Christians, Watch Out For God-Talk From Politicians

Mark Earley, guest columnist for Christian Post, explains how politicians miss the point with their “God-Talk” aimed at the Christian vote.

The problem is that all of this “God talk” misses the point: what Christians want—or should want—is a candidate who shares their moral and cultural concerns, not just their religious vocabulary. A candidate may address a Hispanic audience in Spanish, but that says nothing about where he aligns with them on issues.
An example of this missing the point is a recent story in the Chicago Tribune, whose headline read “Democrats Pledge Support for Wide Access to Abortion.”

The very same candidates who had been appealing to evangelical voters a few days before went before Planned Parenthood and promised to appoint judges that would uphold Roe v. Wade and promised to mandate public financing in their universal health care plans.

It’s difficult to imagine positions more at odds with the motivations of the very evangelical voters they’re trying to court. Protecting the lives of unborn children has been the cornerstone of politically active Christians for the past thirty years.

It’s hard to know which is worse: that candidates think that talking about religion will make evangelical Christians forget why they care about politics—or that they might be right.

Democrats and Republicans are suggesting that Christians set aside their concerns about the sanctity of life and preservation of the family: Indeed, the same period that saw all the stories about Democrats and religion saw stories about a “maturing” of the evangelical vote on the Republican side.

By “maturing,” the commentators meant that Christians are willing to overlook where GOP hopefuls stand on abortion and same-sex marriage.

But if we do that, we will have forgotten why we got involved in the first place. Like the candidates, we’ll be missing the point. As the country song says, “How about a little less talk, and a lot more action?”

Christians in Canada are reminded of the importance of their vote in securing legal rights for unborn children. There are provincial elections coming up in the next few months, perhaps even a federal election around the corner. Be sure to get prepared for elections by following the Vote Life, Canada! guide to successful Christian voting entitled “How to Vote Life.”