Obama, Romney, Other: Who Should Christians Vote for in the 2012 election?

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Obama, Romney, Other: Who Should Christians Vote for in the 2012 Election?
Including Biblical Qualifications for Civil Leaders
By Stephen McDowell

America is like a train going rapidly toward a cliff. The election of 2012 may determine if we fly off the precipice, or slow down enough to get the train turned around. During the past century America has gradually put aside her Christian foundations and embraced progressive, socialistic ideas. Our Founders put us on a Biblical path that enabled us to become the most free, just, prosperous, charitable, and virtuous nation the world has ever seen. Applying God’s Biblical blueprint made us an exceptional nation. We moved down the train track in the right direction, one that protected man’s God-given rights to life, liberty, and property, and created an environment
of liberty and equality for all. However, as we put aside God’s eternal standard and looked to man as the source of law, morality, and provision, we gradually turned the train around and instead of heading to a bright future, began chugging toward a great precipice. At times during the 20th Century (though these were few) we have had governmental leaders (such as Ronald Reagan) who understood we were going in the wrong direction and attempted to change course, but most were only able to
slow the train down, not turn it around. Our current President, Barak Obama, has added much fuel to the engine, speeding up the train on its course over the cliff. While we have already been experiencing the bad fruit of unbiblical financial and moral policies sown over the generations, there may come a time when the train runs off the cliff and cannot be recovered; that is, we can go so far down the road of statism, it will be near impossible to turn it around. Of course, God is able to do the miraculous,
and there are many examples in history where God has moved mightily to transform nations. There are also many positive signs that God is at work in America – all are not dead. But the greater the mess, the more wisdom and Godly character is needed to undo the mess. The sooner we act, the more likely we can see permanent change. Political action is only one area where we have Biblical duties, and in some ways it is the least important, but it is important and we are commanded by God to take part in
choosing those who govern us. So then, who should we vote for this November? In regards to the upcoming presidential election, I have heard some Christians say they will not vote for Barack Obama since he clearly supports and promotes issues contrary to the Bible, like abortion and homosexual marriage. But, they say, they cannot vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon, and they point out the unbiblical doctrines of Mormonism. Their choice then will be to vote for a third party candidate, write in a name, or not vote at all. Should this be the choice of Biblical thinking Christians?

It is very important whom we choose to govern us. When the righteous rule, the people will rejoice, but when the wicked govern they will groan (Prov. 29:2). Our nation’s welfare and stability—our continuance (or recovery) as a nation of liberty, justice, and prosperity—will be greatly affected by whom we choose to lead us. To elect Godly leaders we need to know the qualities of a Godly leader, and here, as in all of life, the Bible provides a standard. In choosing those who govern, we must compare their
qualifications to those that the Bible says are of most importance. Biblical Qualifications for Governing Officials. When Moses told the children of Israel to select from among them those who would govern them, he set forth a number of Biblical qualifications. He said: “You shall select out of all the people, able men who fear God, men
of truth, those who hate dishonest gain” (Exodus 18:21). “Choose wise and discerning and experienced men” (Deuteronomy 1:13). He put forth three general qualifications for governing officials: fear of God, Christian character, and Biblical worldview. Duty to Vote and Participate The revivalist of the Second Great Awakening, Charles Finney, presented a list of things that must be done to maintain the revival that was in progress.

One of those was:  Christians have a duty to choose Godly leaders. Moses gave us three qualifications to use as we evaluate those who govern.
The Church must take right ground in regard to politics. . . . [T]he time has come that Christians must vote for honest men, and take consistent ground in politics….
[T]he Church must act rightly or the country will be ruined. God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church will take right
ground. Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God…. He will bless or curse this nation, according to the course they [Christians] take [in politics].2

