Replies

Politicians should vote according to their conscience and belief... and that means an anti-abortion stance for Christians. Compartmentalizing is lying--"Yes, I'll be for my belief on Sunday, but the rest of the week is mine"--that's not being a true follower, regardless of the Deity followed.

If people vote for those who will promote their own ethical and moral values, then it is truly government by the voice of the people. That's not the government forcing religion on the people--it's the people determining what values their elected government will uphold, and thus how society will be shaped. Those who differ have the right and responsibility to vote in officials who will uphold their own point of view.

I happen to be LDS... I don't vote for a person just because they're LDS--I look intelligently at their position, and if I find it contrary to what I believe the Gospels teach, I don't vote for them--and I write and let them know why I'm not voting for them. I do the same with any candidate who claims to be a person of faith.

One thing that doesn't happen in my church, though, is the clergy standing up and telling people how to vote on a particular topic. The most I have ever heard, in 30 years, is "Voting is a responsibility of every citizen. Please study the issues and candidates prayerfully, and make an informed vote." Even when moral topics have been hot around here, that's the whole "pressure" exerted on the church population. It's a whole lot less than the "party line" voting pressure to which I was subjected in college, in largely-socialist Western Oregon.

Regards,