Which political party should a Christian vote for?

gabriellaaaaa

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Obviously both parties have problems. For me, I lean 90-10 in favor of Republican, and NOT just because of the whole gay marriage / abortion issue that's brought up a lot (obviously important issues, but IMO sometimes singled out as the only issues by other conservatives). To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts regarding voting, how a Christian should approach political party affiliation etc.
 
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HTacianas

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Obviously both parties have problems. For me, I lean 90-10 in favor of Republican, and NOT just because of the whole gay marriage / abortion issue that's brought up a lot (obviously important issues, but IMO sometimes singled out as the only issues by other conservatives). To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts regarding voting, how a Christian should approach political party affiliation etc.

In the end it's nearly futile. I tend to vote Republican for the same reasons you mentioned.

But I had another stark reminder of it last night watching a documentary on the Atlanta child murder cases from the 80s. The defense attorney was a black woman who had been a city council member in Atlanta, or something similar, as a Democrat. She had gone on a crusade in Atlanta to rid the city of inappropriate contentographic businesses and gay bath houses. Imagine how the democratic party would treat her today.
 
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Halbhh

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Obviously both parties have problems. For me, I lean 90-10 in favor of Republican, and NOT just because of the whole gay marriage / abortion issue that's brought up a lot (obviously important issues, but IMO sometimes singled out as the only issues by other conservatives). To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts regarding voting, how a Christian should approach political party affiliation etc.
There is no such thing as party affiliation giving anyone any kind of guarantee that the candidate is of good character.

Look at candidates one at a time. Voting straight party ticket isn't good, because it means you'd sometimes vote for the much worse of the two, here and there.

Speaking of which, Trump says he is "pro life". But he's a famous salesman. That's a main part of what he did much of his life: negotiating and selling. Sincerely, Trump seems to be a very good salesman. I wonder if perhaps he could even sell many people their own shoes they are already wearing.

I think outcomes matter more than words.

Notice in the graph below how abortions decline a little under Bush for 8 years from 2001-2008, but then declined a lot under Obama over the next 8 years:

Trends_in_U.S._abortion_rate%2C_1973-2014.png

Abortion statistics in the United States - Wikipedia
(the graphic ends at 2014, but the steep decline continues through 2016 to a new record low)

So, there is more to being "pro life" than only saying one is pro life....

It matters more the overall character of a leader, in my view. It matters a lot. Obama's good character had an effect in my view.
 
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Duke of Stratford

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To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Honestly, I feel that way about both major US parties. I really hate to be cynical, but I think the majority of politicians are after their own interests (whether or not they personally believe it or not). Of course, I do think there are idealists on both sides. But there's just too much corruption for me to be comfortable with either. I'll vote for individuals more than parties, but, unfortunately, that's not really an option in our current political climate. I vote on a case-by-case basis, personally.

I think a Christian's political affiliation should be a personal thing. When a demographic (religious or otherwise) gets too tied up in one party or another, they tend to be less evaluative when the party is going something wrong. I've seen Christians with so much political devotion that I'd call it idolatry. They'll shame anyone who critiques their favored politician, even when others' concerns are perfectly legitimate.

So, yeah. I think it's something to pray over. I believe we should always be questioning and evaluating our political thinking and examining our biases, otherwise we risk turning political ideas into idols. And we should extend grace to people we don't agree with and learn from each other. If we'd be more open to discussing the things that aren't black-and-white, this awful polarization problem wouldn't be as big an issue in the first place.
 
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fewme

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There is no such thing as party affiliation giving anyone any kind of guarantee that the candidate is of good character.

Look at candidates one at a time. Voting straight party ticket isn't good, because it means you'd sometimes vote for the much worse of the two, here and there.

Speaking of which, Trump says he is "pro life". But he's a famous salesman. That's a main part of what he did much of his life: negotiating and selling. Sincerely, Trump seems to be a very good salesman. I wonder if perhaps he could even sell many people their own shoes they are already wearing.

I think outcomes matter more than words.

Notice in the graph below how abortions decline a little under Bush for 8 years from 2001-2008, but then declined a lot under Obama over the next 8 years:

Trends_in_U.S._abortion_rate%2C_1973-2014.png

Abortion statistics in the United States - Wikipedia
(the graphic ends at 2014, but the steep decline continues through 2016 to a new record low)

So, there is more to being "pro life" than only saying one is pro life....

It matters more the overall character of a leader, in my view. It matters a lot. Obama's good character had an effect in my view.

Back in the 70's families tended to be larger, didn't they?
 
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WolfGate

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Be non-partisan. Vote based on which individual most closely aligns with the issues you believe are most important. Pray about your decision.

