Pro-family voter guide now available online

One News Now ^ | 01/22/2008 | Jeff Johnson

[WileyPink]

Pastors and other Christian leaders have new resources to help their followers cast informed ballots in the presidential elections this year.

Each election year, Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State mails letters to churches warning them against any involvement with politics. Buddy Smith with the American Family Association -- a former pastor who received one of those letters -- says Lynn's method may be effective, but his motive is suspect. "We must commend him, to a certain degree, in that he is effective at intimidating some pastors from stepping forward in this arena, really pushing them into a corner of silence," says the AFA spokesman.

That may be about to change, thanks to a new website and a voter guide, both launched in cooperation with the American Family Association (AFA), the parent organization of American Family News. RepairingtheFoundations.com is a news resource for Christian leaders who want to address politics within the boundaries of the law.

"Pastors can find good information [on the website] about what they can and can't do with regard to politics in the church from a pastoral standpoint," says Smith.

In addition to political and legislative guides for pastors and churches, visitors can download a presidential voter guide provided by AFA and compiled by the Florida Family Policy Council. Smith explains that the American Family Association had been looking for a resource to help its supporters cast informed ballots.

"So we took it upon ourselves to go out and find a voter guide that we felt would address some of those key questions that Christians are asking about the presidential candidates on the Republican and on the Democratic side," he shares. "Our good friends at the Florida Family Policy Council -- who are associated with Focus on the Family as one of their state policy councils -- had already done some very good homework and research and produced a voter guide. And, so, they allowed us to take this guide.

"One of the real advantages of this particular voter guide is that it is foot-noted with some links where, online, our supporters can actually find some supporting evidence for the answers that we are providing for these candidates on these various issues," Smith explains, "such as the right-to-life issue, marriage, stem-cell research, gun control, taxes, Iraq withdrawal, and education."

The voter guide and other information is available at Repairing Foundations!. Smith says his organization is sending the voter guide to its supporters prior to their state primary or caucus, encouraging them examine where the candidates stand on the critical issues. He also encourages church leaders to print out the guide and share with their fellow church members.

[WileyPink]

WKB, I thought you might could use this.

RM, I wasn't sure if this went here or on the News/Activism side. Thanks for your help with this.

Wiley

In Christ...Alone!

[WKB]

Ping

[DocRock]

http://www.afa.net/pdfs/08vg.pdf

[WileyPink]

Thanks Doc for the PDF, very helpful!

[WileyPink]

Thanks, I knew you had a ping list that this should go to.

[Muleteam1]

Very helpful and very clear.

Forwarding this information to family members. Thanks.

[Ingtar]

As of last night, I am supporting Huckabee in the primary. He is the only one left that I trust on judges. I can only hope and pray that I am wrong about other problems I saw in him. I guess it is one more time for voting for the lesser of the evils.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

That leaves Huckabee my #1 pick and McCain #2. I've always said I would never vote for McCain so...maybe when it comes right down to it I'll change my mind. I can't say right now that I will. Campaign Finance Reform was just a horrible thing to do. And he seems angry and vengeful to me. That's what I saw as his driving force for CFR. But he is pretty good on other issues. Ugh! I don't like how he acts like the differences between the parties are no big deal and that somehow we can all just pretend they aren't there. Ugh again. He seems to be head of the Rodney King wing and that's just being out of touch with the reality of human nature and how debates are won. You don't win a debate by being embarrassed of your key points. Ugh ugh ugh to the thought of voting for McCain. Then that "agents of intolerance" statement still rings in my ears. Funny how the good guys get slammed but the ones pushing horrible ideas get stroked by McCain.

But I like Huckabee.

[WileyPink]

I concur with your assessment of McCain. Also, I'm not 100% for Huckabee either.

Someone said in an earlier post about voting for the lesser of two evils.
...Well, if we do, we're still voting for evil, aren't we? (Not saying either are "evil" in the Biblical sense.)

In Christ...Alone!

[streetpreacher]

Knowing AFA, this will be nothing more than a glorified advertisement for Huckabee.

[dixiechick2000]

Many thanks to you all!
The site seems to be down, but DocRock solved that problem. ;o)

OT, but I agree with Gary Bauer about Fred.
I don’t have a candidate anymore. :o(

[floriduh voter]

Huckabee tried taunting the other candidates similar to Hilary and Bill taunting Obama. That is not something I find appealing in a candidate who claims to be the best Christian in the race. Christians are not supposed to brag on themselves but instead give glory to God. We are all endowed by our Creator, even if we’re not Huckabee.