“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
What does this mean?
Answer: We should fear and love God, and so we should not tell lies about our neighbor, nor betray, slander, or defame him, but should apologize for him, speak well of him, and interpret charitably all that he does.
It is the responsibility of believers to be aware of and involved in the political life of their society. As we do so, in light of our faith, we help make our nation a more fair and just place to live. For us to be involved, we must become as informed as we can on the issues of the election, of what the candidates offer as solutions for the issues, and what would be the most helpful for most people.
As I have written in other Monday emails, the Church does not endorse one political party over another. All parties support values that are consistent with the faith as well as support values that are at odds with the faith. It is our responsibility as believers to affirm what we believe through our vote and participation in the political process. As in all things, we are to serve God over any other power, and if that earthly power is against the Lord and His will, then we cannot support that power.
I do want to address what is unChristian in our political process. It does not take deep thought to see that the flood of ads on TV are unChristian.They are nothing but negative, defamatory, and at times, wicked. They violate the Eighth Commandment. They appeal to sinful nature in us to regard ourselves better than others and the wicked pleasure we often get when someone else stumbles. If all a candidate does is tear down their opponent, then one can question the values of that candidate. The only thing these negative ads do is drag us all down and continue the divisions that plague our nation.
As Christians, we are to regard our political opponents with charity seeking to understand their positions and why they hold those values. If we are able, we ought to clearly state what we believe and why. It is unChristian to attack and defame anyone because we do not agree with their political stand. Yes, if what they advocate is contrary to God’s will and purpose, then we must oppose them. However, the constant violation of the Eighth Commandment we see is not what Christians do, nor should we support those who choose to do such things. As Christians, let us do what we can to contribute to a good and useful political process. Let us encourage others to do the same and in so far as it is possible for us. Let us ask the candidates not to use these negative ads, but to state clearly what they plan to do should they be elected.