To say there has been much wrestling in me as we approach this election is a huge understatement. I would much rather have my options be black and white, but they're not. The men campaigning for presidency are neither one, unfortunately, believers with strong convictions based on the Word of God.
Randy Alcorn again gives voice to and food for thought regarding many of the things I am wrestling with:
Years ago I had long discussions with Christian friends who voted against an Oregon ballot measure that attempted to restrict abortion to cases involving rape, incest and threat to the mother’s life. (A John McCain type of position.) Nanci and I voted for the measure. Why? Because it would save the vast majority of babies who would have been aborted in a state that wouldn’t begin to agree to a measure saving 100% of lives. The idea is, if you can start by saving some, eventually you might save more. And in this case, saving 98% would have been a bold start!
...Certainly I would never kill two babies to save one hundred. But shouldn’t I jump in and try to save 98 babies even if I couldn’t save two, if those two would have died along with the 98 if I did nothing? My point is this—no unborn children who wouldn’t have died will die if John McCain is in office. And many children, through Supreme Court appointments, could ultimately be saved.
If I were at the beach and four children were drowning and I could save only one or two of them, I would be grieved at those I couldn’t save. But I would not stay out of the water on the principle that if I can’t save them all, I shouldn’t try to save any. How are those not saved helped by the drowning of others?
...Is there a time when it is possible to use your vote not so much for a person, but against an issue that you believe to be unbridled evil? If so, isn’t legalized child-killing such an issue? In this case is it possible to say “Lord, I am voting against the candidate who supports the legalized killing of the 100% of those whose parents elect abortion; the only way I can do that effectively is to vote for a man who on this sacred issue is 98% right and two percent wrong. I grieve the two percent, but I am voting for the 98%; you know my heart, please bless this vote as an expression of my desire to honor you.”
This is what I’m doing. I’m not voting for a man, I’m voting for the best possible outcome for those who are the Jews and slaves of our day. And I am voting against the worst possible outcome.
read all of it
Thanks for letting me quote so much these days. It's helpful to me to somehow share these thoughts that I have trouble saying/writing myself and I hope that maybe it helps you to read it....Certainly I would never kill two babies to save one hundred. But shouldn’t I jump in and try to save 98 babies even if I couldn’t save two, if those two would have died along with the 98 if I did nothing? My point is this—no unborn children who wouldn’t have died will die if John McCain is in office. And many children, through Supreme Court appointments, could ultimately be saved.
If I were at the beach and four children were drowning and I could save only one or two of them, I would be grieved at those I couldn’t save. But I would not stay out of the water on the principle that if I can’t save them all, I shouldn’t try to save any. How are those not saved helped by the drowning of others?
...Is there a time when it is possible to use your vote not so much for a person, but against an issue that you believe to be unbridled evil? If so, isn’t legalized child-killing such an issue? In this case is it possible to say “Lord, I am voting against the candidate who supports the legalized killing of the 100% of those whose parents elect abortion; the only way I can do that effectively is to vote for a man who on this sacred issue is 98% right and two percent wrong. I grieve the two percent, but I am voting for the 98%; you know my heart, please bless this vote as an expression of my desire to honor you.”
This is what I’m doing. I’m not voting for a man, I’m voting for the best possible outcome for those who are the Jews and slaves of our day. And I am voting against the worst possible outcome.
read all of it
I read this exact portion of the article to Eric last night.
ReplyDeleteHe urged me to share these thoughts with a friend who was still unsure of who to vote for. I e-mailed the link...
Thanks.
Hi. I am a regular reader of your blog, and I have enjoyed many of your posts.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I felt the need to comment after reading this most recent post. The word of God says that the shedding of innocent blood is something the Lord hates. Period. Why must Christians always think that **we** must be the ones to save this world from all evil? I firmly believe that if we stand firm and do what is right in the EYES OF THE LORD (meaning not voting for a man who would EVER allow for the killing of innocent children and, therefore, not voting for McCain), He might really start to do some miraculous things in the world.
We have seen and heard this rhetoric before. George Bush has been in office for EIGHT YEARS and, for six of those years, the "pro-life" GOP was in charge of the entire federal government. NOT ONE UNBORN BABY'S LIFE HAS BEEN SAVED in this time. They did nothing. Why do we think John McCain will be any different?
We must remember that the lesser of two evils is still evil.
@Casey - I understand where you are coming from. I think the above quote (and all the rest of it that I didn't quote) certainly takes into consideration the extreme wrestling that goes on in many of our hearts.Firstly, I urge you to act as you feel led by the Holy Spirit. Secondly, I urge you to read all of Randy Alcorn's blog entry because he addresses the fact that there actually were good measures taken under George W. Bush (namely, the appointment of two very prolife justices). Thirdly, I urge you to consider the fact that a protest vote (from my understanding, Baldwin won't actually even be on the ballot) will, for all intents and purposes, be a vote for Ob@ma.Mostly, though, I urge you to continue praying and asking the Lord to spur His Church into action. Us believers being His hands and feet is the way abortion will come to an end. May God give us each the wisdom we need in this very difficult hour!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I found this comment very helpful in my understanding of what actually HAS transpired under W's administration -- and it's much more than what is popularly credited to him. There actually have been saved lives, thanks to the measures he took. That said, I can understand the quandary of whether or not to vote third-party. I pray that God grants us real wisdom in this election. As Dutch Sheets said recently, because of the Supreme Court situation, our vote this year is not just for a president, but for what America will be 40 years from now. This is a weighty election!(this is danica, btw. sorry about that.)
ReplyDeleteYou know lately I have felt so anxious and uneasy and my thoughts seem to just be racing. I've had a hard time getting anything done and I just feel the need to always be in constant prayer. I'm putting two and two together and I believe it's because of this upcoming election. So I love your posts about it all because it does help me process my thoughts more clearly and the issues weighing on my heart as of late. So thanks!
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