Failure of the church (i.e., God’s redeemed people) in America to take right ground in politics in the past century or so has led to our current looming governmental crisis. We have chosen the bramble (thorn bush) to govern us and are reaping the consequences (Judges 9:8-15). It is not only a privilege, but a duty and command for Christians to vote. Civil government is a divine institution of God that exists to protect the life, liberty, and property of citizens, enabling them to more effectively advance the Kingdom of God in the earth. Civil leaders are servants of the people and of God, and are to govern under His higher authority. Rulers are to be ministers of God for good (see Romans 13:4; Luke 22:25-26). For this to occur, Christians must be involved in selecting good men to office. Voting is actually the most minimal means of fulfilling our duty. We should  also be continually involved in the process of training men to govern, and getting them on the ballot. Hence, we must be involved in local party politics.

If we are not involved in the preparation process, we will continually find we have no real choices on the ballot when we vote. We will always be faced with the prospect of
“choosing the lesser of two evils.” It would be better to get involved in every aspect of preparing and choosing civil leaders so we have a real choice. To elect Godly men, we should understand the Biblical qualifications for leaders, learn of the character and worldview of the candidates, and vote accordingly.
How do the two main presidential candidates align with God’s standard? I will only be comparing Barack Obama and Mitt Romney since there is no chance that any other candidate can win (due to the nature of our electoral system, we have two main parties). If there is no real difference in these two men, then it doesn’t matter if
you vote a third party, or not vote at all. But if there is a difference, not voting for the better of the two candidates is in reality voting for the worst one. We may lament that we do not have a Godly candidate who can win this election, but we only have ourselves to blame. God instructs us to be good stewards of civil society. He tells us to
prepare Godly leaders and to send them out to govern in a Biblical manner. We have not done so, hence, we get the current presidential choices before us – Obama or Romney. We will have better choices in the future if we fulfill our civil duties. Thankfully, we do have some good choices (depending upon where you live) in various races on the local, state, and national levels.

We should work hard to get the good guys elected. 1. Faith or True Religion – “men who fear God” The fear of God is an essential qualification for a Godly official. What are
men like who fear God? Matthias Burnet explained in an election sermon in 1803 that they are, “men acting under the belief and awe of God as their inspector and judge, to whom they consider themselves accountable for their conduct and whom they fear to offend.”3

This is not just saying “I am a Christian,” simply going to church, or culturally embracing Christianity, but it is having a reverential fear of the Almighty. Many today think that the fear of God is of no matter for our rulers, and even see it as a negative factor. Rev. Burnet said it well: If God be such a being, as both reason and revelation declare him to be, an omniscient, holy, just and all-powerful being, whose eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good, to punish the one and reward the other according to their character and deeds, then certainly, the fear and awe of him must operate as the greatest restraint from that which is evil, and the most powerful incentive to that which is good, and he who is truly actuated by this principle, will never give his voice or influence to pervert justice or support iniquity. But the man who does not believe in the being and providence of God, or is not actuated by the fear and awe of him, has in many cases no bond or restraint upon his conduct, and therefore is not fit to be trusted with a nation’s weal, which he will not scruple, whenever he can with impunity, to sacrifice to his lust or ambition.4 When the righteous rule, the people rejoice. The righteous are those in right standing with God — they fear God, the true and living God. How do the two major presidential candidates align with this?

Barak Obama Obama claims to be a Christian, but the church he identified with for over 20 years was theologically liberal and embraced many unorthodox positions. In addition, many of his actions are contrary to Biblical truth. Jesus said you would know His followers by their fruit (Matthew 7:20); that is, how men act reveal what is in their hearts. Jesus also said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience to His Word is a primary indicator of a true believer.

