In Defense of my Christianity

(Why I will vote for Bernie Sanders.)

By Mark A. Albert

Recently, because a few of my FaceBook posts flirted with mixing my belief system with
politics, I was taken to task by a Christian friend. I was literally told that I must vote for my
friends brand of politics, or I was not a Christian. Being a Christian myself, with a
somewhat divergent mindset, it was a little unsettling. For over forty years I have always
believed that Jesus Christ was the foundation of Christianity, not some political affiliation.
Though I am at peace with their passion, I disagree with their conclusion. We should all be
apologists for our beliefs. There is nothing wrong with taking a stand. But, in taking that
stand, I would like to discourage the foreshadowing of hell upon another believer who
chooses to take the road less traveled. In fact, because there are potential disagreements in
politics, as in life, I may even encourage dialogue, a healthy give and take. I have found that
in so doing I have learned some of the greatest lessons of my life.
This process of real communication, especially in a very political season, seems to make
some folks uncomfortable. That is understandable discussing these things has the
potential to lead to confrontation, and confrontation is quite high on most peoples list of
fears. It is usually found somewhere beneath public speaking, death, and snakes on the list.
Just because something is uncomfortable, however, does not mean that it should be
silenced, any more than a disagreement in a marriage should be pushed underground.
Sometimes that which causes distress must be addressed for real healing and unity to
occur. That is why I would like to share a few things concerning my Christian beliefs and
how it affects my political views when compared to some of my brethren.
You see, like many with whom I speak, I take my belief in Jesus seriously. I, too, embrace
the message that He shared and the mission that He came to accomplish. I would like to
think that we are all fairly mindful of these things as we walk to the voting booth. Let us
vote prayerfully, having researched the issues well in advance. Since I am an independent,
rather than a Democrat or Republican, my vote does not follow a party, it follows my
passion. I will attempt to share that passion in an informative rather than inflammatory
manner, because that is part of my belief system, as well. Let us not mimic the dissension
that is occurring on the national stage. Let us set a precedent of respect, because, "Love is
patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on
its own way; it is not irritable or resentful... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things" (I Corinthians 13:4-8).
Belief #1: I believe in life!!! Yes, I am pro-life, but my pro-life stance may need
clarification because neither party tends to discuss my thoughts on the subject. I am NOT
just pro-life as it pertains to the life of the unborn, thus ending the discussion! No... that
would be a fairly narrow interpretation of Jesus' declaration, "The thief comes that he may
steal, and kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and might have it
abundantly" (John 10:10, Darby).
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Jesus was focused on life in its entirety. That is why one small sliver of a pro-life message
simply does not work for me! I believe in fighting for all life! As a result, I also believe in
fixing our mental and physical health system so that it is less about profit and more about
people who are hurting. For that reason, it is my opinion that the current Affordable Care
Act should not only be kept in place, but it should also be improved and expanded, making
the very best medical options available to all, from the wealthiest to the most destitute.
This health care expansion would keep tens of thousands of people from dying needlessly
as a result of preventable illnesses and solvable circumstances. Health and wellness should
never be used as a political tool or a means of unsustainable profit margins. Life is not
negotiable in my eyes!
Proper medical care, however, is only the beginning of my pro-life stance. I believe in
taking care of our veterans our wounded, hurting and homeless heroes that have
sacrificed so much should never face their battle alone! Furthermore, I believe in expanding
our social safety nets by providing food and shelter to the poor and disenfranchised. I
believe in healthy babies beyond their delivery. That is why I believe in providing them
with nourishment and protection and nurture, regardless of whether their parents can
afford it. In fact, if we do this, it would lessen the fear of bringing a child into the world, and
likely decrease the abortion rates.
You see, my pro-life stance extends far beyond party affiliation and political expediency.
That is why I listen to candidates, their beliefs, and their plans. I am attentive to their
thoughts on the abundant life that Jesus discussed. I make big picture choices based on all
the issues that pertain to that kind of life.
