Christians Urged to Uphold Biblical Values In Voting.
A children’s rights advocate urged Christians not to follow politicians who compromise on issues like life and marriage but to instead demonstrate that leaders must adhere to “biblically-based child-protective principles.”
During the second day of the Pray Vote Stand summit, experts discussed how Christians should react when leaders prioritise political strategy over biblical values. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins led a Friday panel titled “Principles vs. Practicals: Why Biblical Values Matter More than Political Expedience.”. One key point raised was the Republican Party’s vote earlier this year, 84-18, in favour of a platform that softened its pro-life stance by removing calls for federal abortion restrictions and eliminating language opposing same-sex marriage.
The panellists talked about how the shift has caused some Christians to question who they should support in elections or if they should vote at all anymore. Katy Faust, founder of Them Before Us, an organisation focused on prioritising children’s needs over adult desires, stated that evaluating political issues with a focus on “uplifting the child” results in a prosperous society.
“There’s something about prioritising children, elevating their rights, elevating their needs above what it is that adults want that leads to a flourishing society,” the advocate said. “I think that should be the lens through which you view every major issue, whether it’s economic, whether we’re talking about national security, or whether we’re talking about the main cultural issues.”
Christian and pro-life advocates concerned about the issue of abortion have repeatedly voiced their disappointment with former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, for taking a more moderate stance on the matter. Trump has publicly supported the idea of allowing states to set their abortion laws and has criticised Florida’s six-week abortion ban.
Additionally, Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, expressed her support for abortion in a new memoir. In her book, the former first lady argued that it is “imperative” for women to have “autonomy” in deciding whether to have children, a common pro-choice viewpoint.
Faust, an advocate for children’s rights, emphasised that the lives, futures, families, minds, and bodies of children are all at stake in this election. She also expressed her disappointment with the Republican Party’s approach to the issue, urging Christian voters not to compromise on preserving the rights and well-being of children.
“So, I think that we need to be very clear-eyed,” she said. “Our principles never bend to politicians. By God’s grace, it will be the other way around; politicians will bend to our biblically-based, child-protective principles . “But even if they don’t, we won’t. Even if the politicians are going to compromise or justify a position that harms children, which always goes against Scripture, we don’t follow in their lead,” Faust asserted.
McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, Robert George, also contributed to the panel discussion. George argued that one issue with today’s Republican Party and its increasingly softened stance on certain social issues is that voters on the right have allowed politicians to take their support for granted.
He suggested that Republican voters could learn from Democrats, who do not permit their leaders to hold certain views simply for strategic reasons. He referenced former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama as examples, noting that both leaders previously expressed support for traditional marriage because public opinion was still divided on the issue at the time.
However, Democratic voters maintained pressure until Clinton and Obama shifted their positions. George emphasised that Republicans could adopt a similar approach to hold their leaders accountable. “We should never again allow ourselves to be in a position where we have no leverage,” he said. “Where politicians don’t think they have to earn our votes to get our votes.”
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Content Credit| Igbakuma Rita Doom
Picture Credit | https://nebraskafamilyalliance.org/21-powerful-one-minute-prayers-for-this-election-2022-primary/
