McCain or Obama?

Last Week's Sermon and Worship/Praise Can Now Be Downloaded and Heard On: http://english.v2.diasporachurch.com/assets/000/000/004/2008_0817.MP3

1 Peter 2:13-17
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Last night, I attended a Bible study at a friend's house. At the end, a student from Dallas Theological Seminary engaged me in a discussion about the upcoming election. As Christians, I believe we have a responsiblity and mandate to elect leaders who will set godly (at least moral) ordinances for our land. Being an immigrant who became a naturalized citizen, I know that living in the United States is a blessing and I long to see the lost in North America come to Christ. I am also acutely aware of the fact that this nation is quickly straying from the Christian faith of many of its founding fathers. This rebellion from God will only exacerbate unless we responsibly exercise our right and privilege to elect officials. We must continue becoming a voting block that is to be reckoned with. We CANNOT sit back and not care. So the question this election year is 'whom do we vote for?' To be honest, as a Christian, both candidates fall way short of what I'm looking for in a godly leader. Yet, we have to choose one...
Last Saturday, Pastor Rick Warren's megachurch Saddleback, hosted a discussion for the two Presidential candidates. CNN broadcasted it. What came from this 'discussion' was quite insightful, and has helped me determine my vote. The following is an excerpt from Dr. Albert Mohler's August 19th blog. Please read it carefully and take the time to vote if you're eligible to vote this year:

Pastor Warren's questions ranged from the deeply personal to the overtly controversial. He often asked questions that made it difficult for the candidates to avoid giving direct and revealing answers. He let the candidates speak for themselves.
He asked about their greatest moral failure. Obama spoke of drug and alcohol use as a young person. McCain referred directly to the failure of his first marriage. When asked about the reality of evil, the two candidates revealed very different approaches. When asked about abortion and same-sex marriage, a great chasm appeared between the candidates. Obama declared his complete support for the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand. When asked, "at what point does a baby get human rights?" Obama said that the question "is above my pay grade." That is a particularly evasive answer, because the President of the United States must frame policies that are predicated on some assumption of when a human being, born or unborn, deserves the full protection of the law.
On same-sex marriage, Sen. Obama attempted to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, but he made clear that he would actively oppose any constitutional amendment designed to protect that definition, and he gave full support to civil unions. He suggested that the matter should be left to the states, but he has opposed Proposition 8 on the California ballot -- a citizen-initiated referendum that would define marriage as a heterosexual union.
Sen. McCain offered more succinct answers. When asked the question about when a baby gets human rights, McCain said, "at conception." He pledged to be a pro-life president and he opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage. The worldview differences between the two men were made clear, but the conversations were calm, respectful, and unhurried.
In other words, something of genuine significance happened at the Saddleback Civil Forum. Millions watched the event on CNN and the event set the stage for many lively conversations to follow.

Obama, being openly pro-gay unions and pro-abortion, will not be getting my vote. This year, it will have to be McCain for me.