In your effort to persuade others to join you in fighting moral decline, I have these last thoughts:
During this election season I have developed an emerging moral outrage against abortions. I used to think, and still fall back on that view now and then, that it’s good enough that I would not choose abortion personally, and that I’m not responsible for what other people do with their pregnancies. I didn’t (and still don’t) want this issue to be so in-your-face by telling others what to do with their pregnancies, marching in front of clinics and shouting at women, showing them pictures to make them feel guilty, and making this issue so much in the forefront of Christianity, overshadowing the message of the gospel, and appearing self-righteous in the process with a “you-can’t-kill-your-baby-cuz-it’s-against-my-religion-so-have-your-baby-and-you’re-on-your- own-and-don’t-bother-my-checkbook-for-any-help-either” attitude. (Sorry run on sentence.) I still believe that untransformed hearts would not necessarily see abortion as a moral wrong for them, and they would be more receptive to not making this choice after transformation. It bothers me too that if we tell them it’s wrong because of our religious beliefs, we are imposing our beliefs on them, but we are not the ones who would be raising this baby, or adopting it. There’s also the issue of separation of church and state, but that can open up another stream of discussions. My views may not pass the test of logic. But it’s where I’m at right now, and people get upset with me for my views. That’s why I envy those who see this issue as black and white. That would have relieved so much of my anguish!
Having said that, the voting booth is where I can do my part to stop the acceleration of abortions. Though I’m not fully convinced that voting one candidate over another solves the abortion issue. There is only a potential to make some progress in that direction. This issue would not go away for a long time as long as both sides won’t find common ground and work to reduce abortions. Obama claims he would do that, but I don’t see that in his voting record.
And if my vote today were to be based solely on this emerging outrage, then I would need to ignore my core political beliefs and vote on my conscience in this one area, without any full assurance that I could change history for the better. Disclaimer: Ignore does not mean disagree. I do want to clarify that I have no party loyalties, or any delusions that the party platform I generally support can do no wrong. The tactics I see on conservative blogs and u-tube have enlightened me to not subscribe to blind allegiance, and I pray Christians would not either.
My one vote won’t make any difference, but I will vote to exercise a precious privilege to be an American. I do trust God to fulfill His plan for the ages. Whatever the outcome of this election, I rest in full assurance that even if I made a “mistake” in my vote, he is mighty enough to cover all things.
1 comment:
In your effort to persuade others to join you in fighting moral decline, I have these last thoughts:
During this election season I have developed an emerging moral outrage against abortions. I used to think, and still fall back on that view now and then, that it’s good enough that I would not choose abortion personally, and that I’m not responsible for what other people do with their pregnancies. I didn’t (and still don’t) want this issue to be so in-your-face by telling others what to do with their pregnancies, marching in front of clinics and shouting at women, showing them pictures to make them feel guilty, and making this issue so much in the forefront of Christianity, overshadowing the message of the gospel, and appearing self-righteous in the process with a “you-can’t-kill-your-baby-cuz-it’s-against-my-religion-so-have-your-baby-and-you’re-on-your- own-and-don’t-bother-my-checkbook-for-any-help-either” attitude. (Sorry run on sentence.) I still believe that untransformed hearts would not necessarily see abortion as a moral wrong for them, and they would be more receptive to not making this choice after transformation. It bothers me too that if we tell them it’s wrong because of our religious beliefs, we are imposing our beliefs on them, but we are not the ones who would be raising this baby, or adopting it. There’s also the issue of separation of church and state, but that can open up another stream of discussions. My views may not pass the test of logic. But it’s where I’m at right now, and people get upset with me for my views. That’s why I envy those who see this issue as black and white. That would have relieved so much of my anguish!
Having said that, the voting booth is where I can do my part to stop the acceleration of abortions. Though I’m not fully convinced that voting one candidate over another solves the abortion issue. There is only a potential to make some progress in that direction. This issue would not go away for a long time as long as both sides won’t find common ground and work to reduce abortions. Obama claims he would do that, but I don’t see that in his voting record.
And if my vote today were to be based solely on this emerging outrage, then I would need to ignore my core political beliefs and vote on my conscience in this one area, without any full assurance that I could change history for the better. Disclaimer: Ignore does not mean disagree. I do want to clarify that I have no party loyalties, or any delusions that the party platform I generally support can do no wrong. The tactics I see on conservative blogs and u-tube have enlightened me to not subscribe to blind allegiance, and I pray Christians would not either.
My one vote won’t make any difference, but I will vote to exercise a precious privilege to be an American. I do trust God to fulfill His plan for the ages. Whatever the outcome of this election, I rest in full assurance that even if I made a “mistake” in my vote, he is mighty enough to cover all things.
So off to the polls I go….
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