For as long as I can remember, Evangelical Christians have voted as a big, cohesive bloc. They have always, in my memory, voted in an unshakably conservative lump.
The Christian right, for most of us, is a uniform group that opposes abortion, supports gun rights, stands firmly against marriage equality.
They vote Republican. They always have. Or at least that’s the way it seems.
A recent report by NPR raises some questions about the wisdom of this blind adherence to Republican political positions. Surprisingly, the questions have been asked by Christian pastors.
One of the most outspoken of these ministers is Russell Moore, who is President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. This is the largest group of Protestant Church groups in the country. Reverend Moore recalled the first time that he was aware of political voting guides being handed out at church. He paid attention to those guides each year and noticed, even as a teen, that the Church’s key “Christian issues” always matched the talking points of the Republican Party that year.
He wondered why it should be that God would want his followers to have a position on non-religious issues. Moore said:
“On many issues, there did seem to be a clear Christian position — on the abortion of unborn children, for instance, and on the need to stabilize families. But why was there a ‘Christian’ position outlined on congressional term limits and a balanced budget amendment and the line item veto?”
Through much of this century, Christian voters were aligned with liberal causes like Civil Rights and the anti-war movement. It wasn’t until 1980, when the Evangelical preacher Jerry Falwell dreamed up the so called “Moral Majority” to support Ronald Reagan, that Christians were urged to move toward conservative positions.
Since that time, white Evangelical Christians have lined up behind the most conservative Republican positions on every issue. They seem to keep moving further and further to the right with every election.
This year the nomination of Republican Donald Trump for President has brought about some new contortions on the part of Christians. They are struggling to justify their support of a man who has been married multiple times, has admitted to adultery and sexual assault, and who makes greed his proudest personal trait.
Some Christian pastors have tried to brush aside Trump’s immoral behavior with biblical references. Others have claimed that those who do not support the candidate just don’t understand the will of God.
The new, thoughtful Christian position is more nuanced. Pastors like Duke Kwon of Grace Meridian Hill Church in Washington say that Christians should not be surprised to find that Jesus does not come right out and support one party or one candidate. He says that while one candidate my represent the “Christian” position on something like abortion, there are other issues to consider. The health of the planet, caring for the poor, the plight of foreigners all need to be weighed when choosing a candidate.
It’s encouraging to see that some life long conservative, Christian Republicans are taking a broader view of what Jesus might do if he were here to vote. Jenifer Sarver, for example, is shrugging off the dismay of her friends and relatives, and will vote for Hillary Clinton next week. In a viral blog post, Sarver wrote:
“We should not use our faith as a political tool or a bludgeon. We should use it to extend mercy and grace around us.”
Evangelical Christians have been manipulated and influenced by conservative Republicans for years now. If the ugly, immoral candidacy of Donald Trump is helping them to see beyond party affiliation to look toward truly Christian values, then perhaps some good will actually come out of this horrific election cycle.
You can hear Rev. Moore here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_fc3g7Q8rA
