Picking the President (September 24, 2008)

Picking the President
by Holly Vicente Robaina
My opinion on this one isn't worth fighting over.

September 24, 2008 | Today's Christian Woman
There's a major dispute going on among members of my church. You've probably heard people at your church arguing about it, too, as I seem to hear heated discussions everywhere I go: "McCain or Obama?"

My answer to this question has become, "I'm not telling." This is a recent development; it occurred after I received a lengthy e-mail from a friend who's my political opposite. In his e-mail, he questioned the decision-making ability of my presidential pick. My friend's arguments sounded a lot like the ones I'd heard on CNN from his party's pundits.

So I started to fire off a reply to his e-mail, telling him how wrong he is. As I typed out my thoughts, I suddenly realized: My arguments sounded a lot like the ones I'd heard on CNN from my party's pundits.

I deleted the e-mail without sending my reply. My friend has made his decision about his vote. I've decided, too. We've both given the presidential race considerable thought, based on what we think we know about the candidates. So it seems pointless to argue.

Voting's a great privilege, and I'd fight to defend the right to vote. As for who I'm voting for ? well, that's merely an opinion that's not worth fighting over.

A pastor who spoke at my seminary a few months back offered some perspective on the difference between opinions, beliefs, and convictions.

Opinions, he said, are ideas largely based on personal experiences and preferences. For example, it's my opinion that my presidential candidate of choice has the best plan for America. However, it's impossible to know how either candidate would perform if they became president; we can only make an educated guess.

Beliefs are ideas based on verifiable information, such as statistics, historical facts, ethical truisms, or other material that serves as proof for the belief. For example, most Americans believe democracy is right for America, and freedoms such as speech, religion, assembly, and due process are necessary and worth defending.

Convictions are the ideas at our core. Without them, we wouldn't be whole. It's my conviction that there's one God: the triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We should have innumerable opinions and numerous beliefs, but, this pastor said, there are only a handful of ideas that should be elevated to the status of conviction. Even if our beliefs are based on sound information or solid statistics, they shouldn't rank up there with our faith in God.

Unfortunately, we often hold our most unimportant ideas as sacred, investing a lot of emotional energy into our opinions, but not a lot of thought. Consider what happens when anyone utters the words "election" or "president" these days. Ears perk up, people gather 'round, and opinions - including some factually wrong ones - are generously expressed. It's a real tragedy that folks don't always treat their sacred convictions this way. If someone in your workplace lunchroom made a statement that there's no God, would there be an equally passionate discussion?

I've decided I'm not going to waste any more time praising the ardent supporters of my presidential candidate for their wisdom, or telling the ardent supporters of the other candidate that they're wrong. Instead, I'm using the upcoming presidential election as an opportunity to think about the value I give to my ideas. Do I put all my passion into mere opinions? Am I using my God-given brain to think deeply and research my beliefs to make sure they're worth the effort? Will I be ready and willing to stand up - and even die - for my deepest convictions? How much time and energy am I expending on ideas that don't matter - at the expense of the ones that do?

It's my opinion that my presidential pick has a slight edge. (But I've got nothing of substance to back that up.) It's my belief that - while I'll vote because it's a privilege - my vote is numerically insignificant. (The Electoral College decides this contest.)

And it's my conviction that our God is sovereign. He will continue on with his plans for America, regardless of who sits in the commander-in-chief's seat.

Blessings,
Holly

What are the ideas in which you invest most of your time? Are you passionate about your convictions?