Comments on: A Christian Democrat? Here’s Why… You Can Vote Democratic

By: Tom Ratkovich

Tom Ratkovich

“I believe that the government’s overarching function is to ensure that its citizens can exercise their (God-given) free will so long as, in doing so, those citizens do not inhibit others from doing the same.” https://therighteouswillanswer.com/2023/09/02/free-will-the-role-of-government/

By: Mary Morgan

Mary Morgan

This is a well-written perspective about many things, including theology regarding government. I agree with his research, and I would appreciate it if it were available for young people today who support the far-right Republican views as Christian views. Most of them seem highly greedy and don’t care about anyone but themselves. Thank you for publishing.

By: Jug

Jug

In light of the upcoming 2024 presidential election, discussion on this topic needs to be teased out further. Thinking should clarify faith, not weaken it.

By: Christian Huls

Christian Huls

“For over 40 years, the Republicans have been using the abortion issue to sway many single-issue voters to vote Republican but there has been no progress in stopping abortion.”

THAT didn’t age well… the GOP made great strides last year regarding abortion restrictions. Praise God. For example, as of August, abortion rates have dropped to ZERO in Kentucky thanks to the laws passed in June. https://www.facebook.com/liveaction/posts/pfbid02XnLJEqdL5Pe5epUPoRc5aZQZu2Ky6afXBi5HamKjwBoNN5fbbUstuAZgsTP4RfCLl
That being said, I agree that the Republicans have used this for years to mobilize, with no effect. It’s about time…

By: Rondall

Rondall

In reply to mtelesha. Marc, Thank you for your kind words. I am sorry that you have had such negative reactions from fellow evangelicals. As you are seeing in your private messages there are more evangelical democrats than we might think at first blush but far too few are vocal about it. I believe a sincere Christian can be either Democrat or Republican. No political party owns God. We just need to make sure that our conception of God is shaping our politics rather than our politics shaping our conception of God.

By: mtelesha

mtelesha

Thank you for a well stated position on social justice and scripture. I have switched parties a little over a year ago and it took a good 20 years for that to happen (Sarah Palin was the tipping point)

I have a degree in Theology and have worked in the past as full time pastoral staff at several churches. I now have many Facebook friends (90% are probably Republicans) message me privately to ask “I thought you were a Christian how can you support Hilary?” many times. After taking the time to explain so many times I searched for Democratic Evangelical and it led me here. I have lost well over a hundred FB Friends who several have stated that if I will vote democratic they were deleting me from their list.

I also have many Evangelical Friends who will only in private tell me that they love my post and they appreciate my desire to try and give a different perspectives. They mostly are secretive Democrats Evangelicals.

I am a Democrat and I label myself “I am apart of the Republican party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower logically today I am a member of the Democratic Party.” I find the call of scripture for my party switch. I still find it hard to understand the unbiblical stances as being the mark of a true Christian. When I read 1 Cor 5:9-13 and these “Pro Religion” laws that allow people to discriminate against the gay community or the fear and uncertainty and doubt presented by the Republicans as being against my core values I have obtained through the scriptures.

I hope you continue to do this series of articles.

-Marc

By: Rondall

Rondall

In reply to Michael Russell.

Thankyou for your comments. They are lengthy so I will not address everything. First, ishould say thatinthis article Iam not speakign to “them” I am speaking to “us.” I am an evangelical Christianso I am not pandering or manipulating them. I am speaking from conviction. I will also say that much of what you write relies on the Secularization Theory of Modernity and I would argue that that thesis is at the very least in doubt if not demonstrably wrong. However, I doubt we will agree on that so not point in going further. I do want to highlight a good point you make. You wrote, “You will from now until the end be in the minority, and when you inflict your religion on others, you can expect to reap what you sew”. It istruethat we are nowin a largely post-christian era in the USA. Christians have not beenwise about how they have used their power and your point is well taken that we need to keep the minority in mind not only because it is right but also for pragmatic reasons. Christians, especially conservative ones, will not be the majority for long (if they still are) and it is in Christian’s own self interest to model a loving way of treating the “other” be cause that is what we are becoming. Not to mention that as a Christian Love is just the right way to go.

By: Michael Russell

Michael Russell

You don’t need Christianity or religion to do any of the things you attribute to government here, and further, our long history of religious and tribal war has taught the wise, including our founding fathers, that religion has no place in government. As legitimate government emanates from the people, and people can be religious, I see why it’s necessary to speak to them in terms they comprehend, but the plurality of our secular democratic system would seem to eliminate the need to rely upon the myths of old to justify government, and speaking to these myths only encourages them, wasting valuable resources of time and mind. I would instead tell Christian evangelicals this, vote for whomever or whatever party your mind tells you will best run the country the way you want it run. If you want TRUMP or some Fundamentalist Conservative to run things vote for them, but remember what country you live in. This is the USA and we are no longer in the 18th century or even the 20th. As a diverse, pluralistic, complex nation of the 21st century, whatever your religious beliefs, you are out numbered and demographically shrinking. You will from now until the end be in the minority, and when you inflict your religion on others, you can expect to reap what you sew, seven fold. This isn’t about religion, it’s politics, and the only thing you need to worry about is the consequences of your actions here on this Earth, on your lives and those of your offspring. I don’t care if you think these are the end times, and that you and yours will be raptured to heaven, and so you think you can let everything go to shit, because you’ll be ‘saved’, it will not save you in the reality of our scientific world. You’re just going to create suffering until your choices kill of your gene pool, then the rest of us will spread to the stars. Stop trying to gain the confidence of the Evangelical Christians, let them make up their own minds, and if they lack minds, so be it. Democracy is a just form of government, we get the government we deserve. So, we should be honest with these Christian Democrats, and not try to manipulate them into voting for Left leaning liberal policies outside their myth, like gay rights or abortion. Simply let them get on with it, and see how they fair. The beauty of the United States Constitution is that it is a living document, changing and adapting to the times. Our democracy is inclusive and egalitarian, it accepts all people and empowers them to become part of our nation, and that is the power, the creativity, that has made us strong. Only forward progress is possible, and soon all people, or at least the majority, will either understand the beauty of our system, and the futility of tribal mythology, like Christian beliefs, or they will tear the world apart in pursuit of “the chosen people of the one true god”, and waste all that we have learned. Don’t pander to religious fundamentalists, that makes us no better than the Muslim theologies of the old world.