Posted on 11/13/2012 8:51:41 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I am not writing this letter to accuse but rather to advance understanding. And even though I am white, I am not writing as an outsider but as a fellow evangelical, part of the same spiritual family. May I pose some candid questions?
Are you guilty, on any level, of blind allegiance to the Democratic party? And, on Election Day, did any of you compromise your convictions out of racial solidarity?
I have been very open in my criticism of white evangelicals, pointing out how we often put our trust in the Republican party and how we look to the latest candidate as some kind of political savior, only to be disappointed time and time again, complaining that the Republicans wanted our votes but did not stand up for our values. “We won’t get fooled again,” we say, only to repeat the same cycle four years later.
On Election Day morning, I posted an article entitled “A Warning to Moral Conservatives,” raising concerns that if Mitt Romney was elected, we would be making a grave mistake in looking to him to advance our moral and social agenda. I even wrote an article in June entitled “Mitt Romney Is Not the Answer,” and I often told my evangelical radio listeners that I would not argue with them if they could not vote for Romney because he was a Mormon. So, I do understand black Christian reticence towards Romney (for these reasons, among others).
I simply do not understand how my black evangelical friends who so staunchly oppose same-sex marriage and who stand against abortion could cast their vote for the most radically pro-abortion, pro-gay-activist president in our history.
Was there no moral compromise involved in voting for him? Are there no issues that could disqualify him in your eyes? And must Barack Obama be elected and then reelected in order to make up for past injustices, as one black evangelical woman claimed?
In the last few months, black Christian leaders came on my radio show to express their disapproval of the president’s policies, urging their parishioners not to vote for him (without endorsing Romney). And in a recent article, my colleague Bishop Harry Jackson went as far as to say that, “President Obama has become a personality akin to the biblical figure ‘Ishmael’ for the African-American community instead of the ‘child of promise’ we had hoped for. In a nutshell, he has attempted to create a new, unbiblical standard of social justice that promotes abortion, same-sex marriage, a distrust of Israel, and a diminishing of religious liberties.”
Yet when it came to time to vote, the same percentage of black Americans who voted for Obama in 2008 did so again in 2012 (roughly 95%). How can this be? Again, I am not attacking, I am inquiring.
And I am not the only one inquiring. I have been receiving emails and calls from other African American evangelicals asking these same questions.
More disturbingly, some of these black Christians have told me that they have been cut off from family, friends, church members, and even pastors because they opposed the reelection of President Obama. To ask again, how can this be?
One black pastor explained to me that he is convinced that “many African American believers compromised God’s Word during the election in the name of Obama Care and social program such as foods stamps etc.” Is there any truth to this?
If so – and again, I am asking, not accusing – this is not only wrong, it misguided, since Democratic policies have hardly advanced the economic well-being of black America. As noted by Congressman Allen West, “Since 2007, black median household income has declined by 11 percent — the largest decline of all major racial and ethnic groups. . . . In 2011, the poverty rate among black Americans was 27.5 percent. The poverty rate among blacks living in families headed by women is 41 percent.”
To be sure, Republicans have done little to win the confidence of black Americans, and I understand the history of distrust in recent decades. But does this justify the overwhelming black allegiance to the Democratic party?
According to the BlackDignity.org website, “A black baby is three times more likely to be aborted [than] a white baby.” (The BlackGenocide.org website claims the figure is substantially higher; that website should be visited.)
BlackDignity.org also reports that, “Twice as many African-Americans have died from abortion than have died from AIDS, accidents, violent crimes, cancer, and heart disease combined.” And today, in New York City, 60% percent of black babies suffer the fate of abortion, never to see the light of day.
Does it trouble you, my black evangelical friends, that the Democratic platform, not to mention the Democratic National Convention, was almost a celebration of abortion?
In 2008, I warned my listeners that Mr. Obama, if elected, would support the goals of gay activism, including redefining marriage, but many listeners did not believe me. Now that President Obama has actually abused the teaching and example of Jesus to advocate same-sex marriage, how could you vote for him again?
One caller to my program on Monday told me candidly that he was shaking in the voting booth, knowing that he couldn’t support President Obama’s pro-abortion, pro-gay-activist policies. Yet, he confessed, he voted for him because he was black.
Was he alone in doing so? Again, I am not accusing. I am only asking.
This question was answered last Tuesday.
Dear Michael:
Your handwringing over what your black evangelical friends would do in this or that situation is laughable. They are black, and they will stick with black, period. You should have seen this last Tuesday....Idiot!
Respectfully,
Gaffer
The election was yet more, glaring proof that blacks are the most racist people in the US of A. Period. Hands down, running away.
Blacks have taken racism to a whole new level.
Uh...the exit polls for minorities made clear that freebies are more important than values.
