Obama: No friend of Life

Religion and politics are the two things you shouldn't talk about at the dinner table--just ain't polite! Isn't it interesting in our society that the two things that probably effect us the most deeply are the things banished from civil discussion (i.e., i mean by this not throwing objects at one another). Now Chrsitians have a responsibility to vote; indeed it is our civic responsibility and privilege (Click here for a brief discussion for the biblical warrant for such a notion). More on this in blogs to come...

Now some think that faith and politics are like oil and water--they don't mix. I think this view is wrongheaded and a misreading of the NT. Clearly God is neither a democrat or a republican or "other." That said, I think we should vote according to worldview considerations. Churches should not endorse a candidate or political party...but to abstain from the process for religious reasons is irresponsible of us. Why? Because we can affect incremental change over time. Promoting a culture of life, speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, social justice, acts of compassion, care of God's creation etc. Compromise is a part of the political process...if we view it as an all or nothing gig (idealism) then we will leave a gaping whole that will be filled by voices devoid of moral reasoning and substance.

That said....Obama is nor friend of life. He is a charismatic and good at rhetoric. but his positions and voting record on issues related to the unborn are just plain scary. See the article The "Elephant in the Room: Obama: A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image" in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Here is a quote to give you a taste...

Let's be clear about what Obama did, once in 2003 and twice before that. He effectively voted for infanticide. He voted to allow doctors to deny medically appropriate treatment or, worse yet, actively kill a completely delivered living baby. Infanticide - I wonder if he'll add this to the list of changes in his next victory speech and if the crowd will roar: "Yes, we can."

I want to highlight two resources that have argued rigorously for the unborn using philosophical precision and legal reasoning and not appealing to the Bible (I accept the biblical positions of course, but most of society views insights derived from religious texts as off limits to public discourse).

The first is Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice by Francis Beckwith. The other is Embryo: A Defense of Human Life by Robert George (who happens to sit on the President's council on Bioethics). Both Beckwith and George are solid Christians and sharp thinkers. These are great resources to work through so you can speak up for the unborn.