Election '08 - Concerns
This letter from Pastor Randy Howard appeared in the community newspaper shortly after the election. My response follows his letter.
November 15, 2008
FROM PASTOR RANDY HOWARD
"A SAD DAY"
"I'm just a preacher; I'm not a politician or a pundit. However, I have to say that this election marks the saddest day since the attacks of 9/11. As a nation we have forgotten God and what God desires us to be.
"I certainly held no illusions that John McCain was a great choice for America. Nevertheless, I was equally dissatisfied with Barack Obama from a political standpoint since he obviously and unapologetically has a socialist view of taxing some to give to others. Since neither man was really what the country needed, I had to vote against the man most against my God and His Bible. That decision was clear for at least two reasons.
"Obama is a supporter of every extreme form of abortion ever created by man, including the barbaric act of partial birth abortion. Abortion is clearly a practice that goes directly against my God and His Word.
"Exodus 21:22 -- If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her; and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
"23 -- And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life.
"This scripture speaks of men fighting who accidentally bring harm to a woman's unborn baby that caused her to lose that child. If God felt that men should be punished, even with their life, for an accidental abortion, how do you think He looks at the intentional murder of unborn babies?
"Another issue is Obama's support of and push for the homosexual agenda. This is also clearly against what God states and what His Word commands.
"Romans 1:26 -- For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
"27 -- And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
"28 -- And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
"God refers to men leaving woman and burning with lust toward one another. God says He gives them up to those "vile affections" and turns them over to a "reprobate mind." It sounds like God considers homosexuality a wicked and perverse sin.
"As I stated, the deciding factor between these men came down to which of them was most against the Lord and His standards. It is more than clear that Obama, just in these two examples is clearly not standing with God. This is not to say that McCain is a godly man, but Obama is certainly more against God than McCain.
"What makes this a sad day for America is that in the people's decision to choose Obama as the leader of this country, we have abandoned all pretense of being a Christian nation. We cannot claim that we are a nation of Christians on Sunday, but vote for those against God on Tuesday. Because we have ignored God's Word and God's Will, America will pay a price.
"God has made a promise to the nations that forgotten [sic] Him:
"Psalm 9:17 -- The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
"It is time we all become more concerned about what God thinks about our nation than what the rest of the world thinks.
"I pray that God gives Barack Obama wisdom as he leads this nation. I also pray that God speaks to the hearts of all politicians and people about the things that America stands for that God stands against.
"May God help our country and awaken our Christians."
RANDY HOWARD
The writer is pastor of Community Baptist Church
My response was published November 26, 2008
Thanks to Pastor Howard for lifting up vital concerns in our community [11/15/08]. I believe President-elect Obama is committed to finding the shared goals toward which people with different convictions can work together.
About abortion, he said: “I think it's always a tragic situation." -- “I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life.”
He says, “there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.’”
Evangelical leader Jim Wallis writes, “Three-fourths of women who have an abortion say a primary reason is that they cannot afford to raise a child....Recent research affirms that social and economic support for women and vulnerable families are effective solutions to lowering the abortion rate, including greater access to health care, poverty reduction, adoption reform, and pre- and postnatal care.” These are Obama’s goals, and reasons why he proposes to reduce taxes on the poor, while, after our economic recovery, reducing the tax cuts on incomes over $250,000 -- which was the context of the phrase “spread the wealth around.” (Rates on those higher incomes would still be lower than in the 1990’s.)
I believe Obama’s concern for the poor is biblical, both in voluntary giving and in structuring society. Jesus strongly warned people not to neglect the poor (e.g. the rich man and Lazarus). Ruth gathered grain behind the reapers, because Leviticus instructed farmers to leave the edges for “the poor and the stranger.” Today we use tools like the graduated income tax and social security. I believe Obama will work for the good of all. He recognizes, for example, that small business is “the engine of job growth in the economy.”
Many pro-life citizens endorsed Obama because they believed his overall policies -- from taxes to war and diplomacy -- best nurture life during the whole lifespan.
President-elect Obama supports full civil unions and federal rights for same-sex couples, saying, “It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”
Many people of faith believe that the six places in the Bible said to proscribe homosexuality refer to ritual purity law, violent inhospitality, or promiscuity, not faithful couples.
My deep thanks to Pastor Howard for raising these concerns so vital in our lives together. I wholeheartedly join the prayer for wisdom and direction for our country.