Professing faith yet living contrary to the precepts of the Christian faith can actually be worse than not professing at all. Paul writes that those who claim to represent God’s true covenant people, yet break His law, dishonor God and bring reproach to the true faith (Roman 2:23-24). Such action presents a false testimony to true Christianity. Jesus’ strongest rebukes were to those professing members of the covenant who regularly violated the commands of God. Therefore, to evaluate Obama’s faith we need to look at his words and, more importantly, his deeds. While Obama may claim to be a Christian, his actions show a great hostility toward Christianity, and, at times, encouragement for Islam. Here are a few of the scores of actions revealing Obama’s hostility to Biblical faith:5

· April 2008 – Obama speaks disrespectfully of Christians, saying they “cling to guns or religion” and have an “antipathy to people who aren’t like them.”
· April 2009 – When speaking at Georgetown University, Obama orders that a monogram symbolizing Jesus’ name be covered when he is making his speech.
· September 16, 2009 – The Obama administration appoints as EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who asserts that society should “not tolerate” any “private beliefs,” including religious beliefs, if they may negatively affect homosexual “equality.”

· May 2009 – While Obama does not host any National Day of Prayer event at the White House, he does host White House Iftar dinners in honor of Ramadan.
· 2010 – While every White House traditionally issues hundreds of official proclamations and statements on numerous occasions, this White House avoids traditional Biblical holidays and events but regularly recognizes major Muslim holidays, as evidenced by its 2010 statements on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha.
· October 19, 2010 – Obama begins deliberatelyomitting the phrase about “the Creator” when quoting the Declaration of Independence – an omission he has made on no less than seven occasions.

· April 2011 – For the first time in American history, Obama urges passage of a non-discrimination law that does not contain hiring protections for religious groups, forcing religious organizations to hire according to federal mandates without regard to the dictates of their own faith, thus eliminating conscience protection in hiring.

· August 2011 – The Air Force stops teaching the Just War theory to officers in California because the course is taught by chaplains and is based on a philosophy introduced by St. Augustine in the third century AD – a theory long taught by civilized nations across the world.
· May 2012 – The Obama administration opposes legislation to protect the rights of conscience for military chaplains who do not wish to perform same-sex marriages in violation of their strongly-held religious beliefs.

· June 2012 – Bibles for the American military have been printed in every conflict since the American Revolution, but the Obama Administration revokes the long-standing U. S. policy of allowing military service emblems to be placed on those military Bibles.
· February 2012 – The Obama administration makes effulgent apologies for Korans being burned by the U. S. military, but when Bibles were burned by the military, numerous reasons were offered why it was the right thing to do. As we shall see, Obama is also anti-life, supporting and promoting abortion consistently throughout his public life, is against the Biblical family, recently saying he supports same-sex marriage, and promotes public immorality. The conclusion is that, while a professing Christian, Obama shows little fruit of true Christian faith. Mitt Romney Romney is a professing Mormon. Mormonism is a non-Christian religion with fundamental theological beliefs that are contrary to Christian orthodoxy.

Mormons do say they believe the Bible and that Jesus is divine and their savior, but this is not in the same sense as Biblical Christianity. Some of the doctrines of Mormonism are strange, though it does promote a general positive morality. Some Christians have said that the spiritual effects of having a Mormon as President would be extremely negative, and we should keep this from happening at all costs. They say that all of America’s Presidents have claimed Christianity as their faith, and we should keep it that way. Electing a Mormon would only give credence to this cultist faith, and possibly open up America to new judgments of God. It is true that all Presidents to date have professed the Christian faith, but they have certainly not all been true believers, nor lived as Christians. Many, especially in the 20th Century, have implemented policies contrary to the Bible and the principles of liberty. Their actions have led America away from God. You could easily argue their actions have done more to distort true Christianity than many false religions. At least with a Mormon President, most people would know they believe in a different God than that of the Christian faith, or at least have a better opportunity to learn this, which has occurred since Romney’s rise. (Romney expressed this recently when speaking at Liberty University, saying he knew
evangelicals have different beliefs than Mormons.) Leaders professing Christianity, but not demonstrating it in personal action or political policies, would present a false and distorted image of true Biblical Christianity and its good fruit. This would drive many away from Christianity, saying “if this is what Christianity produces I want
nothing of it.” Regarding his actions, Romney is pro-life and upholds the Biblical family, so in these two important matters, unlike Obama, he embraces the ideals
of the Christian faith. Romney has also not shown hostility toward Christianity as has Obama. For example, he is against forcing businesses and organizations
to provide abortion services as part of the medical care for employees. Neither candidate acts like a regenerated believer who meets the qualification of fearing God as the Bible presents. But there are some clear distinctions between the two regarding the other two qualities. 2. Morality or Christian Character – “men of truth,” “hate dishonest gain”

