While it is disheartening to me to see so many who self-identify as evangelicals open to the notion of voting for Democrats, the silver lining in that blue cloud is found here- that many evangelicals, aghast at this development as they should be, have responded by vehemently insisting they would not vote for anyone who wasn’t pro-life.
As always, however, the rub is in defining our terms. Suppose a man took the position that late term abortions should be illegal. Sex selection abortions should be illegal. Down syndrome abortions should be illegal. Abortions of babies conceived by a husband and wife should be illegal. But he also takes the position that some abortions should be legal. Babies who are conceived in the context of a crime, rape or incest, their murder should be protected by law. Is this really a pro-life position? Isn’t this, properly speaking, pro-abortion with exceptions? This hypothetical candidate, however, isn’t hypothetical. It describes the position taken by every Republican nominee and President going back to Nixon. That, in case you are wondering, includes Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump.
This is not my first rodeo, and so I know what to expect. Comes now every argument as to why Christians should have cast their votes for each of the above listed men. And the same people making those arguments will insist that Donald Trump get our votes this election. It is not my intention here to argue that point one way or another. I have no desire to deny that President Trump has done much for the cause of life, more than his predecessors. Praise God. My question is this- why would we think this is voting pro-life?
Again, not my first rodeo. I’m aware that there are those who seek to justify voting for Democrats on the grounds that “pro-life” needs to be broader than merely being “anti-abortion,” that pro-life encompasses being opposed to capital punishment, and being in favor of the welfare state and that with a broad enough definition, one could argue voting for this Democrat or that is voting pro-life. That’s not at all what I’m suggesting. I find such arguments disingenuous, ignorant and just plain silly.
Rather, when I use the expression “pro-life,” and I suspect when most use it, we mean, “Believes the state should protect the right to life of all unborn children.” Isn’t that what the term means? And since that is what the term means, what business do we have using that term to describe politicians who expressly deny that the state should protect the right to life of all unborn children, who in fact expressly affirm that the state should protect the “right” of some parents to murder some unborn babies?
If Christians want to take the view that the biblical way to vote is to vote for candidates who would legally protect the “rights” of some parents to murder their babies but who would legally protect the “rights” of fewer parents to murder their babies than their opponents would, then why not say so? Why pretend that pro-abortion with exceptions, which is what each of these Republican nominees have been, means pro-life?
What is worse, how many Christians over the past few months have had the audacity to argue that voting for a candidate who is pro-abortion is proof said voter isn’t a Christian, have voted, each and every election cycle, for a candidate who is pro-abortion with exceptions. Didn’t Jesus say something about being judged by the same standard we judge others?
To re-iterate. I haven’t ever voted for a Democrat, and don’t expect I ever will. I believe it is wrong to do so. I believe men of good will can disagree over whether or not we should vote for the Republican who wants to protect the legal right to murder only tens of thousands of babies a year rather than a million. I’m not angry at anyone for voting for the Republican. All I am saying is that don’t kid yourself into thinking you are voting pro-life. Don’t paint yourself in a corner. And those of you so quick to declare that “No Christian could ever vote for a Democrat,” don’t be surprised when some are willing to doubt your salvation, since you vote for candidates who promise to protect the murder of some babies.
What to do? On how to vote, I don’t have counsel. My counsel above is about what not to say. Let’s think before we speak, especially before we speak about the condition of the souls of others who name the name of Jesus.
