Amen and amen!

I personally would like my fellow Christians to stop sending me false or misleading emails about one candidate or another. Whenever I respond to them with, "That's not true; here's the evidence; don't you feel you owe the other people you've emailed a correction?" the usual response I get is... nothing.

Somehow bearing false witness falls under the category of "That's Old Testament teaching; I'm a New Testament Christian" whenever elections roll around.

The truth is not a smear. I think too often ads that make a viable point are dismissed as "partisan, negative attacks." Now, certainly each side deserves blame for it's extremes, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with pointing out differences.

It is not possible to run a campaign without eventually being called "partisan or negative." All the other side has to do is say it, and all of the sudden, it's considered fact.

I, too, have been amazed and disheartened to hear some of my congregation be so passionate about their own party and so critical of the opposition as to say outright, "I don't see how any Christian could vote for ------."

What troubles me is the kind of party loyalty that causes a Christian to baptize their entire platform including those views that are clearly contrary to the ethics of Christ. And then to observe the theological gymnastics that they go through in order to justify their support.

The Kingdom of God is not red or blue. And when Jesus shows up, both parties are going to have some explaining to do.

I suppose I see where you are coming from, however it is a done deal for me from day one with issues like abortion. I mean, seriously, do we as Christians even have to consider whether or not we would support a candidate who supports infanticide? I'm not saying we as Christians should all be republicans...and it's not party loyalty at all....I'd say I have no party that represents me at all (especially after the approved the bailout....we're not being represented!!!). I'm just saying that I have a really hard time understanding how anyone bearing the name of Jesus can support abortion at all? It baffles me?!?! So no personality trait, characteristic, good or bad is going to sway my vote based on at least that one issue. Not to mention the others! Perhaps sometimes we do have to go for the lesser of two evils!

Matt makes a good point here. But I think we should be careful to distinguish between "supporting abortion" and "supporting a candidate that supports abortion." With Matt, I don't understand how a Christian could support abortion. But a Christian could support a pro-choice candidate if they believe that candidates policies on other issues would more effectively reduce the number of abortions than would the policies of a pro-life candidate. Saying "you support abortion if you support candidate X" comes close to the kind of smearing Bob warns against in this post.

one problem I see is that there is no such thing as "nuance" in a presidential campaign. it's just like trying to deal with mystery and loose-ends in Scripture: a well-run political campaign has to speak in specifics or else you are flip-flopping and unstable. you aren't allowed as a candidate to get away with supporting abortion "in certain cases" because that is a nuanced position, not an either/or. nuance makes the situation more difficult, makes us think and pray about things, whereas the lack thereof allows us to simply say "I vote for A, and not B" even when "A1, A2, A3, etc." are realities of each candidate's position.

I realize that this "nuance" sounds like a symptom of postmodernism and relativism/universalism, but I can't see life (even discipleship) being viable without nuance. I mean, read Philemon and decide if Paul was "pro-slavery." Talk about nuance--what about 1 Corinthians 8-10 about idol meat? Come on Paul, you're either for it or against it!

grace and peace

Thanks. I have felt equally saddened with the countless smearing emails I've had from many, many Christian friends throughout this long campaingn. When I wrote one to ask many of the same things mentioned here about "doesn't it matter if we repeat lies?" etc., the reply was basically "This is the most important campaign of our lives and we have to do what we have to do." Surely God can work his will if we do it his way.

This will be my first time ever voting for a candidate who support roe v. wade...a hard choice, but last election I voted against all other issues I disagreed with Bush on..including the war...just because of his position on abortion and has anything changed of roe v wade? McCain never said the other night he wanted to overturn it. it was the moderator who asked him that and when McCain hesitated to answer, Bob Schieffer asked "you are against it, aren't you?" and McCain never said "Yes." In fact, he said "I would never use that as a litmus test" adn went on to say how he had voted for two Supreme Court justices who do, in fact, support Roe v. Wade. So this time I am looking at the whole picture of the candidates and voting from that place, with many many prayers that the church will be called back to being the church and we can see issues of abortion addressed from our hearts and not just law. thanks for your fine article.

it's been a very disheartening, tiring, long, embarassing election.

on monday, i wrote on my blog that we're in trouble if either guy gets in. i fear obama going in with a democratic congress; i fear mccain as a third 'w' term.

on tuesday night, i watched a frontline special on pbs that painted incredible portraits of each man and the different journeys that have brought them together in this defining moment.

