Voting

In 2004, the National Council of Churches issued a Voter’s Guide that included ten principles to help Christians decide for whom to vote. Those principles are worth quickly reviewing in 2008. The annotations following each principle are mine.
1. War is contrary to God's will. What does this mean for the continuing U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan?
2. God calls us to live in communities shaped by peace and cooperation. This year’s election rhetoric heavily emphasizes the rich and the middle-class. Which candidate will do the most to help the poor, those who live in the inner cities, the emerging permanent underclass?
3. God created us for each other, and thus our security depends on the well-being of our global neighbors. Many candidates have emphasized their Christian faith. Sadly, none of those candidates has publicly emphasized that he or she considers the well-being of non-Americans of equal importance to the well-being of Americans.
4. God calls us to be advocates for the most vulnerable in society. Too many people regard this unfavorably; we tend to ignore God's preferential option for the poor and out of favor. Heeding this principle helps to understand the importance of equal rights for all, health care for all, concern for immigrants, etc.
5. Each human is created in the image of God and of infinite worth. Does the candidate you favor truly treat everyone in a manner appropriate to a child of God? Too often, politicians (and the rest of us!) view those accused or found guilty of crimes as second-class people.
6. The earth belongs to God and is intrinsically good. Using energy from sources that emit green house gases or otherwise pollutes the earth is to deface God's property. Which candidate seems most likely to work not for energy independence but clean energy, and to work assertively and consistently against pollution?
7. Christians have a biblical mandate to welcome strangers. Immigrants, legal and illegal, are first and foremost possible messengers from God, perhaps even God himself in our midst. What immigration policies reflect that attitude?
8. Those who follow Christ are called to heal the sick. Healthcare for all must become a national priority. That the world’s richest nation does not provide healthcare for all and, in spite of spending more per capita on healthcare than any other nation, consistently achieves worse results, should be a national embarrassment.
9. Because of the transforming power of God's grace, all humans are called to be in right relationship with one another. Which candidate is most likely to create a society of justice and mutual respect for all people?
10. Providing enriched learning environments for all of God's children is a moral imperative. No Child Left Behind has proven a disastrous failure. Which candidate appears most likely to offer creative leadership to develop the gifts of all children, regardless of race, gender, religion, immigrant, status, or any other characteristic?
Americans have a wonderful opportunity to exercise leadership through the political process. Voting is an important element of that process. Take time to vote, but picture Jesus standing with you, watching as you mark your ballot. Asking for whom Jesus would vote, or how he would vote on referendum, should not be an idle question but a helpful heuristic in living well.