Politics

I’ve been following with interest the conversations ongoing among the religious right concerning support for the various Republican presidential contenders. So it was with some bemusement that I read about Pat Robertson’s endorsement of Rudy Giuliani.

This is the same Rudy Giuliani who, during his separation from Wife Two, I think, bunked with friends – a gay couple with whom he is very close. This is also the same Rudy Giuliani who looked particularly wonderful in a drag getup! In looking at the video of the two of them at the news conference, I’ve wondered what was really going on in Rudy’s mind.

I don’t wonder so much about what’s going on in Pat’s mind because, well, he’s issued so many crazy statements over the years that I don’t think many of his conservative religious colleagues find him credible, either. But he has fired an interesting first shot over the bow of the Republican ship as we move toward the 2008 elections. This man still commands the attention of almost 1 million viewers through the 700 Club, so like it or not, he has to be taken seriously.

What are the religious right folks going to do? I think they’re going to follow Pat, not perhaps in support of Rudy, but in support of trying to win at all costs. Some are already parsing statements about Mitt Romney, even as they have to also admit that they find his Mormon faith to be a cult. Others, like Pat, are arguing that national security is such a major issue that “America’s Mayor” would be better than someone like say, John McCain, who actually fought in a war (and who knows the REAL definition of torture!)

Fred Thompson has angered many religious right folks by using an argument against a constitutional ban on abortion typically used by the pro-choice advocates. He is willing to reject the abortion plank of the Republican party, a move no Republican candidate has been willing to do for at least 20 years.

Mike Huckabee is probably the only candidate who fulfills the majority of religious right’s platform, and if he can pull off some primary wins, might be able to get enough traction to create a stir. But if not, he’ll be thrown under the wheels of the bus because at the end of the day, I can’t imagine religious conservatives will sit out the election. They’ll get behind Rudy or Mitt, no matter how much they have to hold their noses.

As a political junkie I’m interested in these machinations, but as a Christian, I am saddened by the fact that these folks are willing to overthrow their stated values in order to get a political win. It’s a pragmatic approach, but not a Christian one.

It’s fine to be a person of faith involved in politics, but the key is whether one can do so without overthrowing his/her beliefs for the sake of expediency. If we cannot continue “to speak truth to power” then our Christian witness is dangerously diluted and we begin to look like any number of secular political players rather than followers of Jesus.