Here is Adrian Warnock’s point of view of American politics from over in Great Britain. He has some helpful links including one from Justin Taylor that I will look at more carefully in a minute. First two quotes from Adrian that get right to the heart of the matter:
Basically, we could say, “It’s about abortion, stupid!” What may surprise some Europeans is that the Republicans, to varying degrees, are pro-life and the Democrats are, to varying degrees, pro-abortion, with Obama, it seems, being the most pro-death candidate imaginable. Thus, for many Christians, they are single-issue voters. They want to do anything to try and prevent the genocide of babies that is ongoing.
….
In my view, one thing is certain—Christians have a moral obligation to vote, and to vote remembering God is watching them. Too many Christians do not vote, almost arguing this disengagement from the process is a spiritual act. The truth is we should be grateful for the opportunity to vote; many in this world do not have that privilege. We should also vote recognizing the Lordship of Jesus over all of our lives and becoming fully engaged in the social and political world.
these two quotes by a fellow from Britain show that he “gets it.”
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I think you’re neglecting the honestly expressed beliefs of many Christians, which are far more diverse than you seem to think.
The Pew forum on Religion and Public Life has published research showing that all Americans favor abortion being legal in either all or most cases. In all religious subgroups except for white evangelical protestants and hispanic catholics, there is over 50% aggregate support for these positions. Among white evangelicals there is 33% support and among hispanic catholics there is 45% support. Overall these two groups are enough to bring overall catholic and protestant support for the position slightly below 50%.
The number of people supporting the “always illegal” position is low. Only 19% of white evangelicals and 21% of black protestants support the proposal that abortion should always be illegal. Only in hispanic voters is there significant support for this position (32%).
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=350
tony. Thanks for dropping by and for the comment. I think you are neglecting the fact that I don’t care very much what the “honestly expressed beliefs of many Christians” are. I don’t answer to them. I will not stand in front of their judgment seat.
I will answer to my God. I will stand before Him in judgment. So will every other person ever born. We all ought to be concerned with His honestly expressed opinions in His book.
He cares about the weak. He cares about the oppressed. He cares about whether we care about those groups as well.
When that day comes, what will your answer be? “I was just accounting for the diversity of honestly expressed opinions by other christians”? I don’t think that will be a very good answer for you. It certainly won’t be my answer (God willing.)
by the way, the Pew study you cite does not stand for the proposition that all Americans favor abortion being legal in all or most cases. In fact, the headline and subhead of the study say quite the opposite “A Slight but Steady Majority Favors Keeping Abortion Legal
But Most Also Favor Restrictions”
Rather than “all Americans” the fact is that this poll shows a “slight but steady majority favor keeping abortion legal” and that a majority favor restrictions.
A “slight majority” is not exactly “all” is it?
Apologies for the poor drafting of my earlier comment. I mean to write “over 50% of all Americans”, not “all Americans” but it got chopped off in the editing.