A second qualification for Godly officials is morality. They should be “men truly honest and upright in their principles and views, not actuated and governed by the sordid motives of self interest and aggrandizement in their desire and execution of office, but by a sincere regard to the public good.”6 There are many examples in history
where corrupt and unprincipled rulers have brought on all kinds of miseries to mankind—including loss of liberty and the downfall of nations. Socialist and progressive leaders of the 20th Century did much to steal the liberty and property of many. This includes many American leaders, such as President Franklin Roosevelt, who may
have done some good things, but did many things to increase the welfare state and diminish American liberty. The actions of these leaders flowed from a wrong worldview, but were often accompanied by dishonest and immoral behavior. Chandler Robbins, in an Election Sermon in 1791, said, “Nothing will so surely, so rapidly bring on the dissolution of society, and the loss of the liberties of a people, as a want of virtue and integrity in their rulers.”7 Two important character qualities needed by rulers are honesty and humility.

Honesty is obviously important in a ruler. Proverbs 29:12 says “if a ruler pays attention to falsehood [hearkens to lies], all his ministers become wicked.” If a man cannot keep personal vows or oaths, we cannot expect him to keep national vows. We have witnessed this in recent years. Knowledge or intelligence (as man sees it) without honesty — a good genius with a bad heart — is worse than an ignorant honest man because the evil genius could find more subtle ways to rob the people of their rights.
Some have argued support for certain candidates based upon their intelligence, saying: “He’s so smart. We ought to elect him.” Yet, if a man, no matter how smart, is reasoning from wrong presuppositions, or has bad character, he will not be a good leader. Humility is a second great quality needed in leaders. Jesus taught that leaders are to be servants (Matthew 20:25-28). How do the presidential candidates align with Christian character?

Obama One positive aspect of Obama’s character is that he appears to love his wife and children. Yet, at the same time he supports gay marriage and is radically pro-abortion. While apparently faithful to his wife, he has done much to undermine public morality by promoting pre-marital sex. For example, in August 2010, the Obama
administration cut funding for 176 abstinence education programs, desiring rather to fund teaching teens that sex before marriage is okay if it is “safe.”8 His positions on the two most important moral issues of life and family follow:

Anti-life / Pro-abortion
· Obama is strongly pro-abortion. He voted against banning partial birth abortion as a legislator in Illinois.
· January 2009 – Obama lifts restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, forcing taxpayers
to fund pro-abortion groups that either promote or perform abortions in other nations.9
· March 2009 – Obama gave $50 million for the UNFPA, the UN population agency that promotes abortion and works closely with Chinese population control officials who use forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations. 10
· July 2010 – the Obama administration uses federal funds in violation of federal law to get Kenya to change its constitution to include abortion.11 Promotes homosexual lifestyle and marriage

· July 2009 – The Obama administration illegally extends federal benefits to same-sex partners of Foreign Service and Executive Branch employees, in direct violation of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.12

· July 2011 – Obama allows homosexuals to serve openly in the military, reversing a policy originally instituted by George Washington in March 1778.13
· 2012 – Obama announces his support for same-sex marriage. The Democratic party platform embraces same-sex marriage as well.
There are numerous incidents of Obama being dishonest. He has often violated his word. For one, Obama promised he would not rush legislation through Congress, but he rushed both the stimulus bill and Obamacare. Obamacare was pushed through so rapidly that few, if any, Congressmen even read it all. Remember then Speaker Pelosi’s famous comment that we need to pass it so we can learn what is in it. We have since learned health care providers must cover abortions and also child sterilizations without parental consent.14

