Pray Vote Stand panelists on how Christian voters can uphold biblical principles
WASHINGTON — A children's rights advocate urged Christian voters not to follow the lead of politicians willing to compromise on issues such as life and marriage but to instead show these leaders that they must uphold "biblically-based, child-protective principles."
On the second day of the Pray Vote Stand summit, experts discussed how Christians should respond when those in charge value political strategy over biblical principles. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins led the Friday panel "Principles vs. Practicals: Why Biblical Values Matter More than Political Expedience."
One of the points that came up was the Republican Party voting 84-18 earlier this year in favor of a platform that softened its pro-life stance by removing calls for federal restrictions on abortion, in addition to eliminating language opposing same-sex marriage.
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The panelists discussed how the move has left some Christians wondering who to vote for or whether they should vote at all anymore.
Katy Faust, founder of Them Before Us, an organization that advocates for putting children before adults' desires, said that assessing each political issue through the "lens of elevating the child" leads to a thriving nation.
"There's something about prioritizing children, elevating their rights, elevating their needs above what it is that adults want that actually leads to a flourishing society," the advocate said. "I think that should be the lens through which you view every major issue, whether it's economic, whether we're talking about national security, or whether we're talking about the main cultural issues."
Christians and pro-lifers who care about the abortion issue have repeatedly expressed disappointment with former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for president, taking a softened approach to the issue. Trump has openly expressed support for states to determine their own abortion laws and criticized Florida's six-week abortion ban.
The presidential hopeful's wife, Melania Trump, also declared her support for abortion in a new memoir. The former first lady cited a common argument for abortion, writing in her memoir that it's "imperative" for women to have "autonomy" when making decisions about whether to have children.
According to Faust, the life, family, mind, body, future and security of children are "all on the line" this election. The advocate acknowledged that she is critical of the Republican Party's approach to this, and encouraged Christian voters to never compromise when it comes to preserving the rights and well-being of children.
"So, I think that we need to be very clear-eyed," she said. "Our principles never bend to politicians. By God's grace, it will be the other way around; politicians will bend to our biblically-based, child-protective principles."
"But even if they don't, we won't. Even if the politicians are going to compromise or justify a position that harms children, which always goes against Scripture, we don't follow in their lead," Faust asserted.
Robert George, the McCormick professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, also spoke on the panel. George believes that part of the problem with today's Republican Party and its softened stances on certain social issues is that people on the right allowed politicians to have their vote without earning it.
The legal scholar and political philosopher said that Republican voters can learn something from Democrats, who do not allow their leaders to adopt certain views for the sake of strategy. He cited former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama as examples, noting that the political leaders once said they supported traditional marriage because the polls showed that Americans were still split on the issue.
George noted that Democrat voters kept the pressure on until Clinton and Obama changed their public stances. The scholar asserted that Republican voters could learn something from Democrats.
"We should never again allow ourselves to be in a position where we have no leverage," he said. "Where politicians don't think they have to earn our votes in order to get our votes."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