I stand for life!
Belief #2: I believe in peace, not war! When speaking of peace, however, I am not
discussing some spiritual and emotional tranquility. The peace of which I speak is nothing
less than the pursuit of worldwide peace among all nations and all people groups! This is
an extension of my pro-life stance, but it has many ramifications. It, once again, comes from
a Jesus perspective when He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the
children of God" (Matthew 5:9).
I aspire to be one of God's children... a voice for peace in a generation of war! That is why I
believe that death and bombs and destruction should cease being our go-to option. These
things should be relegated to the far back burner and reserved for the most horrible of
perpetrators. Yes, I believe in punishing the evildoers of the world, but the phrase
collateral damage is tossed around far too casually when discussing war and its
aftermath. Vast numbers of innocents are being exterminated in the midst of our pursuit of
the bad guys, and it is being discussed as if it is just business as usual. An acceptance of
collateral damage is tantamount to flipping the switch on the electric chair with a beautiful
baby sitting on the murderers lap. That is unacceptable to my belief system, just as
discussions of glowing sand and carpet bombing are unacceptable.
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In Iraq, throughout the duration of our decade-long war, there are some estimates of over
500,000 innocent lives lost (Hagopian, Abraham, et al...). That is a half-million innocent
people lost to war, in just one nation. Those are the numbers for Iraq alone, not worldwide
estimates, which could soar into the millions. This is abhorrent and hurts my heart!
Though I am a dove and not a hawk when it comes to the use of our military, I still love our
military and believe that we need to keep it strong. But I also think that we need to hit the
reset button and withdraw from what appears to be our continual first option of war. Jesus
told His disciple, "Put your sword back in its place... for all who draw the sword will die by
the sword " (Matthew 26:52). So, yes, according to Jesus the sword has its "place" but, most
of the time, its place is in its sheath. I want to bring our forces home. I want to stop putting
our young men and young women in harms way. In so doing we will not only save
hundreds of thousands of lives, but we will also save billions upon billions, maybe even
trillions, of dollars over the next ten years. Maybe in that time frame, we can free up enough
money to invest in life and health and infrastructure and education without raising taxes.
One may ask, Is that possible? The answer is, yes.
Did you know that we spend as much money on our military as the next twelve highest
spending nations in the world combined? (Defense Budget by Country). We spent nearly
$600 billion on defense last year alone. By way of comparison, we spent $74 billion on food
stamps, which is often the target of budget cuts (Pianin). Maybe instead of war, we should
consider another Jesus idea... "But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). When we do that, when we negotiate, when we sit at the
table and talk, we might be able to free up enough money to do that "compassion thing"
that I am discussing, without breaking the bank in the process. Maybe we could spend as
much as the next five highest spending military nations combined, instead of the next
twelve? That would free up about $300 billion for other programs. Thats a lot of baby
formula and healthcare for those in need.
I stand for peace.
Belief #3: I believe in compassion for the poor and the working poor. When I address
this spiritual issue, I want to be very clear I am not against the wealthy. The Bible,
contrary to popular belief, does NOT say that "money is the root of all evil." What the Bible
actually says is, "...the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (I Timothy
6:10). According to the Bible, there is no inherent good or evil in the money, itself. It is the
activities that we pursue in order to get that money and the actions we take in order to
keep that money that lead to trouble. The pursuit of, and love of, money has taken control
of our nations political system.
The wealthy who love their money are buying their way into the good graces of the
politicians on both sides of the aisle in order to get the laws bent in their favor. Yes,
healthcare is expensive. Yes, Social Security is expensive. Yes, food stamps are expensive.