While running for President in 2008 Obama promised to cut the deficit in half by 2012. Under Obama, deficit spending has more than doubled that of previous years, amassing over $5 trillion dollars during his term. While some concession could be given to cutting it in half, he has done little to even try to limit government spending. He
did call for a freeze on pay of federal workers and for cutting some programs, but the only real cuts appear to be coming in military spending. Overall, spending under Obama has been 40% greater than tax revenue, hence we have had to borrow more and more money, leading to a current national debt of about $16 trillion. Some have argued that under Bush and other Presidents there was large deficit spending, so we cannot condemn Obama for doing the same. The general nature of deficit spending by
the federal government over the years, under both Democrats and Republicans, is immoral and unbiblical. It is in fact, theft, violating God’s commandment to not steal, since future generations will be forced to pay for current spending.15 It is wrong no matter who does it. We must stop this or experience grave consequences.

Obama has taken deficit spending to a new unprecedented level. So if Bush was wrong (and he was), Obama is doubly wrong. We must, of course, remember that deficit spending cannot occur without the approval of Congress, so we should always look at the House and Senate budgets, and how our Congressmen voted regarding
these budgets, to help determine for whom we should vote. (You should take note that the Senate under Democratic control has not passed a budget in over 3 years.)
Some of Obama’s recent campaign ads are astoundingly dishonest. Like the claim of one that a man’s wife died of cancer due to lack of insurance that is blamed on Romney’s actions while at Bain Capital. Even the leftist media has pointed out the absurdity of this.16

Romney Like Obama, Romney appears to love his family and wife, and presents a positive image of the family. While not a true believer, he generally adheres to Biblical positions on many moral issues (though with some clear differences; see below). In addition, he has pledged to bring government spending under control, not stealing
from future generations by borrowing money today. His selection of Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate shows he is serious about taking hold of runaway federal budgets because Ryan was the author of a very specific bill that would balance the budget (Romney endorsed the bill).

Life Issue

· Romney has been called a flip-flopper on issues, in particular on abortion. In recent years, Romney has spoken out against abortion and called for overturning
Roe vs. Wade; however, while governor of Massachusetts, Romney repeatedly described himself as pro-choice. He explained the evolution of his beliefs on abortion in an interview with the Des Moines Register in 2007, stating, “I was effectively pro-choice when I ran for office. When I became governor of Massachusetts, the first time a bill came to [me] that dealt with life, I simply could not side with—with taking a life, and I came on the side of life. Every bill that came to my desk, every issue that related to
protecting the sanctity of life, I came down on the side of life.”17 Romney’s current position is that he’s prolife but, “I’m in favor of abortion being legal in the case of rape and incest, and the health and life of the mother.”

