My Theological Challenge

October 8, 2008 in Blog View Comments

Some people assume that just because I am black and am passionate about racial diversity/harmony/reconciliation, I am voting for Obama this upcoming election. But I’m not. Life with God can be challenging and this election season has proven to be just that for me. I am excited that for the first time in our country we have a black man who has a great chance to become president. A friend of mine says I should support him just because he is black. But for theological reasons, I can’t. Here is an excerpt from a blog post on Desiring God that explains,

Because over the last 35 years, as 2,000+ pregnancy help centers got established, mostly in white, suburban and small towns of America, the abortion business has consolidated into our nation’s cities. Over 90% of abortion facilities are now in urban neighborhoods. Black and Hispanic women suffer 56% of all abortions while representing only 25% of the female population. This means the abortion business is gorging itself on the blood of minority children all the while appearing as compassionate servants of the poor. It also means that the business of abortion cannot survive without the silent approval of the Black and Latino neighborhoods and the churches and pastors that lead them.

Two things:
 

  1. Democrats want to throw social assistance at minority communities without accountability and without any attempt to change the way people think about their situation. George Bush’s faith-based social initiative wants to put the responsibility on the churches and other religious organizations with the goal that they would ultimately help people change their mindsets. The democrats plan does not bode well for minority communities and I have yet to hear anything from Obama on this subject. If you want to see what a good faith-based social initiative looks like, go visit Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in South Dallas. This ministry was the inspiration behind President Bush’s faith-based plan. While I was a member of that church I saw people enter the program who literally had just gotten out of prison. Years later, they had housing, transportation and a job providing steady income. This is completely the opposite of a system that just wants to give handouts.
  2. To say that women have a right to decide what they can do with their body, to me, seems that there is no effort towards reducing the number of abortion clinics in minority communities. Therefore, the democratic plan is in my eyes a death certificate. To say you support minority communities while supporting a procedure that kills them off makes absolutely no sense to me and is just one more reason why I cannot cast a vote for the democratic ticket.

What do you think?

 


,

Robert

I love theology and the challenge of making deep teachings non-boring. Let's face it, most of the time we hear theological teaching, it really is boring. Does it really have to be that way? Nope.

  • Name

    I really appreciate your comments and I wish, like you allude to above, that the Republican party would communicate this truth better. It was a major focus for the GOP ten years ago, but the buzz words now are the war and the economy so the plight of the unborn has fallen to the wayside in Washington. It reminds me that we cannot hope in man to fix our problems, but need to be prayerful over issues like this one.


    At the same time, I do not believe that we should stay completely uninvolved in government. I feel that we, as Believers, should feel a great responsibility to stay informed and vote as such. That is the way we participate in the national scene and we must prayerfully bring God's biblical priorities to the public forum.

  • Name

    <p>I really appreciate your comments and I wish, like you allude to above, that the Republican party would communicate this truth better. It was a major focus for the GOP ten years ago, but the buzz words now are the war and the economy so the plight of the unborn has fallen to the wayside in Washington. It reminds me that we cannot hope in man to fix our problems, but need to be prayerful over issues like this one.</p> <p>At the same time, I do not believe that we should stay completely uninvolved in government. I feel that we, as Believers, should feel a great responsibility to stay informed and vote as such. That is the way we participate in the national scene and we must prayerfully bring God&#039;s biblical priorities to the public forum.</p>

  • The Admin

    <p>I will give Obama credit in that he does want to reduce the number of abortions and provide better education on pregnancy prevention. I have not heard that from the Republicans. So I think they need to communicate better in that area. </p>

  • I will give Obama credit in that he does want to reduce the number of abortions and provide better education on pregnancy prevention. I have not heard that from the Republicans. So I think they need to communicate better in that area.

  • Jonathan Schrodt

    The saddest part is that many "Christians" don't really understand why or how to vote. Many won't vote because they don't think it's important..."God will pick who He wants." Others say they will vote for Obama even though he is morally opposed to them.


    These people say, "Well, it's not up to the government to determine the morals of a society, so it doesn't matter that he cares nothing for the rights of those that don't have a voice (the unborn babies...not fetuses, babies).


    Christians should use their voices, their votes, and their lives to defend and fight for the justice of those who cannot defend themselves: "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless." Isaiah 10:1-2


    I would add: "Woe to those who know what is right (Christians) and yet do nothing to stop injustice, or worse yet, uphold unjust leaders."

  • Jonathan Schrodt

    <p>The saddest part is that many &quot;Christians&quot; don&#039;t really understand why or how to vote. Many won&#039;t vote because they don&#039;t think it&#039;s important...&quot;God will pick who He wants.&quot; Others say they will vote for Obama even though he is morally opposed to them. </p> <p>These people say, &quot;Well, it&#039;s not up to the government to determine the morals of a society, so it doesn&#039;t matter that he cares nothing for the rights of those that don&#039;t have a voice (the unborn babies...not fetuses, babies). </p> <p>Christians should use their voices, their votes, and their lives to defend and fight for the justice of those who cannot defend themselves: &quot;Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.&quot; Isaiah 10:1-2</p> <p>I would add: &quot;Woe to those who know what is right (Christians) and yet do nothing to stop injustice, or worse yet, uphold unjust leaders.&quot;</p>

  • Thanks Manny.

  • The Admin

    <p>Thanks Manny. </p>

  • Manny Fernandez

    <p>Nice. I appreciate your perspective and your thoughts. It is about time that someone lays out exactly what they believe and how they assess all that is going on around this country. Thank you for sharing!</p>

  • Nice. I appreciate your perspective and your thoughts. It is about time that someone lays out exactly what they believe and how they assess all that is going on around this country. Thank you for sharing!

blog comments powered by Disqus
Read the book

Stop visiting this site!

Enter your email address to be notified when this site is updated:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Coppyright 2010. practicingtheology.com.