MySpace Blog: Towards a theology of voting

I've spent the last chunk of time researching all the propositions and trying to figure out how to vote. This is my first election since I shifted to a much more moderate political ideology from the more mainstream Republican view I used to have. I did a little thing called "reading the Bible," and it says that we should take care of the poor, and says nothing about making sure that we have enough money and that the government doesn't take too much. I figure that in California, so many new taxes are going to pass anyway. If I vote for the ones that will fund programs that I like, then I am choosing to support those programs, whereas if they pass with me voting against them, I am reluctantly being forced into helping a homeless person or abused woman (see Prop. 1C). I often do end up agreeing with the traditional conservative Christian view, but on the other hand, I often don't.

I've made up my mind on everything but Prop. 85. I'm actually kind of shocked, since that's the one that you would think most Christians, regardless of political affiliation, would support wholeheartedly. It makes it so that girls (under 18) cannot get abortions without parental notification.

In many instances, I agree with the idea. I've heard all my life from Christian radio, church, and school about how the secrecy around abortion is a big problem. Minors aren't allowed to take any medicine without parental consent, but can have a life killed by their own choice. Yes, that is a very compelling argument.

Here's the problem: most people don't come from healthy homes with stable parents. If a girl is thinking about getting an abortion, chances are that in this state, her parents are going to support the decision. In some cases, the parents might freak out, inflicting as much emotional trauma on her as would have been the case had she gotten the abortion. Maybe the baby would be saved though. But then again, maybe the emotional scars from the confrontation between parent and child are greater than the emotional scars from the abortion of the grandchild.

I think what would make more sense is a bill that forces girls and women of any age to get more complete counseling and education before making a decision.

The thing that sucks about voting (the most) is that you are forced to choose between 2 options. One is right and the other is wrong. Everything is black and white. One of the great lessons of postmodernism is the rejection of universal solutions. Hear me out...I am a Postmodern Christian, so I do believe there is absolute Truth, but I do not believe there is an absolute truth (lowercase t) for every discussion. I believe that Jesus is the only way, but I think there can be different solutions to similar problems facing different people.

For example, if a girl in a Christian home is thinking about getting an abortion, and she is talked to by her parents, that is a good thing. On the other hand, a girl whose father abuses her should not have to tell her father that she is thinking about an abortion, because in all likelihood, the baby will die from the abuse, and then the girl will be beaten.

I do think I have a good solution for the idea of gay marriage. I think I've written about it before, but if you're a newer reader, here it is again.

The state should offer civil unions to straight and gay couples, and not offer marriage licenses. Marriage is a religious institution, not a political one. If a specific church wants to offer its marriage licenses to straight and gay couples, then straight couples who believe in the sanctity of marriage can get married at a different church that agrees with their beliefs. If I was a pastor in that system, I would only perform weddings for people that I knew loved Christ, because it would protect the sanctity of marriage in the sense of lowering the divorce rate.

I hope this generates some debate. Keep it nice though, and no gloating if you convince/have convinced anyone of anything



By the way, sorry for the plethora of blogs. The streak of writing has provoked me to actually set up an e-mail and myspace for my magazine. I changed the name, but I will announce it later. You could probably figure it out if you did some looking around.