MAKING A DECISION AMID CHAOS
Decisions! I wish I could say that I love to make decisions. Well, actually I don’t mind them at all when
they are straightforward and simple with few consequences. The choice between caramel or hot fudge on my ice cream is like that. But life brings us to decision points that can be incredibly complex with far reaching consequences. Decisions that will make a huge impact on not only our lives but the lives of those we love and lead. Now we are faced with just such a decision with far-reaching implications and we must think carefully about how to vote in the upcoming election.
I have lived for a good number of years and can honestly say that the days in which we are living right now are some of the most chaotic that I have ever experienced. I am not trying to exaggerate. I am not saying these are the worst of times nor am I predicting impending doom. After all, I was a teen-ager in the turbulent sixties and a college student during the unrest over Vietnam. I even remember hiding under my desk as a grade schooler when the Soviet Union shipped nuclear war heads to Cuba. But now we are once again faced with chaotic times socially, economically, and most certainly politically. Now I have had to think through a very important decision: who will I vote for this year in the Presidential election? Let me share several thoughts that I have considered in coming to my decision.
First, my decision was rather simple before the Republican Platform Committee released its brief 2024 platform statement. I have no doubt the Trump Team directed the Committee to eliminate any strong pro-life verbiage. Though, I have never been able to say I am pleased with Donald Trump’s character, at least his positions were close enough to mine that I could vote for him. When the platform committee eliminated the strong statement on life (so clearly stated in the 2016 and 2024 platforms), I was deeply troubled. More recently when the Trump Team doubled-down on a commitment to veto any federal ban on abortion I was angered and disheartened. Along with others, I participated in calls to influential members of the Republican platform committee asking them to reinstate the “pro-life plank.” I called some officials, wrote to others, and e-mailed everyone I could to try to influence their vote. Our efforts were not successful. My initial thought was to never cast a vote for Trump, or any other Republicans who expressed support for that change in position. On one level that is still what I would like to do. But as I considered what to do, who to write in, or whether to abstain from voting I came to another conclusion.
Here is my thinking: God created three institutions; the home, human government, and the church. I am deeply grateful for the role of each of these in my life. Though all were created by the Lord each of these institutions is different in purpose and process.
God has made me the head of my home and I am blessed with a wife who has great intellect, phenomenal physical and spiritual strength and who willingly submits to my leadership as unto the Lord. Together, we determine the direction of our home. Though we observe civil law we do not need an act of Congress nor a decree from the Executive branch to set policy in our home.
I am certainly glad for my local church. There we have an infallible guiding document called the Bible. It sets forth doctrine and all that are members of that church have agreed to a covenant that guides us as a body. We are democratic in our business process and governance but doctrine informs every decision.
However, our civil government is not as clear cut as our home and our local church. There is a wonderful guiding document called the Constitution and though it was influenced by Scripture it was not written with inerrant inspiration. I am not demeaning our Constitution. I understand that it does not guide a group of people who have bound themselves to a Church Covenant developed from an infallible Bible. The Constitution is the guiding document for our republic. One man or one woman making arbitrary decrees is not permitted. I am not excusing the reference to vetoing a federal ban on abortion, I want one, and will continue to advocate for one because our Constitution protects Life! In my home I can mandate my position, in my church I can lead the like-minded congregation to adopt one. But as a citizen of our nation, I will constantly educate and advocate until we have the support to pass an abortion ban. We worked for nearly fifty years to overturn Roe vs Wade and I praise the Lord we were successful. But we thought that one victory was the end of the war and it was not. We must stay engaged in the battle. We must advocate and we must educate because the way to win in the governance of the United States is only done when a majority gain enough influence to win their point of view. I would suggest we need to do as much work with Senators and Representatives as we do with the Chief Executive. We need to advocate in our states and our local communities but we cannot quit and cede control to those who fully advocate for abortion. Consider that possibility.
A Harris presidency, by her own words, would include a federal bill enshrining abortion as a right and the law of the land. Abortion with no limits, full term where the health of the mother not the life of the mother is the determining factor. Carefully note the difference between the word “life” and the word “health.” Health covers physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The mother’s life does not have to be in jeopardy necessarily, just her sense of well- being mentally or emotionally. Let me also say that this law would be about “reproductive health” which would no doubt be used to include this as a health care benefit. The Hyde Amendment would be lost to history and first Medicaid and then all healthcare insurance would be funding abortions, in my opinion. A federal law would negate the state limits on abortion being established by many states today. I am not arguing against a federal ban on abortion but I do want to seize the opportunity to limit abortion in every state that can muster the will to do so while that opportunity is open to us.
So here is what we know: Those who seek a federal ban on abortion will be disappointed by a Trump presidency. But a Harris presidency is the end of state’s limits on abortion. I believe that if we have the opportunity to save some we must take it and work toward the goal of saving all!
Furthermore, I wonder if those whose convictions lead them to vote for Harris (or allow Harris to be elected by not voting at all) will exercise those same convictions when their tax dollars start paying for federally funded abortions.
These are chaotic times and making decisions in times of chaos can be difficult. As we read the Book of Jeremiah, we see how difficult it was for the prophet when he advocated for surrender to and actual cooperation with Babylon when many thought it was an immoral decision. But ultimately his decision led to a saving remnant. I am sure there were times Joseph, Nehemiah, Daniel and Esther had to make allowance for being in a civil setting rather than a spiritual setting, They did not change their character but God did not give them the power to insist that all their desires would be implemented at that moment. However, ultimately, God gave them the victory.
These are my personal musings and the thoughts that are informing my decision. I offer them as considerations not as an argument trying to persuade anyone to violate his or her own conscience. I certainly do not offer them as a source of debate. May God help us as we navigate these chaotic times. I intend to stay engaged and use the best tools available to me to stop the senseless murder of the unborn. Our true need is revival. Let us pray, live, and work so as to see God send an awakening to America.