November 15, 2008
FROM PASTOR RANDY HOWARD
"A SAD DAY"
"I'm just a preacher; I'm not a politician or a pundit. However, I have to say that this election marks the saddest day since the attacks of 9/11. As a nation we have forgotten God and what God desires us to be.
"I certainly held no illusions that John McCain was a great choice for America. Nevertheless, I was equally dissatisfied with Barack Obama from a political standpoint since he obviously and unapologetically has a socialist view of taxing some to give to others. Since neither man was really what the country needed, I had to vote against the man most against my God and His Bible. That decision was clear for at least two reasons.
"Obama is a supporter of every extreme form of abortion ever created by man, including the barbaric act of partial birth abortion. Abortion is clearly a practice that goes directly against my God and His Word.
"Exodus 21:22 -- If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her; and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
"23 -- And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life.
"This scripture speaks of men fighting who accidentally bring harm to a woman's unborn baby that caused her to lose that child. If God felt that men should be punished, even with their life, for an accidental abortion, how do you think He looks at the intentional murder of unborn babies?
"Another issue is Obama's support of and push for the homosexual agenda. This is also clearly against what God states and what His Word commands.
"Romans 1:26 -- For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
"27 -- And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
"28 -- And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
"God refers to men leaving woman and burning with lust toward one another. God says He gives them up to those "vile affections" and turns them over to a "reprobate mind." It sounds like God considers homosexuality a wicked and perverse sin.
"As I stated, the deciding factor between these men came down to which of them was most against the Lord and His standards. It is more than clear that Obama, just in these two examples is clearly not standing with God. This is not to say that McCain is a godly man, but Obama is certainly more against God than McCain.
"What makes this a sad day for America is that in the people's decision to choose Obama as the leader of this country, we have abandoned all pretense of being a Christian nation. We cannot claim that we are a nation of Christians on Sunday, but vote for those against God on Tuesday. Because we have ignored God's Word and God's Will, America will pay a price.
"God has made a promise to the nations that forgotten [sic] Him:
"Psalm 9:17 -- The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
"It is time we all become more concerned about what God thinks about our nation than what the rest of the world thinks.
"I pray that God gives Barack Obama wisdom as he leads this nation. I also pray that God speaks to the hearts of all politicians and people about the things that America stands for that God stands against.
"May God help our country and awaken our Christians."
RANDY HOWARD
The writer is pastor of Community Baptist Church
My response was published November 26, 2008
Thanks to Pastor Howard for lifting up vital concerns in our community [11/15/08]. I believe President-elect Obama is committed to finding the shared goals toward which people with different convictions can work together.
About abortion, he said: “I think it's always a tragic situation." -- “I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health and life.”
He says, “there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, 'We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby.’”
Evangelical leader Jim Wallis writes, “Three-fourths of women who have an abortion say a primary reason is that they cannot afford to raise a child....Recent research affirms that social and economic support for women and vulnerable families are effective solutions to lowering the abortion rate, including greater access to health care, poverty reduction, adoption reform, and pre- and postnatal care.” These are Obama’s goals, and reasons why he proposes to reduce taxes on the poor, while, after our economic recovery, reducing the tax cuts on incomes over $250,000 -- which was the context of the phrase “spread the wealth around.” (Rates on those higher incomes would still be lower than in the 1990’s.)
I believe Obama’s concern for the poor is biblical, both in voluntary giving and in structuring society. Jesus strongly warned people not to neglect the poor (e.g. the rich man and Lazarus). Ruth gathered grain behind the reapers, because Leviticus instructed farmers to leave the edges for “the poor and the stranger.” Today we use tools like the graduated income tax and social security. I believe Obama will work for the good of all. He recognizes, for example, that small business is “the engine of job growth in the economy.”
Many pro-life citizens endorsed Obama because they believed his overall policies -- from taxes to war and diplomacy -- best nurture life during the whole lifespan.
President-elect Obama supports full civil unions and federal rights for same-sex couples, saying, “It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”
Many people of faith believe that the six places in the Bible said to proscribe homosexuality refer to ritual purity law, violent inhospitality, or promiscuity, not faithful couples.
My deep thanks to Pastor Howard for raising these concerns so vital in our lives together. I wholeheartedly join the prayer for wisdom and direction for our country.
Labels: abortion, homosexuality, Obama
posted by Elizabeth. | 9:50 PM
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