Pro-Life at the Polls

Read time: 7 minutes

Several years ago, I read an article about a group of evangelical Christian women who were vocal about their support of an openly pro-abortion candidate.  The women did not agree with the opposing pro-life candidate about his stance on other issues, and also found him personally unlikable. And so they loudly proclaimed their support for a person who was vehemently supportive of abortion up until birth. 

As I have engaged with Christians in various parts of the country, I’ve concluded this type of sentiment is not uncommon.  Christians are, of course, compassionate people who generally want the best policies and laws in place to protect and provide for other people.  However, I’ve also discovered that these Christians do not always think through their political decisions in light of a holistic, Christian worldview.  And the results of such shallow thinking can be deadly.  

The Basics

As Christians, we recognize the baby in the womb has the same extraordinary, intrinsic value as her mother or any other born human.  Thus, the killing of over 61 million preborn children to abortion genocide in America since 1973 is the same as if we allowed the killing of 61 million toddlers.  In sheer numbers and moral atrocity, there is no issue that even comes close to abortion. Not immigration, not gun control, not even natural disasters. 

In other words, there is no greater threat to American civilization and our way of life than abortion.  That’s obvious, as no other threat has come anywhere near to abortion’s death toll.

Do We Vote Our Stated Beliefs?

For the thoughtful Christian, deciding on a party, plank, or candidate should be straightforward.  Because the primary role of government is the securing of its people’s rights, what is the primary right to be secured? 

The answer is the right to life.  The reason why the right to life is the superior, primary right is obvious — if we don’t have the right to life, then the other rights don’t matter.

Christians are called to seek the welfare of all. This is our directive in the Great Commandment—that we are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are commanded to seek the general welfare, health, and prosperity of our fellow humans. We are to seek their common good.

Where some Christians fail to apply this is in their incorrect conclusion that all issues are morally equal.  They are not.  Immigration is important, but it is not morally equivalent to abortion.  Education is important, but it is not morally equal to the slaughter of one million preborn children a year. 

So a thoughtful Christian MUST prioritize their political support with the moral priority outlined by God in Scripture.  And there is no greater “love for our neighbor” than to protect innocent humans from wanton slaughter.  

The right to life is the primary, most sacred right enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, and that right is granted by God.  It is listed first in the Declaration for a reason – if we don’t secure the right to life, none of the other rights matter. Tweet This

Recently, on an episode of The View, Meghan McCain questioned then Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg about his stance on late-term abortion. McCain referenced an interview that Buttigieg gave in which he defended legal abortion, stating the Bible affirms that, “life begins with breath.”

As McCain challenged Buttigieg he said,

“I’m just pointing to the fact that different people will interpret their own moral lights, and for that matter interpret Scripture, differently. But we live in a country where it is extremely important that no one person should have to be subject to some other person’s interpretation of their own religion. My point is that it shouldn’t be up to the government official to draw the line. It should be up to the woman who is confronted with that choice.”

McCain pushed Buttigieg asking him,

“So if a woman wanted to invoke infanticide after a baby is born, you’d be comfortable with that?”

Buttigieg evaded the question, and again said that a woman and not the government should be the one to make the decision, sidestepping the issue.

This is political non-speak at its best.  First, the Bible affirms human life from conception, not from breath. 

Second, consider if Buttigieg had been asked the same question about tax-evasion.  Can you imagine him saying that the government should not be the one to make the decision for a woman who is choosing whether or not to evade her taxes?

Abortion is either morally right or morally wrong.  Tax evasion is either morally right or morally wrong. 

And this is where Biblically-minded Christians must draw a line in the sand and not cross over. 

If we align with Scripture and agree that human life is extraordinarily valuable starting at conception, then we should consider abortion to be murder and the worst genocide in American history.

Thus, we must also agree that abortion is the primary, most morally pressing, most urgent crisis of our generation, bar none.  And, we must seek to support parties and candidates who, by their words and actions, protect and provide for pre-born children.  This should always be our first priority. 

Does it matter what a candidate’s views are on immigration?  Certainly.  Does it matter whether or not the candidate is likeable?  Sure.  Does it matter how a candidate or elected official treats other people? I think so.  But none of those things come close to how an elected official treats the most vulnerable members of our society. 

Voting Our Conscience, Third Party Candidates, and Staying Home

During the last presidential election, I came across numerous Christians who, because of their deep concerns about Donald Trump, decided to “vote their conscience” and voted for a third-party or write-in candidate.  Or they stayed home altogether.

I readily admit I’m baffled and disturbed by this line of thinking.  I’ll say this as gently as I can – your vote really isn’t about you.  Like many Christians, I have often voted for candidates I didn’t really like, had concerns about, or didn’t align with completely.  They didn’t always line up with my moral compass. Sometimes voting is like the lesser of two evils and so I don’t always “feel good” when I cast a ballot.

As Christians called to love our neighbors and seek the common good of our country, our votes are not nearly as much about our feelings as they are about supporting the candidate who promises (or has already acted) to protect and provide for the least of these.

Don’t get me wrong – we should of course vote according to our conscience.  But let’s make sure our consciences are fully informed by more than just our personal feelings or concerns about a candidate.  Let’s make sure we are looking at the entire political spectrum and prioritizing our vote around protecting and providing for our preborn neighbors.

We also need to understand that, practically speaking in most elections, a third-party vote or a no-show is basically a vote for the opposition.  Those types of candidates have no chance to win, and so you eliminate a vote for the candidate most likely to protect life when you don’t show up or vote third-party.  Maybe your conscience feels good, but at what cost?  The protection of hundreds of thousands of human beings?

As we plough headlong into another presidential election season, my prayer is that the Church will act like the Church should act. 

We are fierce defenders of the vulnerable as Christ was for us. We understand moral priority according to Scripture and make the ending of American abortion genocide our top priority in our political thinking and actions.  We support politicians who have not only said they would protect life, but actually do it (and this most certainly includes the President). 

And we make sure our consciences are informed, being careful to encourage one another to love and good deeds for the welfare of all, primarily those victims of slaughter in the womb. 

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