But so, too, is corporate welfare at the expense of the working class and the poor. In fact, an
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article in Forbes Magazine in 2012 said that subsidies for corporations (this can be called
Corporate Welfare) exceeds $100 billion dollars per year (Bandow). Yes, thats correct
the Congress of the United States has set aside money to subsidize some of the richest
corporations in the world. They give money to the wealthy in such massive numbers that it
exceeds spending on education, veterans affairs, and housing for the poor (Jacobson). In
fact, Paul Buchheit says that the average American family pays over six-thousand dollars
toward corporate welfare each year before they can begin spending their own money
(Buchheit). That means that if the average family makes around fifty-thousand dollars a
year, they work the first six weeks of the year, just so wealthy corporations can make
billions more than they make now. This information is important to remember when we
hear politicians saying that poor people are the problem. This insight is essential when we
hear people say, Those poor folks are just lazy, living off the hard earned wages of others!
Maybe, just maybe, the problems that we face in this country are not the fault of poor folks.
Where is the box on our income tax forms that we can check to get our first six weeks
worth of paychecks back?
This concept of corporate welfare and the system being rigged is not just my opinion; it is
also the opinion of men like Warren Buffet and Charles Koch, two of the wealthiest men in
America. Warren Buffet, an avowed liberal, has been saying this for quite some time. In fact,
as far back as 2011, he said, My Friends and I have been coddled long enough by a
billionaire-friendly Congress (Brownfield). But recently, in the Washington Post, Charles
Koch, a staunch conservative, concurred. In an op-ed piece, Koch confirmed that there is a
two-tiered system in our nation that benefits the wealthy and dooms others to poverty
(Koch). That is quite an admission, to say the least. When two of the most affluent
individuals in America tell us that the political and financial system is rigged against the
middle class and the poor, we should probably listen. Nothing has effectively changed,
however, even with these admissions. Corporate welfare continues unabated.
Paying deference to the wealthy is the very fulfillment, in a negative way, of a scriptural
warning: My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ. For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and
dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. If you look
with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, Sit here in a good place, and yet
you say to the poor man, Stand over there, or Sit here on the floor by my footstool,
havent you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ...if
you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors (James
2:1-4 & 9).
Not only did James warn against showing favoritism toward the rich, but Jesus warned us
about that dilemma thousands of years ago, as well. In fact, surprisingly, He said more
about managing finances, being faithful with money, paying an honest wage, and being
generous than He did about any other subject. One statement of Jesus, which leads me to
think that He would have encouraged corporations to pay a living wage to its workers, is
when he said, If you have not been faithful in that which is another mans, who shall give
you that which is your own? That can be taken a couple of ways. It could mean as many
have interpreted it, that we are to be wise with our employer's finances and then we will be
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trusted with our own money. In other words, do well with the boss stuff, and God will
make sure you get your own stuff. But it could just as easily be flipped to challenge the
employer. It could also mean that the boss is to be faithful toward his workers by paying a
substantive wage... and then God will make sure that his business flourishes. Taken that
way, it adds an entirely new meaning to Jesus statement, does it not? Lets read it again
with that interpretation in mind, If you have not been faithful in that which is another
mans... if you have not paid your hard-working people their well-earned wages, who shall
give you that which is your own?
The Apostle Paul confirmed the latter interpretation when he said, Those who work
deserve their pay (I Timothy 5:18). The King James Version says, The workman is worthy
of his hire! No man or woman should be made to feel like they are intruding on their boss
when they receive their paycheck. That man is worthy of his pay. That woman is worthy of
her hire.
While you ponder that, think of this, as well. When a working man qualifies for food stamps
after a forty hour work-week, because they are paid so little, then the corporation for which
they are working is allowing the American taxpayer to subsidize their company. Some of
those companies do this while taking home billions in profits. Why do politicians allow that,
do you suppose? It may be time to challenge those corporations to step up to the plate as
good citizens and pay a living wage so that we, the taxpayer, no longer subsidize their
earnings.
I stand with the poor and the working poor.
Belief #4: I believe in diversity and open arms, not rejection and a closed society. It is
so important that we understand, as Americans, that we are a part of a truly global family.
