“As a Christian, Should I Support Republicans, or Democrats?”

“As a Christian, Should I Support Republicans, or Democrats?”

There’s a clear answer to this question.

For decades, I’ve been told that Christians haveto support Republican politicians, because the Republican Party is “pro-life.”

“Pro-life,” of course, meaning “against abortion being legal.”

As time went on, I realized that there are some majorproblems with this idea.

Let’s list some of them.

1. First of all — assuming that you regard preventing abortion as an important issue — the complete set of Republican policies gives us approximately two to three times as much abortion as the complete set of Democratic policies does.

But abortion certainly should not be our only concern.

Abortion (both herbal and surgical) was definitely known and practiced in Jesus’ day. In fact, outright infanticideof newborns was pretty widely known and practiced.

And yet, we have no evidence that Jesus ever made fighting abortion or even fighting infanticide a part of his public ministry — or told his followers that they should do so. Instead, he focused on things like personally doing what’s right, and economic justice for the poor.

If you want a theory as to why Jesus didn’t make these issues a major feature of his ministry, maybe he knew that people were getting abortions and even abandoning infants because they couldn’t affordto have more children. Maybe he preferred to address the root cause of a very large amount of this:

Rich people taking advantage of others and forcing them into the situation of not being able to afford children.

In fact, we know for certain that today in America, one of the biggest root causes of abortion is poverty.

Even in a far, far wealthier age than the New Testament one, and in an enormously wealthier country, roughly 75% of women who get an abortion say they’re doing so because they just can’t afford to have a child.

Now we actually have a majorproblem with economic injustice in America — and that problem is directly caused by Republican-sponsored “trickle-down economics.”

This is one of the reasons why the complete set of Republican policies gives us approximately two to three times as much abortion as the complete set of Democratic policies.

So if you believe we should be saving the lives of the unborn, then we shouldn’t be voting for a party — the Republican one — whose policies give us an additional 300,000 to 700,000 unnecessary abortions every year.

2. Jesus’ personal example is one of focusing on loving our neighbor, no matter who that neighbor might be.

Jesus made no exceptions for people of other races, immigrants, or anyone else — which would include LGBTQ Americans. When he was specifically asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he chose as his example one of the most despised persons his audience could imagine — a Samaritan. The Jews regarded Samarians as racially, religiously, and ritually “impure,” and there was long hostility between the two groups of people.

And Jesus said the Samaritanwas his neighbor.

The politicians whose policies express love for all of the neighbors in our American community are found today in the Democratic Party.

Depending on your church background, you may object, “But I believe that LGBTQ people are ungodly. They’re corrupting society.”

That’s exactly what the Jew that Jesus was talking to thought about the Samaritans.

3. Christians are not to force their will on others — either believers, or non-believers — in morally debatable issues (Romans 14:4, 1 Cor. 10:29, 1 Cor. 5:12).

Supporting Republican politicians violates this rule.

It violates the rule in regard to early-stage abortion, in regard to abortion in the case of rape, incest, fetal abnormality, and threats to the health of pregnant women, and it violates the rule in regard to LGBTQ folks.

Again, if you’re from an evangelical background, you may say, “But I just can’t support LGBTQ people.”

It is obvious that such things as modern-style gay marriage (which wasn’t a thing back in Jesus’ day, and so wasn’t addressed in the Bible) are debatable issues for Christians. According to Pew Research, close to half of American Christians support gay marriage.

Even if you strongly disagree, that still makes gay marriage clearly morally debatable by sincere Christians. And because it is, you are not authorized to try and impose your own beliefs and will on other people.

This is according to the Bible.

4. We are also supposed to live by the Golden Rule, treating others as we would wish to be treated. (Matt. 7:12)

Democratic policies treat all of our fellow citizens with respect and dignity.

Republican policies violate the Golden Rule in regard to women, the poor, members of other races and religions, and LGBTQ people.

5. Those who follow Jesus are generally commanded to serve others, not try to dominate them. (Matt. 20:25–26)

Supporting Republican politicians violates this rule.

6. Democratic policies are in line with what Jesus said in Matthew 25 is worthy of heaven.

On the other hand, Republican policies appear to be directly in line with what he said is worthy of eternal damnation.

Jesus said that those who feed the hungry, care for the poor, take care of the sick, care about those accused of crimes or incarcerated, and extend hospitality to strangers (literally, “foreigners”) who come to us in need are those who will be welcomed into heaven.

And those who ignore the hungry, refuse to help the poor, withhold health care from the sick, care nothing about those accused of crimes or incarcerated, and turn away strangers (literally, “foreigners”) are destined for damnation.

This seems extremely important.

Remember that in a democratic republic such as ours, when you support a politician, you are appointing that person to act on your behalf.

And because they campaign on their plans, we know in advance what kinds of actions they’re going to do when elected.

As a Christian, which kind of politician do you want acting on your behalf You might want to think long and hard about Matthew 25:31–46 before you decide.

7. Those who want to follow Jesus are specifically commanded not to put unbearable religious burdens on other people. (Matt. 23:1–4)

The Pharisees did this, and Jesus condemned them.

8. Christians are to support justice (which would include both economic and racial justice), and stand up against injustice.

The Republican Party gives a pass to economic and racial injustice; the Democratic Party addresses it.

9. Christians are to support the truth, not lies.

If Satan is the “Father of Lies” (see John 8:44), then Donald Trump shows strong evidence of being a close relative. He lied to and misled us a documented 30,000+ times just during the four years he was President.

But the entire party is one of deception. Every major Republican narrative is misleading or entirely false in some way.

10. Christians are commanded in 2 Timothy 3 to have nothing to do with certain kinds of people. These include those who are:

* lovers of themselves,
* lovers of money,
* boastful,
* proud,
* abusive,
* disobedient to their parents,
* ungrateful,
* unholy,
* without love,
* unforgiving,
* slanderous,
* without self-control,
* brutal,
* not lovers of the good,
* treacherous,
* rash,
* conceited,
* lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — 
* having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Donald Trump checks off every box on the list.

And yes, that includes “disobedience to parents.” Because what this really is, is disobedience to rightful authority.

The grown-up version of this is defiant disobedience of the law. And Donald Trump does that any time he thinks he can get away with it.

It also includes “having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

The power of godliness is the power to change our lives and make us more honest, more kind, more loving to others, more of all of the things the Bible says we should be.

Donald Trump waves a Bible in front a church and talks about “God,” but displays none of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23).

Supporting someone to lead the entire nation isn’t “having nothing to do with” them.

You can’t obey this Scripture and support Donald Trump.

You just can’t.

11. Christians are supposed to follow the example of Jesus.

And Donald Trump has given Christians the exact same deal that Jesus vehemently rejected. “Bow down before me, make me your king, and I will give you political power.” (Matt. 4:8–10)

But our answer to that deal should be the same one that Jesus gave.

Far too many Christians have gladly accepted the exact same deal that Satan offered Jesus, and that Jesus said no to. It’s far past time that we repent and withdraw from that deal.

In short, given the current nature of our two major political parties, every single relevant Christian principle I can find points to it being far better for Christians to support one of these two parties and not the other.

Can you tell now which one is which?