Obama, Romney, Other: Who Should
Christians Vote for in the 2012 Election?
Including Biblical Qualifications
for Civil Leaders
By Stephen McDowell
America is like a train going rapidly
toward a cliff. The election of 2012
may determine if we fly off the precipice,
or slow down enough to get the
train turned around. During the past
century America has gradually put
aside her Christian foundations and
embraced progressive, socialistic
ideas. Our Founders put us on a Biblical
path that enabled us to become the
most free, just, prosperous, charitable,
and virtuous nation the world has ever
seen. Applying God’s Biblical blueprint
made us an exceptional nation.
We moved down the train track in the
right direction, one that protected
man’s God-given rights to life, liberty,
and property, and created an environment
of liberty and equality for all.
However, as we put aside God’s
eternal standard and looked to man as
the source of law, morality, and provision,
we gradually turned the train
around and instead of heading to a
bright future, began chugging toward a
great precipice. At times during the
20th Century (though these were few)
we have had governmental leaders
(such as Ronald Reagan) who understood
we were going in the wrong
direction and attempted to change
course, but most were only able to
slow the train down, not turn it around.
Our current President, Barak Obama,
has added much fuel to the engine,
speeding up the train on its course over
the cliff. While we have already been
experiencing the bad fruit of unbiblical
financial and moral policies sown over
the generations, there may come a time
when the train runs off the cliff and
cannot be recovered; that is, we can go
so far down the road of statism, it will
be near impossible to turn it around.
Of course, God is able to do the miraculous,
and there are many examples
in history where God has moved
mightily to transform nations. There
are also many positive signs that God
is at work in America – all are not
dead. But the greater the mess, the
more wisdom and Godly character is
needed to undo the mess. The sooner
we act, the more likely we can see permanent
change. Political action is only
one area where we have Biblical duties,
and in some ways it is the least
important, but it is important and we
are commanded by God to take part in
choosing those who govern us. So
then, who should we vote for this November?
In regards to the upcoming presidential
election, I have heard some
Christians say they will not vote for
Barack Obama since he clearly supports
and promotes issues contrary to
the Bible, like abortion and homosexual
marriage. But, they say, they
cannot vote for Mitt Romney because
he is a Mormon, and they point out the
unbiblical doctrines of Mormonism.
Their choice then will be to vote for a
third party candidate, write in a name,
or not vote at all. Should this be the
choice of Biblical thinking Christians?
It is very important whom we
choose to govern us. When the righteous
rule, the people will rejoice, but
when the wicked govern they will
groan (Prov. 29:2). Our nation’s welfare
and stability—our continuance (or
recovery) as a nation of liberty, justice,
and prosperity—will be greatly affected
by whom we choose to lead us.
To elect Godly leaders we need to
know the qualities of a Godly leader,
and here, as in all of life, the Bible provides
a standard. In choosing those
who govern, we must compare their
qualifications to those that the Bible
says are of most importance.
Biblical Qualifications for
Governing Officials1
When Moses told the children of Israel
to select from among them those
who would govern them, he set forth a
number of Biblical qualifications. He
said: “You shall select out of all the
people, able men who fear God, men
of truth, those who hate dishonest
gain” (Exodus 18:21). “Choose wise
and discerning and experienced men”
(Deuteronomy 1:13). He put forth
three general qualifications for governing
officials: fear of God, Christian
character, and Biblical worldview.
Duty to Vote and Participate
The revivalist of the Second Great
Awakening, Charles Finney, presented
a list of things that must be done to
maintain the revival that was in progress.
One of those was:
The Providential Perspective Page 1
Providential Perspective
Vol. 26, No. 2 September 2012 The Teaching Journal of The Providence Foundation
Christians have a duty to choose Godly
leaders. Moses gave us three qualifications to
use as we evaluate those who govern.
The Church
must take right
ground in regard
to politics. . . .
[T]he time has
come that Christians
must vote for
honest men, and
take consistent
ground in politics….
[T]he Church must act rightly
or the country will be ruined. God
cannot sustain this free and blessed
country, which we love and pray for,
unless the Church will take right
ground. Politics are a part of a religion
in such a country as this, and Christians
must do their duty to the country
as a part of their duty to God…. He
will bless or curse this nation, according
to the course they [Christians]
