In less than a week millions of Americans will take to the polls to decide whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney should be the most powerful man in the world for the next four years. People are saying this is the most important election of our lifetime. I seem to recall that being said of previous elections and I am sure it will be said in the future. My hope in this article is to push partisanship aside and to look at the three issues of this campaign from a biblical worldview perspective.
The Candidates' Worldviews
This is a historic election in the fact that it is the first time that neither of the candidates have a major protestant or Catholic religious affiliation. Before being elected president, the incumbent President Barack Obama was a member of Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Ill. Trinity is a member of the United Church of Christ, a small and theologically liberal denomination of churches formed in 1957. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a religious sect founded in the 1820s and 1830s by Joseph Smith.
Both of these perspectives provide for two very different and two very unorthodox worldviews. For example, Mormons believe that all matter is eternal, rejecting the Christian notion that God created all things from nothing (ex nihilo). They also reject the Christian belief in the Trinity and believe that the New Jerusalem will be built in Missouri. Jeremiah Wright, Barak Obama's former pastor, has been known to be very critical of the U.S. in his sermons saying in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, that "America's chickens are coming home to roost." He meant with these remarks and other similar remarks that American terror around the world had led to the world's retaliation of terror towards America. Needless to say, neither candidate is your typical Episcopalian.
As a Christian, it is not necessary to elect a president who shares your exact worldview. I would encourage you in any election to find a candidate with a "similar" worldview, who shares your basic morals and values. While it would be wonderful for every president to have a deep understanding of the Gospel, we do not live in a theocracy, but in a democracy with religious freedom.
The Protection of Life
One of the biggest issues in every election cycle is the protection of human and American life. The Declaration of Independence states that among the inalienable rights of man is life, the right to live. The government is given thus to protect these human rights through policy and national defense. Military spending and healthcare have been two major topics in this year's presidential campaign.
President Obama has fought hard for his healthcare plan. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare," was voted into law in 2010. This act dramatically increases the role of government in American healthcare. Its aim is that every American would have health insurance and it prevents insurance companies from denying insurance to individuals with pre-existing conditions. This bill was passed without a single Republican vote and it has been widely criticized as a government take-over of the healthcare industry and for dramatically increasing health insurance rates. Mitt Romney's vow is to repeal Obamacare if elected president.
Governor Romney has campaigned on increasing military spending. It has long been a Republican belief that military might leads to peace. Romney clearly sees America as the nation that should lead in global safety and military strength. President Obama has shown a very different approach through his presidency. His aim has been to work with other countries, leaning less on military strength and more on an understanding of diplomacy. Rather than leading in geo-politics, the Obama administration has been in favor of a more collective effort with other countries.
An issue that should be of great concern to any Christian in this election cycle is the issue of abortion. Since 1974, 50 million children have been aborted in the U.S. If you agree with an overwhelming mountain of evidence from the scientific community that life begins at conception, then all of those innocent lives have been tragically taken. Christians with a biblical understanding of the sanctity of human life believe that government should protect those lives more than they should protect the choice of the mother. While President Obama has been a strong advocate of a woman's right to choose abortion, Governor Romney has flip-flopped on this position moving from a pro-choice position early in his political career to a pro-life position today. Sadly, neither candidate has made this important issue a major talking point of their campaign. We should expect however, that the candidate's position on the protection of life to be a factor when considering their appointments to the Supreme Court, one of the most important tasks given to the president.
The Economy
The issue everyone is talking about in 2012 is the economy. President Obama believes that government stimulation through infrastructure investment will revive the economy and create new jobs for the American Public. Mitt Romney believes that lowering taxes and putting more money into the hands of small businesses will created jobs and get America back to work. Both economic plans have worked in America's long history and both have failed.
As a Christian, we should desire equal opportunity for all, but we should also be leery of more governmental involvement in our lives. More government means and always meant, less individual freedom. In a society where people fear God and are willing to work hard and do what is right, large governments are not necessary. However, in a society where people believe that they should be able to choose for themselves what is right and wrong, and where people expect someone else to take care of them, government (or some other force) will always step in to fill the void. Republican or Democrat, let's pray we are the former.
This truly is an important election. I urge everyone of you to do two things on Nov. 6. The first, is to go vote, go let your voice be heard, and practice your constitutional privilege. Secondly, remember on Nov. 6 and every day that Christ is king over all the universe and no American president will every dethrone him.
Whether your candidate wins or loses remember that Jesus ultimately has all authority, he alone is good, and he alone is truly strong.
Jason Dees is a grateful follower of Jesus Christ, the husband of Paige and the father of Emery Anna. He is also the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington.
