Political Parties and Religion

I'm in the mood to cook and eat a few sacred cows today. :)

A recent thread with a friend on Facebook is the inspiration of this piece. The main quote that started things off was this:

"When I was growing up I asked what the difference was between Republicans and Democrats. In a nutshell I was told that Republicans were Christians and Democrats were Non-Christians. That is so funny to me now."

The clear inference is that one party or the other aligns itself with Christian Beliefs more than the other. This person mistakenly believes that Democratic party ideals are more in line with Christian beliefs than Republicans. This is not true, so let's examine that:

Democratic Party:

According to Wikipedia, the Democratic party has traditionally favored liberal positions. However, the article also states:

"In recent decades, the party has adopted a centrist economic and socially progressive agenda, with the voter base having shifted considerably. Today, Democrats advocate more social freedoms, affirmative action, balanced budget, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention (mixed economy)."

Based on this, let's look at liberal and socially progressive concepts that are in line with Biblical teaching, and those that are not, and compare.

Equal Rights - Nope
Jesus came to save all mankind, equally. John 3:16; Romans 10: 11-13; and Galatians 3:8-9 are good examples.
Democrats opposed the 15th Amendment (equal voting rights for minorities) and the 19th Amendment (equal rights for women).
Modern Democrats claim to want equality, but they are the ones that so often push class warfare, or racism - and they never back up their claims with proof.


Social Programs - Nope
The Bible teaches that we are to help the needy. The "Tithe" goes to help the needy, but it is done to build the character of the person giving the Tithe.
Democrats prefer mandates socialized programs like Welfare for helping the needy. Problem is that mandating the program, makes those who pay into it resentful - and this is the opposite of character building.
A better approach would be to stop taxing those with the money as much - they will tend to give more with the excess. It is also well-known and documented that conservative people give far more than liberal folk.

Taxes - Yep
Jesus said in Matthew 22:21 to "...render unto Caesar (the government) what is Caesar's."
Democrats have enacted and proposed more tax increases than Republicans. The liberal philosophy is that there is no such a thing as being taxed too much. Seems they took this verse and ran with it!

Right to Life - Nope
Democrats are well-known for being in favor of abortion. They call it "Pro-Choice" to try to mask the ugly truth of what abortion is all about.
The Bible says "You shall not murder." Some say "you shall not kill," but this translation is inaccurate compared to modern English. There are times when the taking of a life is justified in the Bible, e.g. - in self defense, or as punishment for crime in certain instances. Also, killing the enemy in combat was not included in this. No, the Bible warns against murder - the killing of the innocent. I cannot think of any person more innocent than a small, unborn child.


Religious Tolerance - Nope
Democrats espouse religious tolerance - except for Christianity!
It is common to see them allow, or even require other religions to be taught in schools. But if Christian beliefs are the topic - they yell about "separation of Church and State" (which is not, by the way, ever mentioned in the Constitution).

Republican Party

Equal Rights -Yep
Republicans were the ones that proposed and voted in both the 15th and 19th Amendments. Additionally, Republicans voted far more in favor of the Equal Rights Act of 1964, than did Democrats.


Social Programs -Yep
See above link about Republicans being the ones who willingly give far more than do Democrats.

Taxes -Nope
Seems Republicans (Bush tax cuts, for example) want you to keep more of your hard-earned money. Since Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, I must say that this topic is better addressed by the Democrats - who would like for 100% of your pay to go to "Caesar."


Right to Life -Yep
Republicans are the ones on the front lines of repealing the Abortion ruling.  Please note that this was a ruling by liberal judges, not a law passed, that allowed abortions. Not only is this against Christian beliefs, but it is not Constitutional, either.


Religious Tolerance -Yep
Seems Republicans tolerate all religions - including Christianity. Dems just can't support Christianity - too many of them are far too busy trying to get attention by rebelling against Christianity. Look at their actions and tell me this is not so!

Conclusion:

My conclusion is this:
If you are Christian, and insist on voting your beliefs, you cannot be honest with yourself and vote Democrat. 
If you call yourself a Christian and are voting Democrat, you are either being intellectually dishonest, or you are being ignorant of the facts and positions.