Someone asked me how I could call myself a Democrat and a Christian at the same time. It’s a good question, and, believe it or not, I have given it a great deal of thought.
For me it comes down to this. Membership in neither political party totally satisfies the requirements of living as a Christian. Both parties have platforms that contradict my understanding of what it means to be a Christian in one way or another. So, if I am to participate in our American system as a citizen, which I believe is allowed biblically, then I have to choose the lesser of two evils as far as my political affiliation is concerned.
For me, I had to ask myself which of the two main political parties, in its words and deeds, more closely match the words and deeds of Jesus as recorded in the Scriptures. I looked at the main issues outlined in the platforms of the two parties, and I observed the words and deeds of the respective party leaders, and I came to the conclusion that the direction in which the Democratic Party is moving more closely matches the things Jesus talked about.
I consider the Democratic Party to be more oriented toward helping the poor and powerless, which was a major theme of Jesus during his ministry, something he repeatedly spoke about to his disciples as he taught them how to carry forth the faith while he was away. I also find that the social welfare programs supported by Democrats seem to be more closely aligned to achieving the type of society practiced by the first-century church, a way of operating as a society (as described in Acts 4:32-37) which I assume the disciples based on the teachings of Jesus they had heard firsthand.
As for the “family values” platform on which Republicans have built their party, specifically the two “Christian” wedge issues of abortion and homosexuality (complementing their “un-Christian” embrace of racism as a wedge issue), I recall that Jesus did not base his ministry on opposing either abortion or homosexuality, but on loving and serving one another. In fact, Jesus did not mention either topic during his ministry, never once, instead preferring to focus the efforts of his followers on helping the “widows and orphans” and others who had earthly needs.
That lack of emphasis on sexual and reproductive issues by Jesus gave me the answer I needed about the kind of civil society I hope to bring about by my choice of political party. That’s why I, as a voter operating as a citizen in a civil society and expecting to achieve only secular goals through political participation (spiritual goals cannot be achieved through a political process, the proof being that Jesus never once tried to do so), I choose to affiliate with the Democratic Party, and I will vote to re-elect President Obama in the 2012 presidential election.
