Why I am Voting Obama
By: John Dao
This was a tough call for me. I do like McCain — really. He’s a nice guy, I’m sure, but I can’t help but wonder if he is too confident he has the Christian vote simply because of his Republican status. Sadly it is the case that, all too often, Republicans pretend to have the moral high ground on everything. The word Christian and the word Republican have somehow merged to have the same meaning. What Democrats say about helping those in poverty is a vital part of Jesus’ teachings.1 Democrats just quit trying, and gave up on ever garnering the Christian vote. When Democrats see the word “Christian,” more often than not they see the words “political opponent” or “enemy.” Personally, I see the world in a different light. I quit being a “Republican” around the same time I started being a Christian, as ironic as that sounds. Of course, I’m no Democrat either; I dislike both parties (the two-party system really has to go). I guess you could call me an independent, but in actuality I hope to ally myself with only one party: God’s.
People should be asking me right now, “Aren’t you Christian? Aren’t you anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-secularist, pro-school prayer, pro-intelligent design?” To answer them, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I am against abortion in all senses. I do not feel I could fully promote homosexuality, but that doesn’t stop me from loving them. I do want God to continue to be discussed in this nation, not erased. I don’t really see how prayer in school is a threat to anyone, provided it is voluntary. Intelligent design doesn’t make sense to anyone who hasn’t read, or doesn’t believe in, the Bible. I’m not alone either; Obama feels the same way.
Heads should be doing a double take right now, as people frantically Google for Obama’s stance on the issues to confirm that he is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Do not worry; he is. But his personal views, because of his faith, are like mine. This is hypocrisy, right? How can you be against abortions, but pro-choice? The answer is simple; he and I share a common higher value: freedom. It is wrong to have an abortion, but you can’t force someone to stop it with a law. Homosexual marriage does go against the institution of marriage set up by God, but it is wrong to outright ban it. Of course, with this same logic, you could say that, although it is wrong to murder and rape, it would also be wrong to restrict someone from doing it, as that would infringe on freedoms. Indeed it would, but these are different in that they are rather cut and dry issues. Society agrees in general (except for murderers and rapists) that these things are wrong (and so does God for that matter). It’s the morally grey issues to society that divide us, and, although I know where I stand on these issues, I can’t try to force this on others through a law. I look at what prohibition was back in the day and how that was an utter failure, even though it was strongly backed by many Christians at the time. We see the result of forcing our beliefs on others, and it is doomed.
Instead, as a Christian, I believe the focus should not be on treating the symptoms of society by force, but on changing the hearts. It’s like wiping the blood off of your shirt without caring for your bloody nose. If we could learn anything from Jesus, it’s that you cannot force someone to do anything.2 Even if you do, you need to provide a way for it to happen. We are called to restore the world back to a place where discrimination, hatred, sexism, racism, suffering, violence, fear, shame, and oppression are gone. Utopian, indeed, but it is completely possible. Restoration begins with the individual, not with a mandate for the masses. I can rant and rave, call you a sinner, or condemn you to hell, or I can become the change I wish to see. Also, if our perceptions are different, if we see and hear different things, we can only act according to what is real to us, causing the divide. What looks like murder to one person could be a life-saving act to another. We lack objectivity, the ability to see from all perspectives at once. Christians often forget that people do not see the world as we do and are often not understanding of that fact, and the same goes the other way around.
I believe Obama sees this too, from what I read of his “Call to Renewal” keynote address, in which he stated that faith should be discussed by both Democrats and Republicans alike. Many of the great social revolutions of history (public education, health care, human rights, children’s rights, women’s suffrage, civil rights, literacy education, rights for the disabled, even fair trade coffee) were started by Christians. Even Gandhi, though not Christian, borrowed ideas from the teachings of Jesus about loving your enemies, and turning the other cheek. I believe Obama can be the instrument of change he says he is. If I may quote from his speech:
“…What I am suggesting is this – secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King – indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history – were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their “personal morality” into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.”
I see Obama as being the next Lincoln, a nameless politician from Illinois who was never expected to win the Presidency, changed it for the better, and unified a country in civil war. I’m also sad to say that today we stand as a country divided. We appear weak, stupid, bickering amongst ourselves while troops die in Iraq. The one place where we should be standing unified is foreign affairs and that is in pieces. The world seems to have left us behind, our education is in shambles, our currency is European toilet paper, and our credibility and respect in the world is on its way down. Perhaps it’s time we focus on our own needs, fixing ourselves before we fix the problems of the world.
This is why I state that I feel Obama is the Christian candidate of choice. He has the right (meaning the ones I have, naturally) ideas to restore our education, our credibility, our country, our economy, our environment, our peace, our equality, and, most importantly, our faith. That is the world I wish to live in, so I cast my vote for the one I feel best espouses these Christian desires of mine, Barack Obama.
References
Obama, Barack H. “Barack Obama| Change We Can Believe In.” http://www.barackobama.com/index.php. 28 June 2006. 1 June 2008 .
1 Matthew 19:21
2 Mark 6:11
