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| Yes | 60% | 2182 votes | Total: 3635 votes | |
| No | 40% | 1453 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesWithout faith, most of us have nothing. So, why wouldn't one of the biggest parts of someone's personality influence the way they vote?
Being a Pagan, it's slim to none that I'm going to find a government official that will vote my way on matters of faith, such as leaving the Ten Commandments in front of a government building. But my faith does influence my vote because of the tenants of my faith. We would be fools to think that a person's faith does not sway them one way or the other in a voting situation.
Where I live we recently had a vote on the sanctitiy of gay partnerships. The religious groups were up in arms to vote it down because their faith dictates that a same-sex couple should not be together period much less have the same rights as heterosexuals. Their argument was that it was the disolution of the family unit and that the children were in danger. Family values are built on their religous preference and that's how they will vote. If you were raised in a spirtual household, Christian or not, and were taught that homosexuals were people too because God loves them too, you would more than likely vote for the amendment. It all comes back down to your faith and what values it has instilled in you.
Be it a liberal or a conservative, your faith and upbringing will heavilly play in your vote for an amendment, a law or even your government officials. Say you are a conservative Christian. How are you going to vote for abortion rights? Most likely in the negative. Say you are a liberal Christian. How are you going to vote for the same issue. It depends on your own personal politics and faith structure. I know liberal Christians who vote based on their faith even though it wouldn't fall under the catagory of what we would consider liberal. Their belief system is tested and they have to chose between politics and their faith in God and His teachings.
Euthenasia is another hot topic that faith plays a huge part in. There are those who believe that a person shouldn't end their own life based on their faith in the afterlife. There are also those who believe that it's a personal decision for a person to end their life and let the cards fall where they may.
The bottom line is that faith influences a vote more than anything else out there. I look forward to the day when we can look past religious dogma and vote for what would be best for the country as a whole and not just for the faith-based special interest groups.
Learn more about this author, J.L. McKenzie.
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No
One's faith should not be the overall factor when it comes to influencing a citizen's vote. Yet, especially in the United States, this is something that happens every campaign and election season. Consider the Northeast. New York especially is considered important for the Democratic candidates as the Jewish Vote is scrutinized by the media in all forms. Then, the South can be considered as well. It is nicknamed the Bible Belt as the South has a strong Baptist base. At the same time, the South is also considered extremely Conservative, where the northeastern states are considered more Liberal.
All we have to do as Americans when it comes to the candidate's faith as an influence for a citizen's vote is to look at some parts of history. For instance, we can look back to John F. Kennedy. Not only was he a war hero, served in the United States Senate, but he was also from the Northeast, his father was a famous businessman and his family was and is Roman Catholic. Does this mean that all Catholic's vote for him? Probably not. One of the reason's why the Catholic stand on the subject of abortion is and how Liberal Candidates stand on abortion. So, here, is a part of history where one's faith had an influence on the vote. Then, there was George W. Bush, our last president. Was he voted in because of his faith? It will be hard to really answer this question, but one thing is for sure, it was not because of his personality. It was probably because he ran on a Faith Based Platform and many in the United States needed someone who was a strong believer in God to get them through tough times.
What is important to remember is that those we are voting for are ones that need to be trusted. The old saying is in order to earn your trust is to trust in me. Our candidates and our elected officials are ones that are more corrupt today than ever before. Let this writer ask what should be considered a fair question: "What is President Obama's faith?" We saw him right after his inauguration at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Does this mean he is Catholic? It still is not determined what his true faith is because it appears he has not yet chosen a church to be a member of. Does this not make you suspicious of the leader of the free world?
This writer believes that faith is extremely important. Belief in God is needed more today than ever before. This is not to say those who do not believe in Him are unhappy or do not have a course of action for their lives. It only says that when you have someone to pray to, to talk to during the day and someone who you can trust to receive answers from is important. But, faith alone does not make the man or woman. Conviction in what they believe in that will make this country great again is what is important.
Learn more about this author, David Brown.
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