of His Word and we certainly don’t believe that He will do anything about it. Moreover, the gatekeepers of our spiritual communities are willing to rationalize, justify, and overlook the spiritual principles that Jesus has clearly commanded us to use as a measuring stick for righteousness during times like these; for the sake of putting or anybody but Bush in the presidency. This is idolatry and for this, our nation will surely be judged. This year, we have experienced only the birth pangs of God’s judgment and His “shaking of everything that can be shaken.” Unless we REPENT(which means to turn away from, and have a change of mind and action) as a church, and as a nation, we cannot comprehend the confrontation between Heaven and Earth that awaits this nation within the next four years.
Finally, I do not believe that McCain is blameless or perfect in any way. I know that he does not have the perfect record or the perfect solution and answer to every problem. But he has chosen to take a stand on the very issue upon which Kingdom judgment is being weighed.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
I cannot conscientiously cast my vote for those who have chosen to consistently wage war against the very decrees of God to “Choose Life.” Therefore, out of biblical obligation, I will not vote for Barack Obama. A.W. Tozer once said, “True religion confronts earth with heaven and brings eternity to bear upon time.” Historically, God in his mercy has always given His people warning of impending judgment and rarely have they actually repented. I pray that you will consider, pray, and allow the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and insight into His heart concerning these matters before you cast your vote on November 4th. And while I WILL cast my ballot for the McCain/Palin ticket, it will have very little to do with their physical ability to lead this nation. As Christians, our FAITH must NOT be in the Kingdoms, parties, or institutions of this world. But our FAITH MUST BE in these three spiritual realities:
1. In the present day work of Christ. In other words…His Sovereignty, and His Supremacy in all things.
3.In the PRESENT DAY WORK OF HIS PEOPLE to bring the injustices of this world under the rule and reign of CHRIST as peacemakers and those who have been given authority in the earth to cast down every argument and vain imagination that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. In other words, having true belief in our commission to reconcile ALL things TO Christ---THROUGH Christ! Without apology or compromise; as REAL ambassadors and REAL vessels of an unshakeable Kingdom and a Government that knows no end.
I am putting my hope and trust in God to meet all of my needs (physical, financial, emotional) according to His glorious riches in heaven, just as He has done and has said that He would do. Meanwhile, the lives of millions who are not even on the Earth, hang in the balance.
