Misplaced Faith (January 23, 2008)

Misplaced Faith
by Holly Vicente Robaina
Is faith the most important issue in the 2008 presidential race?

January 23, 2008 |
News reports indicate religious faith is one of the most important issues in the 2008 presidential election—right up there with the Iraq war, economy, immigration, environment, education, health care, and terrorism. I wonder, When did faith become an "issue"?

I don't know whether pundits, political analysts, or the presidential candidates themselves decided faith would be a hot topic for this election. Maybe the public—or even we Christians—did. In any case, candidates clearly are making their beliefs known. Mike Huckabee's campaign slogan is "Faith. Family. Freedom." Hillary Clinton spoke about faith and works at Saddleback Church's 2007 HIV/AIDS Summit. Barack Obama's website lists a phone number voters can call to pray for him and his family.

And the media have provided a plethora of information about each presidential candidate's faith. Last summer, CNN broadcasted a Sojourners-sponsored forum focusing on the top three Democratic candidates' spiritual beliefs. Beliefnet.com and Time magazine created "God-o-meter," a ten-point rating system measuring how often presidential candidates mention God and faith. And a PBS webpage contains downloadable sound bites of references to faith in campaign speeches.

This frenzy over faith concerns me. I'm worried it might overshadow important election topics such as the ongoing war. I'm worried Christian voters will feel pressured to vote for the candidate most vocal about his or her faith. And I'm tremendously worried the church will be perceived as a political pawn.

In 2004, political analysts suggested George W. won because he reached out to evangelicals and secured their vote. Ever since, both Republicans and Democrats have courted evangelical Christians. In the current presidential race, several candidates from both major parties use church language and mention favorite Bible verses or worship songs in their speeches. These hints at faith are so frequent, they�ve almost created a second race to determine the "Best Christian."

I find this faith rhetoric entirely unhelpful. Once candidates have indicated their faith background, I neither need nor want them to quote Scripture or use church-isms. I have trouble hearing a candidate's ideas on major foreign and domestic issues when they're tangled up with faith references. Plus, the overuse of faith as a political buzzword dilutes its real meaning.

Truth is, candidates are using faith to manipulate Christian voters. So how do we escape from this game and make a wise choice at the polls?

1) We need to view ourselves as employers. The president is an employee of every American, and the presidential election is the one of the most important hiring decisions Americans undertake.

A wise employer understands personal priorities don't always correlate with hiring needs. If my car breaks down, I hire a competent mechanic to repair my vehicle. However, I'm a happy person who prefers to be around happy people, and the best mechanic in town happens to be moody and withdrawn. I'll probably hire him even though he isn't a happy person like me. Sometimes we need to let go of a few personal priorities to get the job done right.

2) We need to push beyond the faith criteria. Assuming a candidate will be more ethical and moral if he or she professes Christian faith is a mistake. We've all read the headlines about high-profile believers breaking laws or committing immoral acts. Additionally, candidates could lie about their faith, or they may never have changed because of their beliefs. Even if a candidate's faith is firmly rooted, it doesn't predict his or her policy decisions as president.

3) We need to do the hard work of becoming well informed. We shouldn't take the easy route by picking the candidate who earns our pastor's endorsement or sends us a campaign postcard with a cross on it. It's important to study a candidate's voting record and past and present political statements.

Nothing's wrong with voting for a candidate of strong faith. In fact, I'd prefer our country's leader believe in God. But if faith is all we're demanding in a president, we're demanding too little.

Blessings,
Holly

How does a presidential candidate's faith influence your vote? Which issues are most important in determining your vote in this election?