With internet access that allows us to communicate with people from around the world, at
the touch of a button, and with international travel allowing us to lift off from one location
and land on the other side of the earth within twenty-four hours, there is no hope of
isolation or exclusion. Therefore, it is essential to embrace diversity and place our thoughts
and ideas in this broad and varied international marketplace, allowing them to grow and
blossom as never before. In fact, thousands of years ago, John, the author of the book of
Revelation, saw heaven as the gathering-place of an amazingly diverse population, as well.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count,
from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne of the Lamb
(Revelation 7:9). If we are uncomfortable with a blending of cultures and peoples and
nations, heaven will be absolutely unbearable.
That is why, politically, I feel that there is no place for prejudice or racism or sexism of any
kind. Equality and unity are the order of the day. We have spent far too long allowing a
single word (Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, socialist, fascist, Muslim,
Christian, gay, straight) to define us and define others. Then, when the word is spoken,
people have walked away thinking the discussion is over. But the discussion is far from
over. We must look past the put-down and see the humanity of the individual being labeled
and marginalized. We must look past the prejudice and the fear that keeps us apart and
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move, in love, toward understanding. This kind of openness leads to unity and respect and
equality. Our real strength lies in the tearing down of barriers, not in building more. This
country and the world for that matter is far too important to leave anyone out. We are
living in a big tent that needs to make room for everyone. As a result, I listen to candidates
and their discussions on inclusion, because it is a truly Biblical concept.
I stand for diversity and inclusion and equality.
These are just a few of the reasons that I vote the way that I vote. I do not have time to
share with you the other issues that are dear to my heart because of my Christian faith,
such as, speaking the truth in love (honesty is pretty important), wise stewardship of our
planet, and voluntarily rendering to Caesar what is Caesars (yes, the government really
does have a role to play). It would take a book to discuss them all. But it should be clear
with just these four beliefs, on which I have expounded, that Christianity guides my views
far more than any political party, Super PAC, or propaganda scheme. In fact, I often think of
the prayer that Jesus encouraged us to pray. "Lord, let your kingdom come, let your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). If that is true, if I am to pray that prayer,
then shouldn't I begin to encourage the establishment of those heavenly ideas on earth? If I
am praying that prayer, shouldnt I be fleshing it out? Shouldnt I embrace a private lifestyle
as well as encourage public policies that reflect my commitment to life, to peace, to
compassion for the poor, and to diversity? And my answer is always a resounding, YES!
May you be blessed in your search for Christ-like answers during this political season, as
well, my friends.

Work Cited
Bandow, Doug. "Where to Cut the Federal Budget? Start by Killing Corporate Welfare!"
Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.
Buchheit, Paul. "Average American Families Pays $6K a Year in Big Business Subsidies |
BillMoyers.com." BillMoyers.com. Public Square Media Inc., 2013. Web. 05 Mar.
2016.
Brownfield, Mike. "The Truth about Billionaire Warren Buffett's Tax Hike Pleas." The Daily
Signal. The Heritage Foundation, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.
"Defense Budget by Country." Defense Budget by Country. Global Firepower, 2016. Web. 05
Mar. 2016.
Hagopian, Amy, Abraham D. Flaxman, Tim K. Takaro, Sahar A. Esa Al Shatari, Julie
Rajaratnam, Stan Becker, Alison Levin-Rector, Lindsay Galway, Berq J. Hadi
Al-Yasseri, William M. Weiss, Christopher J. Murray, and Gilbert Burnham. "Mortality
in Iraq Associated with the 20032011 War and Occupation: Findings from a
National Cluster Sample Survey by the University Collaborative Iraq Mortality
Study." PLoS Med PLoS Medicine 10.10 (2013). Web.
Jacobson, Louis. "Pie Chart of 'federal Spending' Circulating on the Internet Is Misleading."
@politifact. Tampa Bay Times, 17 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.
Koch, Charles. "Charles Koch: This Is the One Issue Where Bernie Sanders Is Right."
Washington Post. The Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2016. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.
Pianin, Eric. "$74 Billion Food Stamp Program In Budget Crosshairs." The Fiscal Times. The
Fiscal Times, 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2016.