Holocron 05 - Christian Faith and Politics
April 9th, 2008Things followers of Jesus should consider when preparing to vote:
1. The Environment - God made us stewards of his creation. How different has it become from the way it was when he entrusted it into our care?
2. War - If we take Jesus’ words seriously, as his followers, we are barred from participating in war. If you love your enemies, that precludes killing them.
3. Palestine - God told Abraham that the Holy Land would be given to his descendants - what seems to be forgotten is that the Muslim Arabs in Palestine are also descendants of Abraham.
4. The AIDS Pandemic - AIDS is to today’s world what leprosy was in Biblical times. So, if we are to follow the example of Jesus, we are called to respond to this in love.
5. Gay Rights - Gay/Lesbian Unions - If the state is involved all unions should be civil unions - marriages should be left to the church.
6. Gun Control - The moment you claim ownership of a gun you put yourself into the culture of fear, and will find yourself in situations where you need to use it. Our only weapon should be the ‘Sword of Truth’ which is the word of God.
7. Education - How are the schools in our cities funded? Are the affluent given access to a better education than the poor? All children deserve to receive the best education possible.
8. Abortion - A majority of Christians believe that abortion is bad. But are we able to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus for the woman who finds herself in a situation to need one?
9. Immigration - 9 million illegal immigrants pay over $16 billion a year in taxes. They pay $7 billion a year in Social Security which they can never draw on.
10. Crime - Scripture shows that there are four responses to crime: repentance, restitution, reconciliation, and restoration. These involve not only the criminal, but the victim. We also need to consider the ways in which white-collar crime contributes to other types of crime.
11. The Federal Budget - Budgets are moral documents. Jesus said that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also(see Matt.6:21). This truth applies to individuals, families, churches, and certainly to governments. Where is our country’s heart?
12. The Minimum Wage - In the U.S. today a single person needs to make at least $9.00 an hour just to get by. And this is based on a 40 hour work week. To support a family of four takes two wage-earners making at least $15 an hour.
13. Debtor Nation - As of April 2008, the United States is $9.5 trillion in debt which averages out to $79,000 per tax payer. Nearly half of this is owed to other nations with Japan and China owning 47% of foreign debt. Much of this comes from individual debts because many credit card and mortgage companies get the money they loan from other countries.