Christians’ Unholy Alliance with the Republican Party

Like many American Christians, I usually vote Republican. Although I disagree with the party on the environment and policies that favour the rich over the poor, the Republican party has more closely reflected my beliefs in the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and limited government.

Many Christian leaders like Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and Gary Bauer have become prominent figures in the Republican party, gaining a seat at the table of power, and having influence over decisions that impact the social issues in our country. I’ve never had a problem with this because I felt Christians needed a voice in a growing secular and anti-Christian society.

I’ve never had a problem with it…until now. For the first time, I have very closely followed the presidential primaries because I’m finally excited about someone running for President. Last March my husband began supporting the campaign of Governor Mike Huckabee and asked me to investigate him as well. I was so impressed with what I read about Huckabee. Finally, a candidate who shared my stance on almost every issue: pro-life, pro-marriage, the fair tax, strong military, strong but reasonable stance on immigration, pro-Israel, concerned about the environment, free but fair trade, and the first Republican not afraid to speak out about corporate greed. Hallelujah!

Huckabee has enjoyed the endorsements of many pastors and some prominent Christians, such as: Chuck Norris, Don Wildmon, Jerry Jenkins, and Tim LaHaye. However, notably absent from his list of endorsements are Dobson, Perkins, Robertson, and Bauer. Why? Doesn’t Mike Huckabee stand for every issue these men spend their lives fighting for? Don’t these men represent Christian family organizations?

At first, I believed they didn’t endorse Huckabee because even after winning the Values Voters Summit sponsored by the Family Research Council, his national poll numbers were rather low, and they didn’t believe he could win. However, over the past several weeks, he has surged. Huckabee is now ranked number one nationally and is leading the polls in Iowa and South Carolina with number two status in Florida and California, two very important states. Naively, I believed that the prominent Christian leaders would rush to endorse Huckabee. Yet, they remain silent, why? Not only that, Christian website, Crosswalk, frequently criticizes Huckabee while publishing many articles on why Christians should not be concerned about Romney’s Mormonism and support him instead. What?

The conservative media including many radio hosts and Fox News have viciously attacked Governor Huckabee while consistently complimenting Mitt Romney. They appear to stack “focus groups” with Romney and Giuliani supporters, quote polls showing Huckabee in the least favourable light, and accuse him of using a bookshelf to denote a cross in the background of his Christmas ad. Yes, a bookshelf. They spin his record to make him look liberal and launch a barrage of attacks on him during interviews, while throwing soft ball questions to Romney. The worst offenders have been Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Brit Hume. Even though Huckabee released a clear 9-point plan to close the border, build a fence and send illegal immigrants home to apply legally for citizenship, Limbaugh has called Huckabee “an open borders guy”. Someone explain what about the above plan constitutes open borders.

Governor Romney has run one of the most negative campaigns I’ve seen in a very long time, launching attack ads, misleading the American public about the records of his opponents and his own liberal record in Massachusetts. He held liberal positions on abortion, homosexual rights, immigration, gun control, and stem cell research to court liberal voters in Massachusetts, and now that he is running for the Republican nomination, he has suddenly switched to more conservative views.

Why would the conservative media overwhelmingly support Romney who has a liberal record, but now speaks like a conservative over Huckabee, a man with a long and consistent conservative record? I can think of only one reason- corporate greed. It appears that the Wall Street Republicans and Washington insiders that control the Republican Establishment are bent on the destruction of Governor Huckabee’s campaign and the elevation of Romney’s. They know they can’t own Huckabee and they are terrified that he will actually try to curb corporate greed in our country, help the poor, and save the environment. How dare him!

It begs the question: have Christian leaders sold out to the Republican Establishment? Are they afraid of losing their seat at the table of power? Are they being funded by the wealthy and ambitious Mormon church?

The question now for my fellow Christians and fellow Americans: Are you going to sell out to corporate America? Are you going to let the Republican Establishment destroy a man of faith who would lead this country with honour and allow them to put in power the big money candidate who will let them control his presidency for their personal gain? Are you going to allow someone to buy the presidency?

The Republican party has used Christians to pursue their greedy policies for too long. As Christians, our allegiance is to Christ and Christ alone. If the Republican party will abandon its principles for political and economic gain, we must be willing to abandon the Republican party. Arguments that we will lose our seat at the table of influence or lose donations from corporations or non-Christian entities do not matter to God. He asks us to stand up for truth at all cost and let Him worry about the outcome. Our job is to obey, period.

Didn’t our founding fathers create a government by the people and for the people? It is time, we, the people, stand up and elect the President. If the people don’t elect my candidate of choice, Mike Huckabee, fine. But it should be the people electing the President, not the power mongers in Washington and on Wall Street.