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Barriers and Bridges
A Biblical Guide To Understanding
Impairments, Afflictions, & Suffering Within Today's World
Order from Amazon.com click here
Barriers and Bridges is an in-depth and practically written resource for individuals, pastors,
counselors, and may be used as a tool to reach out to those facing similar struggles.
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To consider entering into a personal relationship with God click here.
Election 2008: Bombs or Babies?
(E-mail Article To A Friend)
While visiting the Contemporary Christian Music Network (CCMN), I saw a short message posted by Jeff McLaughlin the Founder of CCMN. In his message Jeff explains why he cannot vote for Barack Obama for President of the United States. Jeff's primary reasons centered around Mr. Obama's liberal voting record which includes such things as the supporting of teaching about homosexuality in the public schools, opposition to federal protection of traditional marriage, opposition against prohibiting partial-birth abortions, and the like.
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Jeff gave readers the opportunity to share feedback regarding his comments on the web site. While reading through some of the comments one in particular caught my eye. The comment by MM said:
"The reason this pro life Christian is voting for Obama is because while the president does not have the power to force anyone to have an abortion, he does have the power to send our young people to die in a war I don't think we should be fighting."
Jeff rightly pointed out to the person that in the United States soldiers volunteer to join the military, while aborted babies have no say over the taking of their lives. MM responded by pointing out the number of Iraqi civilians killed during the fighting in Iraq is approximately "100,000 excess deaths" during the five year campaign.
As an American who served in the United States Army Rangers, graduated from one of the top seminaries in the United States, has served as a missionary and a pastor, and is the author of a few Christian books, and an Independent politically, I greatly respect all Christians right to vote as they please, and their freedom of speech. I commend MM for striving to be involved in the process rather than sit back and allow others to dictate our future.
As someone who prizes logic over passion, I could not help but notice that the premise of MM had based her opinion on failed to account for the bigger picture surrounding both the war and abortion. If MM is truly concerned over the lose of life, then supporting Mr. Obama simply because MM believes he would have not taken the United States to war with Iraq is misguided.
Those who have studied American politics are aware of the fact that far too often those running for the presidency make claims they never keep when they get in office. Thus to assume that Mr. Obama is somehow above this practice is misguided and naive. There is nothing about Mr. Obama's past that causes us to believe that he is incapable of saying one thing to get elected and doing another as President.
Similarly, for MM to automatically assume that Mr. McCain will take the United States to war simply because he supported President Bush on the decision to send troops to Iraq, is equally misguided and naive.
Logically speaking, if MM is indeed pro-life and against the war in Iraq, and her primary concern is supporting life over death, to support Mr. Obama based solely on the number of servicemen and Iraqi civilians killed during the last five years, in all honesty just does not make sense.
First off, for MM to say, "the president does not have the power to force anyone to have an abortion" is incredibly shortsighted. The President may not be able to force a woman to abort her child, but he certainly is the most influential player.
--The President is the one who selects and nominates Justices for the Supreme Court. Abortion was legalized in part because one or more President's nominate Justices that opted to ignore the Constitution and thrust their personal beliefs upon the American public.
--The President is the unified voice that represents all Americans nationally and internationally. As the primary representative of the American people he can send a message to his people and to the world that either encourages the continuation of abortion or its abolishment.
--The President as the Chief Executive of the United States can either support legislation promoting abortion, or speak against such legislation.
Indeed the President cannot force a woman to have an abortion, but to simply opt to elect a man that is strongly pro-abortion, simply because he can't force a woman to have one, totally ignores all the things that same man can do to further advance abortion both in the United States and the world.
I praise MM for her concern about the lives of our troops and Iraqi citizens. But when one considers the total numbers involved it makes me question MMs ability to logically think through complex issues.
On March 24, 2008 the Washington Post reported that the number of U.S. military casualties in the Iraq war had reached 4,000 since its inception five years earlier. Likewise the total number of Iraqi deaths during that same five year period was 100,000 people. This accounts for approximately 104,000 deaths in five years. Personally I wish not a single one of the 104,000 lives had been lost. The loss of any life is a tragedy.
Having said that, when one totals the number of innocent babies that have lost their lives during the past five years the number amounts to more than 6 million aborted.
When wrestling with two difficult choices stopping the bombs from dropping, or stopping the babies from death by abortion, one must consider the numbers and the greater good that will come based on who is elected. If Mr. Obama is elected he would return to us the 104,000 lives taken, while withholding 6 million through continued support of abortion. How can someone that is pro-life and against the war opt for the sparing of 104,000 lives while at the same time condemning 6 million?
Beyond the standing numbers of the last five years, there is one other reason why MMs argument lacks credibility. Simply put, the war in Iraq will stop at some point. Be it in one year or in ten. It will stop, the troops will come home, and the Iraqi people will have to take charge. Regardless of who is the next President, the war will end. However, the same cannot be said for abortion. By electing Mr. Obama, if he selects pro-abortion Justices to the Supreme Court (which he has stated he will), there will be no end in site when it comes to abortion.
When faced with two difficult choices, the wise and logical person steps back and looks not at the moment, but rather the big picture. One strives to make a choice that will have the greatest long-term impact, not simply that which produces short-term gratification.
On a moral, ethical level, it is impossible to ignore the numbers 104,000 or 6 million? Stopping the bombs, or striving to stop the abortion of babies?
Personally speaking, I am not a fan nor an endorser of Mr. McCain. I praise him for his selfless service to his country while rotting away in the POW compounds of North Vietnam. When he had the opportunity to be released from the prison early, he refused to do so without his fellow Americans going with him. How many Christians would do likewise? But when I vote for him, it will not be because I support all of his views on important issues. Rather, it is because 6 million is greater than 104,000, and God ordained marriage is greater than a persons desire to select a spouse of their own choosing regardless of gender.
When push comes to shove, Mr. Obama is not experienced enough yet to be the President of the United States and Mr. McCain is. And for those who say they can't vote for McCain, please remember that President Bush senior lost his a run at a second term by many voting for a third party candidate. So the fact is a vote for someone else or a no show is a vote for Mr. Oboma.
In closing, let us not forget the teaching of 1 Kings 12 when it comes to the vulnerability that comes with young and inexperienced leaders. There we read the story of young King Rehoboam (of the house of David) and how when faced with a difficult decision, opted to ignore the wise counsel of the older elders that served his father Solomon, and followed the advice of the "young men who had grown up with him." The counsel of his contemporaries was so bad Scripture says, "Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day."
Mr. Obama may be very well educated when it comes to book knowledge, but when it comes to life experience he is not even a remote second to Mr. McCain. If Christians like MM fail to see the big picture and help elect a young and inexperienced Obama simply to get us out of Iraq, do not be surprised if like King Rehoboam, Mr. Obama makes a fatal decision or two that has the American public wishing they had not pushed the young man into office before his time.
Some say we elected John Kennedy as President at a young age and he did just fine. For those with short memories, Mr. Kennedy's youth and inexperience (Mr. Kennedy had far more life experience than Mr. Obama) encouraged our enemy the Soviet Union to try to place nuclear missiles in Cuba. As a result, the United States and the Soviet Union came very close to a full-scale nuclear war.
You see electing the young man you believe will keep you from war, may in and of itself encourage our enemies to test us all the more.
Bombs or babies? I cast my vote for the babies!
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