The past several days have been incredibly revealing.  I have received numerous emails, phone calls, and interview requests since my August 30th post on John McCain’s VP pick.  I have even earned the infamous “fundamentalist” label from one group (this is the term used to marginalize those who make politically incorrect arguments). So I’m getting it from the left and the right.  Though much of the response has been positive, I must admit there has been more backlash from Christian Republicans than I expected.  Unfortunately, it has all (and I do mean all) been off the mark.  As I feared, many people simply follow like sheep when it comes to the political process.  The main thrust of the visceral responses has fallen into three distinct categories.  Some have accused me of writing a “hit piece” designed to help Mr. Obama.  A second group has criticized my failure to apply the pro-family standard consistently.  Finally, there are those who are just plain disappointed that I addressed a political issue.

A Hit Piece to Help Mr. Obama.

I must admit I find this accusation a bit comical.  On April 18th I wrote a blog entitled, Barack Obama:  A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.  In that post, I absolutely hammered Mr. Obama for what I referred to as his support for infanticide.  Ironically, I received a number of emails, phone calls and letters referring to that blog as --you guessed it-- a “hit piece” designed to undermine Mr. Obama’s campaign.  Interestingly, one internet attacker who took issue with my treatment of Mrs. Palin wrote:

I really have to question his motivations on this one. To me it feels like a hit piece, trying to make others feel like they are hypocritical on the issue. Yet where is that same thoughts on Baptist(s) (Black and otherwise) (who) are willing to vote for Obama in spite of the his stand of the murder of unborn children. I think we need to pull that log out of his eye before we start looking for splinters.

This is amazing!  Not only have I blogged about Mr. Obama’s position on abortion, I have also preached about it.  I have preached in my church, and at two Christian Universities on Mr. Obama’s support for homosexual marriage and infanticide.  Just a cursory look at my blog would have revealed that.  I have said it before, and I’ll say it again.  I refuse to vote for either Mr. Obama or Mr. McCain for that matter! 

Failure to Apply the Pro-Family Standard Consistently

A second charge against my blog has centered around the fact that I targeted Mrs. Palin unfairly by pointing out her neglect of her family without pointing out the same thing in male politicians.  There are two reasons for this.  First, if you read the August 30th blog carefully, I do make mention of the fact that I would have a problem with a man in her position (five children, one a newborn with Down Syndrome) taking on the same job.  The direct quote is, “ Let me also say that I would have the same reservations about a man with five children at home seeking the VP office.”  Again, simply reading the blog carefully and thoroughly would have answered this objection.

Second, I do not buy the Feminist ideology of equivocation on this matter.  There is a double standard when it comes to caring for the home, and for children (1 Tim. 5:14; Titus 2:5).  Women are to be “keepers of the home.”  Men are to work and provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Ths. 3:10).  Men are called to be providers.  There is a difference between a man with a demanding job and a woman with a demanding job.  While men with children to raise need to be careful not to neglect their calling as fathers, they must also realize that providing is part of that calling.  I make no apology for holding a woman to a different standard on this matter because I believe God does.

Finally, while I agree wholeheartedly that the Obamas have as much to answer for on this as do the Palins (they have two young daughters and a working mother plus a father running for President), the issue in my blog was the response of conservative Evangelicals beating the pro-family drum the moment the Palin announcement was made.  My blog was not about whom we should vote for; it was about the Christian community following blindly (and uncritically) behind a political party and failing to speak forth God’s truth on a serious matter.  Which leads me to the final complaint.

Preachers Have No Place in Politics

First, let me say that I disagree completely with those who say preachers should stay out of political issues.  That, however, is a discussion for another day.  In the meantime, please note that the aforementioned blogs --the one on Obama and the one on McCain-- share one thing in common; I was addressing the “Christian” response.  In the Obama piece I was addressing black liberals who were ignoring the abortion issue (in response to a news story).  In the McCain piece I was addressing conservative Evangelicals whom I believed were redefining the term pro-family to apparently mean anyone who opposes abortion (also in response to a news story). 

Let me also say a word to those who argue that “we cannot hold political candidates to biblical standards.”  Why not?  What other standard is there?  Should we hold them to a Buddhist, Muslim,  or HIndu standard?  How about a Secular Human, neo-Marxist, or New Age standard?  What, pray-tell, should the standard be if not the Bible?  Do we have one standard for pro-life in the church and another for Mr. Obama?  Do we have one standard for pro-family in the church and another for Mrs. Palin?  I think not.  The whole point of my blogs was this:  We cannot trade in the Bible for pragmatic utilitarianism when election time rolls around. 

I stand with Jesus!  I’ll dump a political party in a heartbeat.  I am sick and tired of watching leading Evangelicals compromise in order to prevent the earth from turning to dust if the wrong guy is elected.  Where’s our faith?  We ought to speak God’s truth and let the chips fall where they may.  We must bow to no man.  If Mr. McCain  or Mr. Obama don’t want Evangelicals to say things that may hurt them in the polls, they ought to speak and act like the Christians they both claim to be.  Instead, they know that their constituencies within the Christian community (black liberals for Obama and white Evangelicals for McCain) will not speak too loudly when they get out of line because both groups are more concerned with winning than with truth.

I refuse to believe that following a party like sheep is the answer to our problems.  We must maintain our prophetic voice, and that voice must be consistently Scriptural.  I don’t have all of the answers.  I’m just trying to wrestle with the questions as honestly as I can. 

VB