Sunday Sunshine for 4/11/10: Would You Vote For Jesus?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God…” Romans 12:2

Many Christians I know vote based on a single issue, usually abortion. Now I don’t want to get into the pro-choice, anti-abortion debate. I understand that if you see the point of conception as the beginning of life, you can’t be pro-choice. But I believe that the question for a Christian-motivated voter is not as simple as a candidate’s stance on abortion. The question should be: How Christ-like is my candidate?

What is Christ’s ministry all about? Christ spoke often about lifting people up, helping them, loving them. (Luke 10:30-37) He admonished materialism. (Luke 16:13) Jesus asks us to not only help those who cannot help themselves but tells parables about helping those who are CHOOSING to do unfit things. We are to LOVE people, first and foremost.

How can a political candidate love people? Well, if you are in the anti-abortion camp, being anti-abortion is a way of loving. However, what about your candidate’s stance on the death penalty? Aren’t we to love the prodigal son? (Luke 15) Do we to emulate the father in the story or the older brother? Which does our candidate reflect?

What about the candidate’s stance on healthcare? Aren’t we supposed to have compassion for the sick? (Mark 1:40-45) Is the child who can’t get proper treatment of his asthma due to financial or logistical reasons less important than the unborn child? In the United States, our maternal death rates are abysmal. Who is voting for the moms? What candidate takes care of them? And in what ways?

What about minimum wage? Or corporate regulations? Who is the ONLY group that Jesus got mad at? Not the prostitutes or the lepers. Not even the disciples who would betray him. Nope. It was the market in the temple. The buyers and sellers and cheaters. The ones who used a place of worship to make money. (John 2:13-16) So what is the candidate doing about corporations who are not working under Christian values of helping others? Or even if you argue corporations can’t be Christ-like, isn’t the Christian way to stop companies from hurting others? Is the candidate standing up for the people working for corporations? The people effected by the corporation’s policies? (Luke 18:18-25)

I wonder if it’s easier to vote based on “saving a baby” than any of these other Christian issues. Because babies are cute and innocent? Original sin aside, God didn’t chose only the innocent. Many of those chosen to carry on his message were not very kind people. Look at the conversion of Saul to Paul. (Acts 1:1-18) Is the man on death row less deserving of our love and forgiveness? What about voting for the candidate that is extending maternal care and maternity leave? Is it less important to support the mother of three children than a child in her womb? What about access to prenatal care? Isn’t that as important to the health and safety of that baby as not having access to an abortion? How do you decide? Does Christ favor the unborn children over the living children? Over the mothers and fathers of these children?

I can’t answer these question for you. But I can challenge all Christians to pray about your choices. To study Christ’s ministry and your candidates with an open mind. I’m not asking anyone to become pro-choice. I’m asking that your vote takes into account all of these issues.

There are ten commandments. And there is the greatest commandment:

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31

Instead of worrying what our neighbor is doing, maybe we could love them and do more for them. And then ask if our candidate will do the same.

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This post is written by Alex Iwashyna, a happily married mom with a BA in Political Philosophy and a Medical Degree and the drive to become neither. She is too busy writing, blogging, and staying at home with her children. She blogs at Late Enough about motherhood, politics, culture, and religion. Yes, Christian liberals do exist. (And we have pet unicorns!) She also tweets @L8enough