Especially, poorly communicated values.
The list of things on which black voters base their decisions in order of importance to black voters is as follows:
Did anyone *really* believe that Romney would advance a conservative social agenda? The best I hoped for was further destruction of our Country, not actually making it better.
A phrase coined during the 30 Years War in Europe, in which a largely religious-based war, lapsed into nationalist/ethnic divisions, is appropriate:
“Blood is thicker than water.”
Meaning, ethnicity is demonstrably more important to people than religious affiliation (water = baptism).
I must admit, my own prejudices and suspicions about African-Americans, of which I’m loath to name, have been confirmed and increased during the Obama era. This not due to Mr. O’s race baiting, but, due to the black community’s unqualified support for a man—just due the color of his skin.
When blacks are confronted with a choice between race identity and moral convictions, race wins out.
I don’t care if that sounds racist. The 95% black support for Obama is Exhibit A in the line of evidence.
x2
I think there were a number of black Christians/conservatives who just stayed home —and lots and lots of whites of the same persuasion but couldn’t stomach Romney. Also probably some lefties who don’t think O is left enough.
This has been floating around Facebook for the last four or five days:
“A white man asked his black friend “Did you vote for Barack Obama just because he’s black?” The black man responded by saying, “Why not? Hell in this country men are pulled over everyday just because they are black; passed over for promotions just because they are black; considered to be criminals just because they are black. Thousands of white voters didn’t vote for him just because he is black! However you don’t seem to have a problem with any of that! This country was built with the sweat and tears of black slaves; and now a black man has a chance to lead the same country, where we weren’t even considered people, where we weren’t allowed to be educated, drink from the same fountains, eat in the same Restaurants, or even vote.
So yes I voted for him! But it’s not just because he’s black, but because through his leadership several of America’s most elusive enemies were brought to justice; our economy, health and environment improved; and our good reputation around the world has been restored.
He is hope. He is change. He is wise. He is a man of integrity and intelligence. He is a man of faith and perseverance. A man of maturity and good judgment, He is a faithful husband and father. And he now allows me to understand when my grandchildren say they want to be President when they grow up, it is not a fairy tale but a short term goal. They now see, understand, and know that they can achieve, withstand, and do ANYTHING that they can dream for themselves.
So no, I didn’t vote for him because he is black, I voted for him because I AM BLACK.”
Years ago, a college professor who was a woman, and retired, “RACE is EVERYTHING”. Not loudly, not mean, not defiantly, just wistfully.
there are some Black Evangelicals who were anti-Obama
I know, minortiy as they were we heard some of their voices here in this venue befor the election.
We need them to be as “evangelical”, in their peer community, on voting based on values and principles over racial and ethnic solidarity, as they are religiously.
They key to that is communication to combat the ignorance Liberals, academia and the media have fostered - the myth that Liberal/Progressive “good intentions” create good results, by demonstrating that policies enacted on their “good intentions” are and have been the problem not the solution.
That is key because it is a near automatic thought in majorities of that community that “free market solutions” - as soon as you mention them, are INTENDED to disenfranchise “minorities” economically; when we know they would Liberate them from the “government plantation society”.
Our friends in that community need to get very well voiced in the words and thoughts and prime ideas from Thomas Sowell, so they can “evangelize”, politically, in their community better. The “social Conservative” values argument alone, in and of itself, has not been enough.
“When blacks are confronted with a choice between race identity and moral convictions, race wins out.
I don’t care if that sounds racist. The 95% black support for Obama is Exhibit A in the line of evidence.”
Ok, test this...what do you believe would be the proportion of blacks voting for democrats in a match up between Hillary Clinton vs Herman Caine?
You're wasting your time. The Black church is an ethnic church. Their "brethren" are people with the same skin color. Religious affiliation means next to nothing to them.
More like "Who is guaranteed to give me stuff". You think they would vote for a black Republican against a white Democrat?
The real question is how the hell people who claim to be conservative can turn out 59+ million votes for McLame and only 57+ million for Romney. Romney is crap and everyone knows it but along with a Republican House he would have at least stopped the bleeding so the patient could be stabilized and spared additional wounds.
I don't care what subset of Conservatives those who stayed home fall into. The divisive crap about which category they fall into is just another case of doing the enemy's work for them by spreading divisions among those who did vote. Whatever they claim to be, people who sat at home aren't Patriots because when push comes to shove those who stayed home have bigger fish to fry than their obligation to their country.
The nation is beaten, robbed, and in a ditch, but millions of folks refused to dirty their hands by helping the victim and just walked away. Seems like I've heard a story about that sort of situation and those who walked on past the victim weren't praised for doing so.
I am in NYC —did vote for Mitt
but my vote really doesn’t count in this Kremlin called NYC
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.