I wrote about why Christians can’t vote for Democrats anymore.
Some people got upset.
Some people were puzzled.
And a few people just missed the point.
So I’m going to try to explain the reasoning behind my offensive statement.
Political parties have what’s called a “platform”.
The platform is the beliefs and values of the party.
The platform is what the party “stands for”.
When you vote for a political candidate, you’re voting for their platform.
We don’t vote for individuals.
We vote for platforms.
The Democratic platform is what guides the entire party.
And the platform thinks killing babies is a good thing:
We will support sexual and reproductive health and rights around the globe. In addition to expanding the availability of affordable family planning information and contraceptive supplies, we believe that safe abortion must be part of comprehensive maternal and women’s health care and included as part of America’s global health programming. Therefore, we support the repeal of harmful restrictions that obstruct women’s access to health care information and services, including the “global gag rule” and the Helms Amendment that bars American assistance to provide safe, legal abortion throughout the developing world.
https://democrats.org/about/party-platform/
Individual “Pro-life Democrats” are irrelevant.
The Republican party also has a platform.
We, however, affirm the dignity of women by protecting the sanctity of human life. Numerous studies have shown that abortion endangers the health and well-being of women, and we stand firmly against it.
https://gop.com/platform/renewing-american-values/
Individual “Pro-Choice Republicans” are also irrelevant.
It doesn’t matter when a Republican’s personal opinion is pro-abortion.
The party platform is ALL THAT MATTERS.
Also – Donald Trump’s personal morality doesn’t matter.
So don’t lecture me about “supporting a lying, adulterer”.
If you vote Democrat, YOU support killing babies.
The Democrats told you that in their official party platform.
I suggest you hit your knees and ask God to tell you how to vote.
8 Responses
Dear John,
I read this, today, and thought about you, and your great post.
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/101009
❤️🙏❤️Katyl
John,
I just read the quote that I copied and will paste, below. I don’t know if this is true. I usually don’t share anything I haven’t researched for myself, but I’m making an exception tonight. I hope you don’t mind.
I’m reeling and so distressed, horrified and sickened I feel as if I’m going to vomit and start screaming. Tears are welling up, so will paste and go…
“….a video that recently surfaced of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam openly endorsing both after birth abortions and the preserving of children, unwanted by their own mothers, for highly valued organ harvesting, rather than adoption.”
Fantastic follow-up post, John!
I hope the puzzled are no longer,;and the ones who believe the lies and sugar (pop-reduction, euthanasia, pedo) coated agendas pushed by the dems are beginning to question the platform of their Kuru-brained leaders.
I research and pray a great deal before I vote, and I vote in every election. (I neither voted demon-crap nor for Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential election. I knew the one I hoped for wouldn’t win, but it didn’t stop me from voting my conscience.)
I understand your position as: Voting for a Member of the Democratic Party in any political election is always morally wrong. A premise of your position (which strongly supports your conclusion) is as follows: The platform of the party to which a candidate belongs is so much more important than the personal views of the individual, the individual’s personal views do not matter in voting for them.
As such, that is the premise I am addressing – if I’ve misrepresented it, please correct me.
While the democratic party has a platform as you’ve cited in your post, it is important to consider how Platforms are developed. Indeed, the platforms are generally formed of elite members who almost wholly adopt the platform as a whole and have ascended the ranks of the party through passion, networking, and other political characteristics. That does not discount the fact that platforms shift over time, because the party itself begins to divide on any given issue. By voting for prolife democrats, good is actually being done toward the democratic party as it increases the likelihood that the party will shift it’s position overtime and/or will devalue that plank of their platform.
So, given that voting for party members who disagree, disregard, or even devalue a particular plank of a platform can over time change the platform itself, I contend that it is not wrong to vote for a party member, even if their party upholds a morally wrong plank in their platform.
Do you have any examples of pro-life Democrats influencing the party on the issue of abortion? I think pro-life Democrats leave the party rather than affect change. That’s why the platform is increasingly becoming more radical.
“Do you have any examples of pro-life Democrats influencing the party on the issue of abortion?”
Nope. This is the closest thing to it, but it is difficult to measure real influence and I’m willing to concede for argument’s sake that it has no current influence on the plank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrats_for_Life_of_America
“I think pro-life Democrats leave the party rather than affect change. That’s why the platform is increasingly becoming more radical.”
Generally agreed. In support of your final point there, I found this generally fascinating: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/democratic-party-platforms-on-abortion/
My point is that platforms do change over time and the only reason they change is because of people in the party disagreeing on the issue. Thus, association with the party does not mean a vote for such a candidate is inherently wrong or right. I would even contend that it should be much more morally offensive to vote for a prochoice republican than for a prolife democrat, due to the potential to shift party platforms.
I would rather vote for the platform that already stands for the sanctity of life, than vote for a “pro life” Democrat that might have enough influence to change the platform.
I mean, I kinda get that – it’s a gross feeling to consider voting for someone who identifies on the other team.
But seriously, if you’re a single issue voter, it’s still valuable to vote for a prolife Democrat, because that contributes to the data that suggests that it’s politically viable to be a prolife Democrat. Additionally, it’s possible that candidate will pave the way within the party to significantly push back against the platform, since the candidate presumably speaks their language better than “the other guys.” This weakens that plank in their platform and they will focus on other agendas to get votes. This is all in addition to the idea that the candidate will make prolife decisions in office.
This is apparently moral to me, which is the counterpoint to the OP.