Neither of the two major US parties is biblically aligned. Two of the minor parties, Constitution and American Solidarity, try to be - but also have very different ideas on what the bible would direct in regards to many policy and non-theological issues.
 
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Halbhh

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Back in the 70's families tended to be larger, didn't they?
Yes indeed, and that matters, but not enough to explain the big decline. It's more about mores -- choices teenagers and people in their 20s make. People make choices. Having a leader of some kind set a good moral example is very helpful to influence how many people act. The character of a president -- whether they have good character like modesty, kindness, tolerance, truthfulness -- those matter for the entire nation, by influence.
 
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public hermit

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Obviously both parties have problems. For me, I lean 90-10 in favor of Republican, and NOT just because of the whole gay marriage / abortion issue that's brought up a lot (obviously important issues, but IMO sometimes singled out as the only issues by other conservatives). To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts regarding voting, how a Christian should approach political party affiliation etc.

I don't have a general rule for all Christians. I consider myself, even as a Christian, as pragmatic and moderate. I will look at the platforms of each candidate and consider them in light of the current situation and what seems most needed. There is no one issue that guides my vote. If things are too crazy and it seems we need a change I will vote for the opposition to the incumbent. Those who are committed to a party will always vote for the party. In a fairly divided situation, moderates have considerable power.
 
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Yarddog

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Obviously both parties have problems. For me, I lean 90-10 in favor of Republican, and NOT just because of the whole gay marriage / abortion issue that's brought up a lot (obviously important issues, but IMO sometimes singled out as the only issues by other conservatives). To me, many (not all obviously) of the ideals of the left are very noble, but honestly it just seems like a facade to advance their own interests and everything they say seems to be fake / backhanded.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts regarding voting, how a Christian should approach political party affiliation etc.
I'm a moderate but the things you see on the left are present on the right and middle.
 
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tulc

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I vote Democrat because I find it tends to line up more with the issues I want addressed. I also liked this advice:
Time to remember the best voting advice I ever heard: voting isn't marriage, it's public transport. You're not waiting for "the one" who's absolutely perfect: you're getting the bus, and if there isn't one to your destination, you don't not travel- you take the one going closest.
-Debbie Moon
tulc(just a thought)
 
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Evan Jellicoe

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I am on balance in favor of the Democratic Party. Any generic criticism of a person or party (like, say, they're really only in it to win votes and to be important in their own eyes) applies equally to both parties. Unless you take the position that was common in the 1920s (politics is inherently evil and no good Christian should participate in it at all), then there is no "righteous" choice, only the "lesser evil."

There is no one issue that overrides everything else, but if I had to answer which is the most important to me, I would say healthcare. The Republican determination to oppose offering decent health care to all Americans is something that I believe cannot be justified.

I also agree with others here who say that political affiliation should not be a test of faith. I do not believe that the mere act of voting Republican makes one a bad Christian, and I disagree strongly with those who believe that voting Democratic makes one a bad Christian, or at least a Christian who ignores the Bible. My preference for the Democratic Party is because of what I believe the Bible says, not in spite of it.
 
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A_JAY

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<QUOTE>Evan Jellicoe, post: 74927419, member: 389657"]....Unless you take the position that was common in the 1920s (politics is inherently evil and no good Christian should participate in it at all), then there is no "righteous" choice, only the "lesser evil."</QUOTE> ....snip

I think I fit into that for the most part. The 1920's position which seems to be the traditional Baptist position, holds appeal to me. Struggling with that though. I am a [Insert Name] because I know I am not a [Insert Name]. I've got to the point where I yearn for the days of Nixon, Reagan, Obama, and Bush.
 
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Albion

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I'm a moderate but the things you see on the left are present on the right and middle.
"Present," yes, but not nearly in the same degree as they are present with the alternative.

So because voting is a matter of choosing between two alternatives, neither of which is going to be all good or all bad, the prevalence or strength, etc. of whatever you are looking for should matter.
 
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Personally I vote Democrat. I don't have any special attachment to the Democratic Party, but my moral and ethical principles as a Christian lead me to vote for candidates who I believe are closest to the principles that I think matter: concern for most vulnerable, peace, justice, mercy. I believe I am more likely to, at the very least, see some people advocating for these things in the Democratic arena.

Of course in an ideal world the US wouldn't have a FPTP voting system, we'd have a better voting system that doesn't inevitably result in a two party system. We've always been a two party system (who the parties are have changed, but not the number) because FPTP inevitably leads to only two parties. And of course with a better voting system we really could vote for the candidate(s) we want, and not engage in purely strategic voting.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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