As Christians living in America, we are duel citizens: we are both Americans and future-inhabitants of heaven. But, should one citizenship completely negate the other? More specifically, should Christians be involved in politics — or even vote? 

There are those who believe that God’s ways are so far beyond our day-to-day lives that we should completely ignore that which is around us. In essence, we should solely focus on God so intensely that we ignore things going on around us. After all, those things are temporary, and therefore don’t matter.  

I think this logic is dangerous. While it is true that we should focus primarily on God, to ignore our government, society and state of our world is to ignore how far God came to redeem humanity. He isn’t stoic and detached from our world; He is Immanuel: God with us. 

So is Jesus involved in America’s elections? Does He care who becomes president?

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There is so much pressure nowadays to endorse a candidate for presidency ASAP. Our friends and family ask “Who are you supporting?” and you feel the pressure to have an answer, even though we are still a ways away from the Primaries. 

But I think a lot of Americans tend to choose candidates based on arbitrary factors. Like, 1) Who do my friends support? 2) Who is most likely to beat the incumbent? 3) Who will help me get a job? (You’re a slacker, McFly.)

While these factors definitely play a role in selecting a candidate to endorse, they can’t be the primary factors or decided upon flippantly.

I’m not new to politics. It started when I was a little kid as I held up signs for Bush senior. Of course, my arguments for Bush went something like, “Cwinton is da bad guy.” This year I am attending the Florida Presidency 5 Straw Poll as a delegate. Fortunately, my rhetoric has gotten a little more advanced.

The concept of Good Guy vs. Bad Guy is still alive in the psyche of society. When we flippantly side with a candidate, we pit them against the others — even those of the same party. Things get nasty. 

There are a lot of factors that I think about when choosing who to endorse. Here are some tools to help the process:

• Prayer - I believe God Himself wants a certain person to be the next president. Through prayer the Holy Spirit leads us into revelation of God’s heart (1 Cor. 2:10).
• Research
  • Wikipedia - Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and shouldn’t ever be taken as a reliable source. But Wikipedia users are big on citing their sources. Using WikiPedia as a catalyst to legit sources cuts down on research time.
  • FactCheck.org - The team at FactCheck does a good job at researching common controversies in a candidate’s history.
  • Debates - Listening to candidates debate can sometimes be boring or full of side-stepping rhetoric. Political baboonery aside, these debates can be a good way to get your feet wet on a candidates character and beliefs. 
  • Trusted friends and family - Find a trusted group of people that share similar political beliefs. Proverbs teaches that there is wisdom and safety in the council of many. 

Above all else, have patience and make educated decisions. Don’t feel the pressure to endorse a candidate before you’re ready to. It’s a big decision and one that is detrimental to society if taken lightly.

As to how to properly endorse a candidate (I have to answer to the title), I don’t care — tweet about it.

It has been an intense week in Congress, with a complete government shutdown looming over the nation last Friday that hinged on whether or not to fund abortions with tax-payers money, as well as clashing ideologies clearly portrayed to the American people. “The lines have long been drawn on this controversial issue and are about to divide deeply once again,” says CNN.

Yesterday the House and Senate passed the federal budget — and while the House voted to de-fund Planned Parenthood (PP) from receiving tax payers money, the Senate inevitably voted to keep them funded. This is the House of Representatives second time voting to end tax payer funded abortions through PP — an historic gesture that the American people are once again declaring their pro-life views. Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life said: “Recent polls reveal that an overwhelming majority of Americans—whether pro-life or pro-abortion—oppose the use of federal monies to support abortion.” 

While de-funding PP and overhauling obamacare did not pass in this year’s federal budget, some really great things did pass. Here’s a quick look:

In the Nation

House votes to de-fund Planned Parenthood. House members voted 241-185 for a resolution that would prohibit the Planned Parenthood abortion business from qualifying for family planning funds. The vote saw almost all Republicans supporting de-funding while Democrats generally opposed it. 

