An Evangelical Christian Can Support Obama

Last week, our pastor challenged us to vote biblically.  He mentioned voting for life, family and justices who believe in the word. I’m not very comfortable with the question.   The bible was written in very different times:  interest was seen as usury, polygamy was practiced widely most of the time, slavery was condoned, nationalism and racism were common in these cultures and democracy was mostly unknown – kings ruled.   

But my faith does inspire my political views.  

It strongly informs my core values. In favor of peace makers over those who preach war.  In favor of taking care of the poor, the needy, the oppressed and the visitor (immigrant). In favor of speaking social justice,  fair financial systems (no usury) and wise government.  Especially the latter is promoted by one of the few rulers in the bible who explains his system – Solomon.  

It also gives me a rather bleak/realistic view of the human potential – greedy, proud, selfish, ready to do the wrong thing.   With rulers always ready to take advantage of the ruled.   That's actually daily reality for the hundreds of thousands killed in wars in the Middle East and Africa, for 14 or 26 million people living in modern day slavery, for billions living under oppressive, corrupt regimes that’s daily life.  It leads to widespread poverty and missery, with billions still living on less then $2 per day. 

Democracy and reasonable human welfare is normal for only  about 1-2 billion human beings today and even less in ages past. Good government is possible and able to fight oppression, exploitation and will protect the weak – but that has always been and still is the exception, not the rule.  

Even in America!  So our votes matter.   

Our nearly miraculous 250 years of prosperity is unprecedented in human history.  And  it is a great responsibility to pass that on to the next generation.   I see that as the central task of government.  And it can be quite good at that. 

I see no biblical or other evidence that governments can do anything more than control our moral failings.  Spending your life on greed, on fleeting relations, on acquiring power  or on getting your own way is not good for the individual or society.  But government is not the right change agent. Historically,  families and the community of believers seem to do a better job at long term cultural change   biblically it’s a question of conversion.   When governments try to manage cultural change they tend to do more harm than good.  Prohibition is the biggest US experiment, and it failed badly. Mao’s cultural revolution, Hitler’s national socialism and modern day Iran, Stalinist North Korea show that secular or religious mind control doesn’t work and does great harm.  The democrats understand that.  The Tea party doesn’t. Some Supreme Court justices seem to have forgotten those lessons as well.     

After loosing 99 percent of my readers after this lengthy and boring introduction, why vote democratic – biblically speaking? Justice is a key value for government and democrats do a much better job at it. Especially when it comes to  social justice:  fairness in taxation, access to education,   access to healthcare.   A strong safety system  that functions as a trampoline, rather than a net. 

Democrats won't select originalists to the supreme and other courts.   Fundamentalist theology is tricky enough.  A sound law system is not found in interpreting original intent, but in a reliable system of common law around a constitution that guarantees basic rights.  Peace is a key of task of international policy and the track record of Obama is so much better than that of the Romney neo Cons that it requires little elaboration.  Notwithstanding Romney’s recent protestations,  he is more interested in power then cooperation and lacks the values and experience to lead in this area.  The value of all human life doesn’t end at birth.   And it doesn’t begin at conception.  It includes the mother and father and how they value their lives and relationships.   

The value of human life is not determined by medical technology.  And the new choices on starting and ending human life  are  first and foremost moral questions that  communities of faith (or the faithless :)) need to address.  Seeking wisdom is a critical biblical value.  In foreign policy – knowing when to act and when to wait.   In national policy – pragmatically learning what works, what does no harm and maybe some good.    Not big government, not small government but effective government, that delivers services, societal structures and markets that work best.   Ideologes have no time for that. 

Whether rightwing Tea Party folks,  populists or  Marxists - they have the answers and don't need to learn.   New Democrats, compassionate conservatives, third way social democrats have much to work on in this area.  This  is the core of government work.  It involves highly wonky discussions on vouchers, mandates, tax structures, innovation, nudging, systemic thinking, institutional economics, transaction costs, risk profiles and other arcane topics that represent the inner workings of an effective government and on which we need to seek consensus.  

We need to be wise about using these basic technologies and making sure that the system of government starts to work better.  Examining the response to the challenges of Roman, Persian or other Bronze age economies is not going to help us an awfull lot about open markets, competition or the critical role of choice.  Taking care of creation is a critical biblical value.  We need sustainable energy, sustainable transport and housing for that. As a Christian,  I can’t vote for a party that defends greed, believes in selfishness, lives by fear and has  a simplistic unworkable government ideology.   And while many make a different choice, there are many more who support the democratic party.  

Instead I recognize many of biblical values I do support in Obama and in the outstanding work he has done over the last four years.