Voice of Truth - Political Issues
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I am just going to make a small observation on something today. I usually don't dive into politics on this blog, but one comment a heard disturbed me. The comment happened during the forum at Saddleback Church. Many of you have probably seen or heard this by now. The question pertained to when a baby begins to have rights. The answer that startled me was that it was above the candidates pay grade to answer that. Whoever is president for the next four years will have to make decisions that involve that question. If a person can't answer that question, they should not be president. The striking thing for me is that both candidates knew that question was going to come up. To have that as your answer is unthinkable. The same candidate then when on to say that the subject is a moral issue. He talked only about the moral issue for the mother, never once mentioning anything regarding the child. That seems to be the stance taken by many on the abortion rights side. They say they are not against the baby, but for the mother. Why can't we be for both?
We need to focus on more than one issue, but we need to start thinking through what the candidates are saying. Many will vote on emotion and personal issues that have absolutely nothing to do with being president. Decide who you will vote for based on the issues. A great speaker does not necessarily make a great president. A person with great experience also does not necessarily make for a great president. Christian's need to be involved in this process.
We need to focus on more than one issue, but we need to start thinking through what the candidates are saying. Many will vote on emotion and personal issues that have absolutely nothing to do with being president. Decide who you will vote for based on the issues. A great speaker does not necessarily make a great president. A person with great experience also does not necessarily make for a great president. Christian's need to be involved in this process.
I FOR ONE CERTAINLY THOUGHT IT WAS OUTSTANDING THAT OUR TWO PRESIDENTIAL CANIDATES BARACK OBAMA & JOHN McCAIN (IT IS OK TO STATE THEIR NAMES) ACCEPTED THE INVITATION FROM PASTOR WARREN TO BE QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR FAITH AND WHERE THEY STOOD ON MANY IMPOTANT ISSUES. IT IS EQUALLY INPORTANT THAT WE HAVE TWO MEN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT THAT ARE CHRISTIANS, KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND WANT TO ACCEPT LEADERSHIP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHEN BOTH OF THEM WERE ASKED THE QUESTION PERTAINING TO WHEN A BABY BEGINS TO HAVE RIGHTS, I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH EITHER CANIDATES RESPONSE. JOHN McCAIN GAVE THE RESPONSE THAT MOST EVANGELICALS WERE EXPECTING, THAT BEING "AT CONCEPTION". BARACK OBAMA'S RESPONSE "ABOVE HIS PAY GRADE" FOR MANY EVANGELICAL'S WAS SURPRISING AND MISUNDERSTOOD. MY OPINION OF BARACK OBABMA RESPONSE SAID TO ME, THAT THE ANSWER TO THIS VERY IMPOTANT QUESTION GOES EVEN DEEPER THAN JUST ONE OR TWO WORDS (AT CONCEPTION). THE SCRIPTURE THAT IMMEDIATELY CAME TO MY MIND AS IT RELATES TO OBAMA'S RESPONSE WAS JEREMIAH 1:5 " BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU, BEFORE YOU WERE BORN I SET YOU APART;I APPROVED YOU AS A PROPHET TO THE NATIONS. I FEEL GOD KNEW ME AS HE KNEW JEREMIAH, LONG BEFORE I WAS BORN OR EVEN CONCEIVED!SOMETIMES QUESTIONS LIKE THIS CAN NOT BE ANSWERED WITH JUST 2 WORDS. WHEN JESUS WAS QUESTIONED, MANY TIMES HIS ANSWER WAS NOT WHAT THE WORLD WAS EXPECTING, BUT RATHER HIS ANSWER WAS IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION OR PARABLE. THE BIBLE CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THIS TYPE OF RESPONSE MANY TIMES ANGERED THE "RELIGIOUS LEADERS"TO THE EXTENT OF THEM CRITIZING JESUS AND CASTING DOUBT ABOUT JESUS, JUST BECAUSE HE DID NOT GIVE THE EASY WORLDLY 1 OR 2 WORD ANSWER. TO SAY THAT OBARACK OBAMA'S RESPONSE WAS NOT ENOUGH AND HE SHOULD NOT BE PRESIDENT IS IN MY OPINION BEING VERY NARROW AND LEGALISTIC.
