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{"id":4736,"date":"2008-09-15T00:30:01","date_gmt":"2008-09-15T05:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/jesuscreed\/2008\/09\/15\/voting-for-president-4\/"},"modified":"2008-09-15T00:30:01","modified_gmt":"2008-09-15T05:30:01","slug":"voting-for-president-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/2008\/09\/15\/voting-for-president-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Voting for President 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Last Monday (here<\/a>) I posted a response to the reader who asked about how anabaptists think about this election. (I don\u2019t speak for all or any other anabaptists.) I made my recurring point: I\u2019m a Christian; my first assignment is to live as a Christian; I don\u2019t think who becomes our next President will lead us to the kingdom nor do I think the next one will lead us to apocalyptic doom. The issue I am exploring today is what will happen if Obama becomes President.
\nWhat do you think of what it would be like if Obama were elected?
\nI like Barack Obama; I respect him; I\u2019d like to have coffee with him. I think he\u2019s genuine and I think he tells the truth. I\u2019m not crazy about Biden, but I think he\u2019d be fun. He knows his stuff when it comes to international affairs. I cannot say enough about how good it would be for our country to have an African American and a bi-racial person in the White House.
\nIf the Democrats win, the first thing I will like is this: the USA is not doing well in opinion polls in the world; I take that as a fact reflecting a widespread reality. I don\u2019t care how one explains it, this is a fact. I believe Obama will, at least initially, help our worldwide reputation. Furthermore, if the Democrats shift funds toward the poor and toward health care (and Obama\u2019s plan seems to be reasonable), that will be good for many in America. And I hope they will shift funds toward education and our public schools.
\nI don\u2019t know the best resolution to the conflicts in the Middle East, but I\u2019m not convinced what we are doing is working. Perhaps the Democrats will have other and even better ideas. If they do, I think that will be good. (I don\u2019t think Obama has walked a straight line on the Middle East conflict since he became vocal about it, but neither does that bother me: I hope he learns and adjusts to what he learns.)
\nObama\u2019s position on abortion runs completely contrary to his position on war, which values life. The routine statement by Christians who are Democrats \u2014 that they are \u201cpersonally against abortion\u201d but they defend it politically because it is now part of our law \u2014 denies the priority of one\u2019s moral, Christian views. I disagree completely here with Obama, and wish he\u2019d think outside the Democrat box on this issue.
\nBut I don\u2019t think getting a Democrat, or Obama, is the solution to our problems. I don\u2019t think he did very well in the famous Rick Warren interview. Obama\u2019s a bright guy, but speaking in those situations means \u201cgive your point and clarify\u201d instead of \u201cgive your nuances and build toward a complex solution.\u201d Obama\u2019s choice of Biden was an odd one: getting someone who knows international stuff is important \u2014 for the Cabinet. VPs tend to be public speakers and vote-getters and McCain surely got more out of his choice.
\nI\u2019m not convinced Obama\u2019s economic theory has been spelled out, but I am aware that Democrats in the White House have done well in stimulating the economy. I\u2019d like to hear what he thinks of free enterprise and what it takes to make the economy better. What, in other words, best relieves poverty? Does it come through stimulating economy, through welfare programs, or a combination of both \u2014 and how does the first one work with two and three? I\u2019d like to hear more about the fuel crisis we are going through. Frankly, I doubt Obama can deliver on cutting taxes for most of us.
\nSo, as I said about McCain. If Obama wins, there\u2019ll be some things to like and some things to be concerned about. I think we\u2019ll be able to work for the gospel under either President, and that is what matters most to me.
\n\u201cThe worst thing that can happen to the Church,\u201d Peter Kreeft says, \u201cis what is happening to the Church now in the West, namely that the Church is deliberately conforming to the world.\u201d And he adds: \u201cThe Lion of Judah has become tame.\u201d And he adds: \u201cThe imitation of Christ has changed into the imitation of popular culture.\u201d \u201cThe modern world politicizes everything and imposes the political categories of Right and Left on everything\u2026. And the Church is following the tune of this pied piper.\u201d (The God Who Loves You<\/a> $\"\"$ <\/em>, chp. 10.)<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"