take [in politics].2
Failure of the church (i.e., God’s redeemed
people) in America to take
right ground in politics in the past century
or so has led to our current
looming governmental crisis. We have
chosen the bramble (thorn bush) to
govern us and are reaping the consequences
(Judges 9:8-15).
It is not only a privilege, but a duty
and command for Christians to vote.
Civil government is a divine institution
of God that exists to protect the life,
liberty, and property of citizens, enabling
them to more effectively
advance the Kingdom of God in the
earth. Civil leaders are servants of the
people and of God, and are to govern
under His higher authority. Rulers are
to be ministers of God for good (see
Romans 13:4; Luke 22:25-26). For this
to occur, Christians must be involved
in selecting good men to office.
Voting is actually the most minimal
means of fulfilling our duty. We should
also be continually involved in the process
of training men to govern, and
getting them on the ballot. Hence, we
must be involved in local party politics.
If we are not involved in the
preparation process, we will continually
find we have no real choices on
the ballot when we vote. We will always
be faced with the prospect of
“choosing the lesser of two evils.” It
would be better to get involved in every
aspect of preparing and choosing
civil leaders so we have a real choice.
To elect Godly men, we should understand
the Biblical qualifications for
leaders, learn of the character and
worldview of the candidates, and vote
accordingly.
How do the two main presidential
candidates align with God’s standard?
I will only be comparing Barack
Obama and Mitt Romney since there
is no chance that any other candidate
can win (due to the nature of our electoral
system, we have two main
parties). If there is no real difference in
these two men, then it doesn’t matter if
you vote a third party, or not vote at
all. But if there is a difference, not voting
for the better of the two candidates
is in reality voting for the worst one.
We may lament that we do not have
a Godly candidate who can win this
election, but we only have ourselves to
blame. God instructs us to be good
stewards of civil society. He tells us to
prepare Godly leaders and to send
them out to govern in a Biblical manner.
We have not done so, hence, we
get the current presidential choices before
us – Obama or Romney. We will
have better choices in the future if we
fulfill our civil duties. Thankfully, we
do have some good choices (depending
upon where you live) in various races
on the local, state, and national levels.
We should work hard to get the good
guys elected.
1. Faith or True Religion – “men
who fear God”
The fear of God is an essential qualification
for a Godly official. What are
men like who fear God? Matthias Burnet
explained in an election sermon in
1803 that they are, “men acting under
the belief and awe of God as their inspector
and judge, to whom they
consider themselves accountable for
their conduct and whom they fear to
offend.”3
This is not just saying “I am a
Christian,” simply going to church, or
culturally embracing Christianity, but
it is having a reverential fear of the Almighty.
Many today think that the fear
of God is of no matter for our rulers,
and even see it as a negative factor.
Rev. Burnet said it well:
If God be such a being, as both
reason and revelation declare him to
be, an omniscient, holy, just and
all-powerful being, whose eyes are in
every place, beholding the evil and the
good, to punish the one and reward
the other according to their character
and deeds, then certainly, the fear and
awe of him must operate as the greatest
restraint from that which is evil,
and the most powerful incentive to
that which is good, and he who is
truly actuated by this principle, will
never give his voice or influence to
pervert justice or support iniquity. But
the man who does not believe in the
being and providence of God, or is not
actuated by the fear and awe of him,
has in many cases no bond or restraint
upon his conduct, and therefore is not
fit to be trusted with a nation’s weal,
which he will not scruple, whenever
he can with impunity, to sacrifice to
his lust or ambition.4
When the righteous rule, the people
rejoice. The righteous are those in right
standing with God — they fear God,
the true and living God. How do the
two major presidential candidates align
with this?
Barak Obama
Obama claims to
be a Christian,
but the church he
identified with
for over 20 years
was theologically
liberal and embraced
many
unorthodox positions.
In addition,
many of his actions
are contrary
to Biblical truth. Jesus said you would
know His followers by their fruit (Matthew
7:20); that is, how men act reveal
what is in their hearts. Jesus also said,
“If you love Me, keep My commandments”
(John 14:15). Obedience to His
Word is a primary indicator of a true
believer.
Professing faith yet living contrary
to the precepts of the Christian faith
can actually be worse than not professing
at all. Paul writes that those who