SO AS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, I AM AGAINST ABORTION AND FEEL IT IS CERTAINLY MURDER AND A SIN. MY WIFE & I SUPPORT BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT FOR MANY REASONS.HOWEVER WE DO NOT AGREE WITH HIS POSITION ON ABORTION. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WILL EVER BE A CANIDATE FOR PRESIDENT THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT AND AGREE ON EVERY SINGLE ISSUE. THE SIN RELATED PROBLEM THAT HAS CREPT IN MANY EVANGELICALS TODAY AS IT RELATES TO MORAL / POLITICAL ISSUES IS LEGALISM AND WANTING THE GOV'T TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. (JUST LIKE THE PHARASEE THAT WANTED JESUS CRUCIFIED, BUT THEY USED THE ROMAN LAW TO DO THE JOB). AS CONCERN AND LOVING CHRISTIAN PEOPLE OUR RESPONSE IS NOT TRYING TO CHANGE THE LAW BUT TO CHANGE LIVES THROUGH THE SAVING GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS WHY BARACK OBAMA IN FURTHER EXPLAINING HIS ANSWER STATED THAT HE WOULD SUPPORT MORE EDUCATION AND HELP TO TEENS AND MOTHERS AS IT RELATES TO ABORTION. THIS IS WHY PROACTIVE CHURCHES PUT VALUE AND TIME IN THEIR YOUTH BY HAVING BIBLE STUDIES CONCERNING PURITY AND "TRUE LOVE WAITS". ABORTION WILL NOT END EVEN IF WE PASSED A LAW TO ELIMINATE IT. THE PAST 8 YEARS WE HAD A PRESIDENT THAT WAS AGAINST ABORTION, HOWEVER, THE PAST 8 YEARS THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS INCREASED. GOD EXPECTS YOU AND ME TO MAKE AN IMPACT BY "DOING" WHICH DOES NOT MEAN HOW WE PULL A LEVER IN THE VOTING BOOTH. HE EXPECTS US TO REACH OUT AND HAVE EMPTHY TO ALL PEOPLE.
ONE LAST NOTE - IT WILL BE VERY INTERESTING TO SEE WHO OBAMA AND McCAIN SELECTS AS THEIR RUNNING MATES. HOW WILL THE EVANGELICALS HANDLE THE SELECTION OF A MORMAN, OR A PRO CHOICE CANIDATE IF MADE BY McCAIN. WHAT IF OBAMA PICKS A RUNNING MATE THAT GIVES THE TWO WORD ANSWER("AT CONCEPTION").
I AM NOT WORRIED. JUST AS GOD KNEW ME "BEFORE CONCEPTION" SO DOES GOD KNOW WHO WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.
GOD BLESS
TOM & PENNY SPANGLER
Everyone has their opinion on the topic. But many false facts are being thrown out. One I would like to point is the claim mentioned here and by Obama that abortions have not gone down in the last 8 yrs. That is false. Abortions are at their lowest since 1976 and the actual abortion rate per women is the lowest since 1974. And they are down 25% since 1990 when they were at their highest level. These numbers are supported by many groups ( even some who are pro-choice ). Check out The Alan Guttmacher Institute if anyone would like to see more numbers. So much of what is said during elections is based on what someone says, not actually looking at the facts.
Jason, one abortion is too many! The site you mentioned "Alan Guttmacher" is a good site along with others that will try and give accurate numbers. However as you can see there are some States like California, New Hampshire & Alaska that are not reporting. In fact Guttmacher even comments that California accounts for more abortions than any other state. Yes, I will agree with you that any one will make the facts appear to support their position.
God Bless
Tom Spangler