grateful for free women’s clinics, which gave me the opportunity to see a doctor when ill and to receive medications, if necessary. Now that I’m over 65, I am grateful for Medicare and for the Social Security check I have just started to collect.
My developing view of the government’s role in helping its citizens was reaffirmed in 2004 when my sister became ill with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). She was eligible for Medicaid because ALS is one of those few diseases where one can get Medicaid before 65, but the social service agencies were not responding quickly. I was told to call Holly’s representative from Long Island, New York, who was Steve Israel, a Democrat. His response changed my sister’s life. He and his office staff helped her get a Medicaid card within a week. They were compassionate, efficient, caring, and on top of the problem. Although she died several years later, the political policy that allowed her to get the help she needed made it possible for her to die with grace and dignity. This assistance from Steve Israel made such a powerful impact that her daughter, who had never voted for anyone except a Republican, voted for him, and said, “I voted for him because he helped my mom.”
Many times we make changes in the way we think about political policy because of personal influences including the people we meet, the jobs we have, the books we read, and those who help us form our theology and our understanding of the Bible.
I work in the film industry, and I live in the context of an industry that is made up of agnostics and atheists and Jews and Christians and Muslims and Buddhists and New Agers. I cannot live and work in this world if I’m intolerant of different points of view, because my work demands teamwork with a diverse group of people from all over the world.
The big issues of the day, such as racism, sexism, classism, ecology, and war, began to push me toward registering as a Democrat. I found Democrats, as a whole, more compassionate and tolerant. I learned that those who needed help were far beyond a stereotype of “takers” and “dependants.” The help was usually not a hand out but a hand up. At the same time, I became clearer about my own identity as a Christian, affirming the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the involvement in our world of Jesus Christ, and the necessity for me to develop a more social and global consciousness.
It is said that the conservative mind and the liberal mind are quite different. Perhaps they are. Some say that the staunch Republican and the staunch Democrat are almost like two different species because they have different values and visions of the future, and different ways of interpreting the Bible and message of Jesus. For many years, this difference has evolved into an opinion that a Christian could not possibly be anything except a Republican. Republican policies and Republican speeches that mention religion imply (and sometimes state absolutely) that the Republican Party carries the message of Jesus, and that the poor Democrats have lost the point and have obviously gone very far astray.1
We form our spiritual opinions about politics in different ways. Most Christians look at what Scripture says about issues. What does the Scripture say about the poor? Abortion? The environment? Helping the mentally and physically ill? Homosexuality? Education? Social programs for the poor and disadvantaged?
To what extent might Biblical translations, the meanings of words, and the context of the time change our viewpoint?
Some Christians, particularly Catholics, look to Church tradition and practice. How did the church fathers and mothers, saints, and historical practices address various issues? Did those interpretations change or remain the same through the ages? What are the influences that change our minds? How are new understandings guided by the Holy Spirit?
This book is written as a kind of Christian Political Apologetic. It is meant to clarify what we, as Christian Democrats, believe and why we believe it. Originally, it was an assignment from Adams Media Publishers, who wanted a book which would respond to the oft-repeated idea that the Christian vote was the Republican vote. Since I was a Christian Democrat with a theology background and experience as an author, they asked if I’d be willing to write a book articulating how we use our Christian values to inform our political decisions.
In this Third Edition, I have updated some of the political information, although the focus of Democrats and Republicans has been fairly consistent since I started researching this topic in 2005. However, this year shows some of the sharpest divisions of the values and actions between Republicans and Democrats.
I felt it was essential to do a 2016 edition because it is an important and groundbreaking election. Hillary Clinton may be the first woman president, and she may be one of the best-qualified candidates who have ever run for office. She brings her experience and knowledge base as a lawyer for the poor and disenfranchised, a governor’s wife who knows the workings of a state, a president’s wife who discussed issues and advised her husband, and as someone who researched and created health care policy, a senator, a secretary of state, and a presidential candidate twice. She knows the world—the international leaders and the way Congress works. She has proven she knows how to cross party lines and how to be strong and firm. She has influence and understands the potential of diplomacy. She is the only candidate who would be ready on Day One.
Bernie Sanders has long worked for a more equal economic system, for equality in our justice system, for a raise in the minimum wage, and for peace policies. He was one of the few who voted against George W. Bush’s Iraq War, which was considered by many to be one of the wiser votes in Congress.
Their views and policies are clear.
In the 2014 edition, I changed the subtitle. Originally, the subtitle was Why the Republicans Don’t Have the Corner on Christ, which was the publisher’s choice. Although I didn’t like the divisiveness implied in this subtitle, I recognized it was a direct response to the prevailing presumptions of 2006. In the last two editions, with the new subtitle, I have tried to remove some of the divisiveness of the first edition.
This book is written for Democrats who identify as Christians, to help them better understand how their spirituality leads them to political choices. I expect that some people who are spiritual but not necessarily Christian might also find this book helpful. The previous editions were read by many Independents and some Republicans who said they liked the book, and I hope some Independents and Republicans will read this edition as well. Perhaps, for them, it will open up a better understanding of why their brothers and sisters in Christ vote differently than they do. Perhaps it might break down some of the barriers and divisiveness that exist between parties and people. It may lead to all of us working together for a more loving nation. And for some, it may change their vote.
If you are unsure about which party and which policies best express your values, perhaps this book will bring you to some new decisions about who you are, what you believe as a citizen of our country and of our world, and what actions you can take to help create a society that is an expression of God’s grace, the love of Christ, and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
Chapter One
How Would Jesus Vote?
“[You] have neglected the weightier matters of the Law—justice, mercy, good faith!”
Matthew 23:23
Jesus and the prophets shared a vision for a people and a nation—that a nation would respond to its people with justice and mercy and good faith. These Christian values are also democratic values, asking us to come together to create a free, equal, and kind society that cares for all its citizens. We are asked to help remove structures that oppress its citizens. Christian values recognize the redemptive potential and possibilities of humanity. So does democracy. A democratic nation provides a voice for the majority as well as the minority, and promises freedom and protection for all. A democratic nation, founded on religious principles, struggles to create unity out of diversity, without compromising either one.
Which
