It’s the biggest dilemma I've faced in a long time, maybe the biggest one ever. I'm supposed to choose the "leader of the free world" from a short list of two people. One promised hope and change - a social healthcare system, government provision, higher taxation, and redistribution of wealth. The other promises a return to a government that won't unilaterally decide which American businesses should succeed, and an America that won't apologize for the fact we area strong nation built on hard work, determination, and most of all - protected by the blood of generations of my brothers in arms.
I am no Republican. Nor am I a
Democrat. I'm an American. I'm a Christian. I am an officer. I have a family that will grow and prosper according
to God's plan, regardless of who sits in our nation's highest office. I will continue to serve my country and
protect the constitution against its enemies.
I will continue to respect and pray for my commander in chief, whether I
agree with him or not. As long as my
orders are not illegal, immoral, or in opposition to God's word, I will carry
them out while I hold my current commission.
I also agree with the direction the current Republican candidate wants
to take our nation. But he's a Mormon. I don't know everything about the LDS church,
but I know enough to say their teachings are not in accordance with God's
Word. For a comparison of Christian and
Mormon doctrine, see this
link. On the other hand, I could
vote for the incumbent. But I don't know
exactly what his beliefs are. Is he
Christian? Muslim? I can't tell, but based on his actions and words,
I get the feeling he thinks no belief has to be mutually exclusive. My God is exclusive. What!? The God of the Bible who loved us so
much that "while we were sinners, Christ died for us" -
exclusive? Yes - exclusive of all
untruth. Exclusive of all evil. Exclusive of all unrighteousness. All the things I am or have been -
untruthful, evil, and unrighteous - the same things we all are. I accept that. I also accept that my exclusive God who
demands justice be done, has provided the means for both justice and
forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
- Romans 3:23-26
I don't trust the Mormon. I
don't trust the other one either. They
are career politicians whom I believe will say whatever they think it takes to
get elected. So let me boil it down to
the issues that have decided my vote, along with a brief explanation of why.
1.
Abortion: We, as a nation, have chosen to water down
this issue to a point where being pro-life is considered the radical
right. Life begins at conception. I value life.
Being "pro-choice" exists under the guise of protecting a
person's right to choose whether or not to carry a child to term. First, "pro-choice" is a
misnomer. We should call it what it
really is, regardless of how unpalatable it sounds - "pro-abortion". The "choice" being made is the
choice to end a life for the sake of our own health, welfare, or in most cases
- convenience. In the best of
circumstances, we are taking the life of someone incapable of defending
themselves in order to preserve our own life.
In the worst of cases, we are doing it for our own comfort or
convenience. Either way, it shows a love
for ourselves that is greater than our love and respect for the life of another
- even our own child. Anyone who uses
terms like "reproductive freedom" when referring to the right to have
an abortion, clearly does not respect life.
And, yes, I'm going to bring up the slippery slope argument...if we can
take the life of an unborn child who cannot speak for themselves, what's to say
we can't take the life of a mentally or physically disabled person who can't
speak for themselves? Wouldn't it make
it easier on our society and healthcare system - not to mention more convenient
for those burdened with the care of those who cannot care for themselves? Like it or not, that's the pro-choice
mentality. Read Brave
New World - it’s a classic. I will
not willfully choose a leader who lives under the veil of our culture's
misguided perception of what it means to be "pro-choice".
2.
Government
involvement in business: Although not a
stark moral issue like abortion, this also has to do with our freedom. Capitalism depends on competition. Competition means there is a reward for
working hard and doing well in our business endeavors. When the government takes away this purely
competitive element by redistributing the earnings of those businesses who have
triumphed in competition to those who have not, it has just created an
incentive to be mediocre. Those who are
already mediocre know they have a safety net.
Those who are excellent may find it more rewarding to become mediocre. Because of ambiguous terms like "too big
to fail", struggling businesses [or industries] have been given the go
ahead to continue in the mediocrity and complacency that took them to the point
of failure in the first place. So what
happens? The most appealing location on
the topography of business performance becomes mediocrity. All move in this direction. Our national competitive landscape begins to
fall under the control of the few in government who make the decisions of which
businesses receive government assistance.
In essence, business survival is taken out of the hands of the consumer
and put under the control of the state.
Hmmm...sounds familiar...something I read about in history, maybe?
Two issues? That's it? Narrow?
Maybe. Look deeper. These two issues embody freedom and
life. No matter where I live or who
rules this nation, I have freedom
because Christ has given it to me. I
have life because of God's grace and love...but if I have the power to choose
to live in a nation which is guided by policies which take our nation as a
whole closer to freedom and respect of life, that's where my vote will be.
So, I'm not voting for the Mormon or the Christian or the - fill in
the blank. I'm voting on ideals which
are manifested in the policies, past actions, and future plans of the
candidates. I'm voting on the hope that
my kids will grow up in a country where freedom and respect for life are part
of our national identity...and if they are not, I will continue to instill
these values in my family.
Dilemma solved? Not
really. But it’s the best I can do with
the evidence at hand. Do your duty -
vote.
Ultimately, I can rest in this…
"...the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth
and gives them to anyone he wishes.
- Daniel 4:25