with all the circus of the election stripped away, with all the name-calling quieted, with all the mindless lemmings for a moment given a 'quiet please' sign to stop quoting and re-quoting whatever their equally mindless favorite talking heads are incessantly spewing, both of these men showed themselves to be incredibly worthy of the office.

i went from saying on monday that we were forced again to vote for the lesser of two evils, to writing on wednesday that, somehow, the grace of God had stepped in and given us the choice of two special americans with real hearts and tireless spirits.

in effect, in spite of ourselves, we really cannot lose.

the election speaks more about us and who we've become than about these two men and who they truly are.

and if your worldview in picking the leader of our country at this incredibly critical moment in time comes down to one single issue that isn't even going to be discussed regardless of WHO is elected?

well, if it weren't for bob's article here, i'd question whether you had the mind of Jesus at all.

Amen, Bob.

Here's to hoping...

Bob, I just want to gently correct your use of the words "special needs child." If we are going to talk about language here, then we need to use the correct term, which is "child with special needs." He is, after all, a child first.

well said Bob, well said.

J Joyce makes a rather silly argument. Supporting candidate who supports abortion is supporting abortion. In addition to the character issue of the candidate, that support is a direct line to an evil practice. The argument about other policies and so forth promoting and causing more abortions is at best convoluted and at worst a rationalization since there is absolutely no way to quantify it. One can argue both ways that these other policies, whatever they are, promote or don't promote the conditions for more abortions to occur. There is no convoluted argument when abortion itself is supported. Babies die intentionally.

In regard to the article, integrity is important. The stuff going around from both sides and from Christians is frankly annoying if not down right sinful. (Although I have about had it with fact check web sites too - they seem almost as bad)The whole thing is pathetic. Integrity however, is in the process but also in the vote. The vote and who we vote for is not separated from our integrity. And yes a single issue can decide it. How crazy to say otherwise. If one candidate holds that all native Americans should be deported to Siberia, since that's where they came from, or executed I suspect most would vote single issue rejecting that candidate even if they stood for justice for everyone else.

I would just like to point out that conservative Christians have never been partial to McCain. Given that, they see two very different Americas in the future and are compelled to cast their vote for a candidate who at least isn't diametrically opposed to their values. My observation is that most Christian Obama supporters are overly sensitive and easily offended if someone points out reasons not to support him.

My observation is that most Christian Obama supporters are overly sensitive and easily offended if someone points out reasons not to support him.

just the kind of generalization and slap that bob is writing about, melody.

the thing i have gotten 'overly sensitive' about is the fearmongering tactics of john mccain and sarah palin, plus what i'll graciously call 'spin' but is in fact outright lying. and the inability - or deliberate intention - of you to go in and try to sort through the smear and find what the real underlying facts are is what i consider to be biggest threat to our country.

you can read about it on my blog if you care to - 'campaign 2008's critical issue'.

mike rucker

it is strange that will all of the discourse about election candidates and everyone so concerned about being careful to not smear a candidate. Or even the concern over views lining up with our Christian beliefs how we don't see that this is how many Christian treat pastors and leaders in their own town. Take everything that Bob applied in his article and you could/should apply the same standard to how people talk about church leaders. What we are seeing evidenced in the political arena is no different than what is taking place in towns and cities around the US. It is the reason so many have been feed up with church and with politics. The result is simply a lot of angry and disconnected people. If we are true to operating in the love of Christ then we have to seek both the truth and the spirit of the individuals we are looking to lead us. Whether it is in our local church or in our nation.

I appreciate the article on integrity. I read with great trepidation (albeit, unfounded) the comments above. I am reminded in my spirit that we ought not sell our inheritance for a meal. Great article causing somber reflection.

As a matter of integrity, I cannot vote for either of the two main candidates. However, I respect the right of others to cast their vote for McCain or Obama, although I may not understand why.

I am impressed with this article as well as the comments. I have been disappointed in many Christians when it comes to politics. I feel that the Dems have allowed the party to be overrun by the fringes of society and basically remained silent for the sake of "party unity". Also, the GOP has fooled Christians to believe that they are for us and have clinged to our beliefs in trade for votes that do not align to our core values of defense for "the lesser of these".

As scripture says, we should all "examine our own hearts". It does our souls no good to agree with wrong when the "right" person says it and to deny the right when the "wrong" person says it.

God's eyes are on our motivations as well as our actions.