Christian conservatives and the election of 2008

The big question of the campaign season for the Republicans, even more than health care or Iraq even though it hasn’t been discussed at many of the debates except obliquely, is whom are Christian conservatives going to support in the election.

Politico.com had a story on evangelicals turning on Fred Thompson, Salon.com had an article on the religious right’s possible blackballing of Giuliani, The Week magazine in its Controversy of the week (available to subscribers only, but I will note the article referred to at the end of this post), noted articles that talked about Christian Conservatives threatening to boycott the GOP. Locally, grumps pulled together three posts by Wisconsin bloggers about this.

My thinking was spurred by a question by the Recess Supervisor in a comment to this post. Some of this post will no doubt make it into the “About Me” page that folks keep clicking on.

For myself, I am a Christian and I am conservative on most things. I vote my values and these come from my understanding of what the Bible says. I believe if everyone did that the world would be a better place.

But I have always had the tug between politics, which I like and Christianity which I would like to minister to others. Although I wouldn’t go as far as Mark Daniels does here, I am certainly aware of what my responsibilities are as a Christian.

I would not consider myself a social conservative on every issue. I am aware that not everyone in America agrees with my particular point of view. In fact, I would say that no one agrees with me on everything. There are homosexuals in America. Although I believe homosexuality to be wrong and see the degradation of the tradition of marriage as unfortunate, I don’t believe in enacting laws to perpetuate that. I consider divorce wrong also, but I prefer to persuade people rather than enact laws to forbid people.

I like politics. That’s why I blog and read and watch TV and listen to radio. But my purpose in being engaged in politics is not to impose my Christianity on others in a hurtful way. Or in a way that they don’t have a choice. This is probably complicated for others to see. I am not seeking to convert America to a theocracy or revert it to a Christian nation. Nor do I believe most Christians want this.

Many of us, however, do long for the days when we could leave our doors unlocked at night, when you knew your neighbors, when crime and drug use wasn’t prevalent, etc., and we wouldn’t mind going back to those times.

But, of course, that’s impossible. And maybe that feeds some of our frustration.

Politics is my hobby. But I don’t believe politics will not solve the problems of the world. That can only happen by a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ.

So how do I think Conservative Christians will vote? Most of my acquaintances wondered who in the world Christians would vote for. Democrats? Not hardly. Would they sit out? That seems to fly in the face of what they’ve been trying to accomplish these past several years. Some third party? Which? The Constitution Party? The Prohibition Party (PDF file)? Both claim to be a Christian party.

My gut is that the eventual nominee will make soothing noises toward the Religious Right (such as Giuliani’s promise to appoint judges like Roberts and Alito), while trying not to appear to be in their pocket. And most evangelicals will vote Republican as they have in the past, although the religious right has never been as monolithic as the MSM and opponents try to make it appear.

My gut may be wrong. Others may wish (and probably already have) to join in. Clarifications may appear in the comments below.

The articles reference in the Week:

Conservatives Consider 3rd-Party Run
The religious right’s threat
Will GOP Pander Its Way to Defeat?
Conservative Threat to Rudy Is Just Bluster
Christian Conservatives Consider Third-Party Effort
Why conservatives like Giuliani