by Joe Palvado

Created on: May 25, 2007

Absolutely yes, one's faith should influence not only how one votes but also how one conducts himself or herself in any given endeavor. The question assumes that faith, or a belief in something or someone greater than one's self, may influence one's behavior. Faith should optimally serve as the motivating nerve or spirit that guides and directs an individual's decisions across the entire spectrum of life's choices. Having faith, presumably in God, predisposes one to think or meditate upon any given personal action and the consequential reaction resulting from the person of faith's decisions. If, for instance, God says, "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have any strange gods before me", then the appropriate response from one who subscribes to a belief in that law or fundamental article governing faith, requires thoughtful consideration with respect to voting in accordance with the dictate of one's conscience, ideally subscribing to a consistent application of that law. The faithful person would attempt to live out through their action (voting) his or her obedience to God. If a person votes for an individual who demonstrates unmistakable arrogance by setting themselves up as a god, unconcerned for or perhaps even violating the basic human rights of others, holding God in contempt, grasping for power, notoriety, prestige or privilege, or runs on a platform of promises that may sound personally beneficial to the individual though harmful to another, a person of faith would contradict his or her own belief in God by voting for such an individual. If a person of faith should vote for an individual in response to a candidate's promise to make that individual's life more pleasant while the candidate's platform fails to address the more complex issues of justice and fairness for others, a person of faith may compromise his or her conscience. If a person of faith subscribes to a belief that life is sacred because God said so then votes for a candidate who holds that some lives are less valuable than others, faith has been compromised and human life has been devalued. Yes, faith should have a tremendous impact. More important, faith must be nurtured or else it becomes utterly useless. Faith is a gift to be enhanced through exercise: prayer, sacred reading, communal worship and practice. Faith, in the final analysis requires as much devotion as the intellect or muscles. Use it or lose it. The only substantial difference is that the loss of one's faith bears the most unpleasant eternal consequence.

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