From the Editor: Why faith matters in politics

Jim Nelson

We hear a lot this election year about faith and politics. Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist minister, and Gov. Mitt Romney is a Mormon. And the Democratic candidates are speaking more openly and honestly about their faith and their beliefs.The question that we must ask then is – does faith matter? And the follow-up question is – should faith matter?

Since I wrote the “Faith and Politics” column for this paper for 11 years, as well as similar columns in other papers, and since I wrote a book on the subject, my answer is “of course.” But not in the way some people might think.TV commentators often get it wrong. They ask the wrong questions, and rant about the wrong issues. What denomination a person belongs to, or what religion they profess, or even if they profess a religion is not important. What matters is what they believe about life, nature, and how we should interact with one another.

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus replied that we should love the Lord our God. But how someone does that or even if they do, regardless of what they might say, is something we can never truly know. But what they believe about how God works in the world, we can measure. And we can measure how their response to the second greatest commandment, which Jesus said is to love our neighbors as ourselves. How someone interacts with others and how they help people are the things we should care about.If you are concerned about the drought, global warming, or pollution in general, you should be asking whether candidates believe humans can have a dramatic impact on the environment, positively or negatively; or if they believe God is always in control, and/or that climate change is just part of the cycles of nature. Their beliefs will determine their position on government regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, alternative energy sources, the Koyoto protocol, endangered species, wetland protection, and other environmental issues. Do they believe all people are born with the same possibilities in life? That an individual can become whatever they choose if they simply apply themselves? Or, do they believe genetics, society and the environment can dramatically affect a persons potential? That we cannot all achieve the same goals in life no matter how hard we try? And, are we or are we not “our brother’s keeper?” Those beliefs will determine their positions on education, welfare, universal health care, affirmative action and other social issues.

Asking whether someone is pro-life or pro-choice is not nearly as informative as asking him or her when they believe life begins. When does a person become a person? An atheist can believe life begins at conception and a devout Christian can believe life begins at birth when we receive the breath of life, and the Spirit of God. That belief will affect their view on abortions in general, late-term abortions, stem-cell research, birth control, morning after pills, and even end of life issues. On February 5, we in Georgia get to let the rest of the world know our views on those issues. We get to weigh in on who we think should be the next president of the United States.

Jesus may not have wanted to be king, and he may never have run for office even if given the chance, but I am sure he would have voted. He would have taken his responsibility as a citizen of a democracy or a republic seriously, knowing that we are the government, and we are responsible for what the government does in our name. Laws affect the lives of people, and Jesus would have cared about the people. When we don’t vote, we become responsible for whatever happens.

VOTE! It’s what Jesus would do.