You Are Not Un-Christian To Vote For Democrats

October 18, 20204

I grew up believing that Christians voted Republican.  No one said those exact words to me, but still it was deeply implanted in my beliefs.  I still struggle with this concept and not wanting to tell people I vote Democrat.  I am immediately labelled as Godless or a baby killer … of which I am neither.  I can’t imagine I am the only one feeling this.  I am sure there are other Christian Democrats just like me out there who are fearful of the response of their fellow Christians.  I bet there are even some Republicans who cannot stomach voting for Trump again who are also struggling with similar feelings.  How can a Christian vote for a Democrat?

There are so many tenets of Christianity that help support my Democratic vote.  I take seriously Mark 12:30 and 31 that tell us to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 25 also helps me as its words condemn people who neglected the hungry or sick because what we have done to the “least of these” we have done to Jesus.  Because of these, I support Democratic policies like requiring employers to provide a living wage, universal healthcare, and assistance programs.

To me and other Christian Democrats these policies help us to live out our human interconnectedness that Jesus showed us was so important.  There are so many reasons beyond these as well.  I would love to sit down to a socially distanced coffee and chat in more depth about them one day, but for now let’s talk about the big issue most Christians have with voting Democrat.

What about abortion?  This is the one issue that is making many of my non-Trump supporting Republican friends still struggle with voting Democrat.  I am not going to lie and say this is an easy issue.  But I do want to ask you step back with me and look at the bigger picture for a minute.  Let’s look at the history of the church and the issue of abortion.

In 1971, 1974, and 1978 (both before AND after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision), the Southern Baptist Convention passed a Resolution for the Legalization of Abortion.  Prior to this in 1968, Christianity Today and the Christian Medical Society came out with a statement saying they could not decide whether abortion was morally wrong and therefore wanted abortions to be available to people.

Then in a very drastic turn in 1979, Paul Weyrich pushed members of the “Religious Right” to take up abortion as their issue to get evangelicals to vote Republican again after they voted for Jimmy Carter in droves in 1976.

Abortion is being used as a political tool to keep Christian’s voting for Republicans.  It is being used to keep us from paying attention to one of the two most important commandments Jesus tells us to follow in Mark.  It is keeping us from voting out people with questionable morals who mocked disabled people, who made disparaging comments about women, who put economy and his power over people’s lives, who separated families at the border, who shows none of the fruits of the spirit we are supposed to express.  Those things are all antithetical to Christianity.

So, I write this for Christian Democrats who hide their political beliefs for fear of retribution.  I write this for Christian Republicans who cannot support or stand for another 4 years of the current administration.  Christianity and Democratic principles are not in conflict with one another.  You can vote with your conscience and still know that so many of Democratic policies can be supported by Biblical truths like caring for the least of these and loving your neighbors.

You are not alone.  You are not un-Christian.

***

Jennifer Mongold is the Treasurer for the Washington County Democratic Party.

WCDP

Our mission is to elect Democrats and promote the values of the national Democratic Party, to build a more perfect, inclusive union within Washington County, the state of Tennessee, and the United States of America.

4 comments

  • Mari McGrordy

    October 2, 2024 at 12:01 pm

    As timely today as ever.

    Reply

  • Delaney

    October 26, 2024 at 9:16 pm

    I can’t begin to express my gratitude for you. I was told at my church that if I didn’t follow what they believe politically I wasn’t Christian, and had lead to many tearful arguments with my husband and his family. I felt like I couldn’t go to church because of my views. Reading this has made me realize I’m not alone, so from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you. ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

  • Mari McGrordy

    November 3, 2024 at 10:39 am

    So well said and so very time today, two days before the 2024 election, the results of which will determine whether I remain a proud American, or avail myself to my rights to another country’s citizenship.

    We left our church in June, as it was becoming increasing evident that even something as normal and expected as recycling was somehow getting branded as a Democratic ideal. And therefore quashed or poo-pooed.. Those same folks who won’t make an announcment before a church luncheon reminding folks to recycle their plastic cutlery and cups, and the very same folks who take up collections for the poor countries affected by famine. They absoultely refuse to acknowledge that the drought that brought the famine they’re collecting for was brought about by climate events directly related to big, fat, heavy polluting countries like ours. And so by doing small things like recycling here, and limiting our carbon footprint, we are indeeding loving others….people we’ve never met, but people we are hurting by our arrogance and refusal to do something as simple as move our hand 6 inches from over the trash bin, to the recycling bin. It’s an entitled Republican mind set that I think will be heavily judged by our Creator.

    Reply

  • Mari McGrordy

    November 3, 2024 at 10:40 am

    forgive typos….please.

    Reply

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