by Daniel Cawthorne

Created on: August 25, 2008

How can one possibly make any decision NOT based on what one believes? The very idea is ludicrous. Each man, woman, boy, and girl is influenced by what they believe. The very fact that one would vote yes or no in this very poll shows that everyone will let their beliefs influence them in what they vote for. If you choose yes, you have well chosen in that you believe your beliefs influence, well, what you believe. This is especially true when it comes to matters of right and of wrong. If you choose no, you choose illogically, for the reason you chose no was because you believed that one should not let their beliefs influence their vote. This does not make sense. Everything one does is based on the beliefs that one has.

Faith is what rules our hearts and minds. Even the atheist has faith. He has faith in the belief that there is no God. He has faith in (most likely) the general good of mankind and that mankind is getting better. His faith probably dictates that since there is no God, right and wrong must be dictated by the thoughts and will of Man. It is with this moral device (no matter how immoral it really is) that one will decide what he believes to be right and wrong. Having thus decided, he will, no doubt, find the political candidate (and/or party) and vote for the one who most matches what he believes.

Therefore, whether one believes that faith should, or shouldn't, influence a vote is not a question of yes or no. It happens.

Speaking for myself, I believe that life starts at conception. Therefore, I believe that the intentional ending of a pregnancy by killing the baby is murder. I will, of course, never vote for someone who supports murder. However, if one is ruled by faith in man's own good and believes that right and wrong are established by one's own moral compass, one might decide (especially if it is convenient for them) that life doesn't start until they take their "first" breath. Then that person will have no problem with the idea of killing an unborn child. Furthermore, if they are ruled by the belief that abortion is just a choice for the woman (because, obviously, the child is not human yet, and therefore has no rights), and wants to support women's "rights", they will vote for the candidate who best lines up with what they believe (especially in areas concerning women's "rights").

Of course, pro-life and pro-abortion, are only one small factor in choosing whom to vote for. But it is a point in which faith and beliefs are used to distinguish whether one believes a candidate to be better than another. The same with social security, healthcare, gun control, and any other such law.

A person's faith always influence what a person believes. What a person believes will always influence what a person will vote for.

Thus, a person's faith will always dictate what a person will, or will not, vote for.

And that is the bottom line.

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