Ban on abortion funding in D.C. reinstated. On a 260-167 vote, lawmakers approved a funding bill that reinstates the abortion funding ban in the District of Columbia that President Barack Obama and Democrats overturned in their budget bills last year. In addition to the ban on DC abortion funding,  the continuing resolution also cuts funding to the pro-abortion UNFPA (United Nations Family Planning Agency) that has worked hand-in-hand with Chinese population control officials who have enforced the one-child rule with forced abortions and other human rights abuses. Republicans trimmed funding for the agency from the $55 million President Barack Obama put in place to $40 million.

GOP Continuing Resolution lowers Title-X funds. The GOP long-term CR also cuts the Title X domestic family planning funding, the pool of money from which Planned Parenthood is funded. The cuts take the program from the $317 million it received in 2010 to $300 million, the level of money it received in 2008 and decreasing the pool of funds from which Planned Parenthood can draw.

In Florida

Committee passes bill to add Constitutional amendment that bans tax-payer funded abortions. On Wednesday I sat-in on a HHS committee hearing of Rep. Dennis Baxley (R. Distric 24) introducing his bill that would allow Floridians to vote on an amendment to the Florida constitution that would ban tax-payer funded abortions in Florida (essentially the Hyde Amendment). The bill passed with 12 yeas, with 6 nays. 

Florida Senate Committee Passes Ultrasound Before Abortion. The bill requires abortion centers to do something they don’t normally do:  show women considering an abortion the results of the ultrasound they typically take beforehand to determine the age of the baby at the time of the abortion. Senate Bill 1744 received the support of a committee in the state Senate today and now has just one more committee to go before heading to the state Senate floor for a debate and vote. This bill is similar to HB 1143 that former Gov. Crist vetoed last year.

Recommended Reading:

House De-Funds Planned Parenthood, Senate Allows Funding »

Abortion battle rages in state legislatures » 

Florida Senate Committee Passes Ultrasound Before Abortion »

I wanna look at some of the ads Rick Scott has been putting out there against Bill McCollum and the legitimacy behind them. I will try to provide strong evidence and sources claiming these ads to be just barely true, misleading and some flat out lies.

The two main sources I am pulling from are FactCheck.org and PolitiFact.com

Claim: Bill McCollum Received Planned Parenthood Money:

“Bill McCollum has accepted thousands from lobbyists for Planned Parenthood.”

The Truth: False.

“Arnold & Porter, the registered Planned Parenthood lobbyist, did contribute to McCollum — a whopping $2,000 that we could identify. […] For the record, Arnold & Porter’s political action committee also has donated to Republicans like former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft, current Florida U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, House Majority Leader John Boehner, and former President George W. Bush […]

Here’s the first problem: Arnold & Porter wasn’t registered as a Planned Parenthood lobbyist when it made those contributions to McCollum, records show.

And here’s another one: It’s a gigantic leap to say those contributions had anything to do with Planned Parenthood. Using the same logic, you can stick Bush, Boehner, Ashcroft and all those other Republicans with the same label.”

The article goes on to say:

“When McCollum ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000, the National Right To Life Political Action Committee spent $114,835 on his behalf. Oh, this, too: In his last year in Congress, 1999, McCollum received a 0 percent rating from Planned Parenthood and a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee. […]

But there’s no evidence — scratch that. We don’t think any logical person would conclude that Arnold & Porter’s contributions to McCollum and its future business with Planned Parenthood have anything to do with the other. The Truth-O-Meter is hot under the collar about this one. We say Pants on Fire! “

Read the full article at PolitiFact.com »

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About The Guide:

This guide is merely my own opinions and endorsements. I have tried to research as much as I can, but the decision is up to you. I have provided all the links that I can to the candidates personal website so you can find out for yourself if you agree with their stances on issues. My goal is to get you engaged in the research process!

What’s with all the checks and X’s?? Here is how the icons work:

I endorse this candidate, I highly endorse this candidate
I do not endorse this candidate, I highly do not endorse this candidate

If you want an über exhaustive list of candidates in Florida, check this site out »

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