claim to represent God’s true covenant
people, yet break His law, dishonor
God and bring reproach to the true
faith (Roman 2:23-24). Such action
presents a false testimony to true
Christianity. Jesus’ strongest rebukes
were to those professing members of
the covenant who regularly violated
the commands of God.
Therefore, to evaluate Obama’s
faith we need to look at his words and,
more importantly, his deeds. While
Obama may claim to be a Christian,
his actions show a great hostility toward
Christianity, and, at times,
encouragement for Islam.
Here are a few of the scores of actions
revealing Obama’s hostility to
Biblical faith:5
The Providential Perspective Page 2
· April 2008 – Obama speaks disrespectfully
of Christians, saying they
“cling to guns or religion” and have an
“antipathy to people who aren’t like
them.”
· April 2009 – When speaking at
Georgetown University, Obama orders
that a monogram symbolizing Jesus’
name be covered when he is making
his speech.
· September 16, 2009 – The Obama administration
appoints as EEOC
Commissioner Chai Feldblum, who asserts
that society should “not tolerate”
any “private beliefs,” including religious
beliefs, if they may negatively
affect homosexual “equality.”
· May 2009 – While Obama does not
host any National Day of Prayer event
at the White House, he does host
White House Iftar dinners in honor of
Ramadan.
· 2010 – While every White House traditionally
issues hundreds of official
proclamations and statements on numerous
occasions, this White House
avoids traditional Biblical holidays
and events but regularly recognizes
major Muslim holidays, as evidenced
by its 2010 statements on Ramadan,
Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha.
· October 19, 2010 – Obama begins deliberately
omitting the phrase about
“the Creator” when quoting the Declaration
of Independence – an omission
he has made on no less than seven occasions.
· April 2011 – For the first time in
American history, Obama urges passage
of a non-discrimination law that
does not contain hiring protections for
religious groups, forcing religious organizations
to hire according to federal
mandates without regard to the dictates
of their own faith, thus eliminating
conscience protection in hiring.
· August 2011 – The Air Force stops
teaching the Just War theory to officers
in California because the course is
taught by chaplains and is based on a
philosophy introduced by St. Augustine
in the third century AD – a theory
long taught by civilized nations across
the world.
· May 2012 – The Obama administration
opposes legislation to protect the rights
of conscience for military chaplains
who do not wish to perform same-sex
marriages in violation of their
strongly-held religious beliefs.
· June 2012 – Bibles for the American
military have been printed in every
conflict since the American Revolution,
but the Obama Administration
revokes the long-standing U. S. policy
of allowing military service emblems
to be placed on those military Bibles.
· February 2012 – The Obama administration
makes effulgent apologies for
Korans being burned by the U. S. military,
but when Bibles were burned by
the military, numerous reasons were
offered why it was the right thing to
do.
As we shall see, Obama is also
anti-life, supporting and promoting
abortion consistently throughout his
public life, is against the Biblical family,
recently saying he supports
same-sex marriage, and promotes public
immorality. The conclusion is that,
while a professing Christian, Obama
shows little fruit of true Christian faith.
Mitt Romney
Romney is a professing
Mormon.
Mormonism is a
non-Christian religion
with
fundamental theological
beliefs that
are contrary to
Christian orthodoxy.
Mormons
do say they believe
the Bible and that Jesus is divine
and their savior, but this is not in the
same sense as Biblical Christianity.
Some of the doctrines of Mormonism
are strange, though it does promote a
general positive morality.
Some Christians have said that the
spiritual effects of having a Mormon as
President would be extremely negative,
and we should keep this from
happening at all costs. They say that
all of America’s Presidents have
claimed Christianity as their faith, and
we should keep it that way. Electing a
Mormon would only give credence to
this cultist faith, and possibly open up
America to new judgments of God.
It is true that all Presidents to date
have professed the Christian faith, but
they have certainly not all been true
believers, nor lived as Christians.
Many, especially in the 20th Century,
have implemented policies
contrary to the Bible and the principles
of liberty. Their actions have led
America away from God.
You could easily argue their actions
have done more to distort true Christianity
than many false religions. At
least with a Mormon President, most
people would know they believe in a
different God than that of the Christian
faith, or at least have a better opportunity
to learn this, which has occurred
since Romney’s rise. (Romney expressed
this recently when speaking at
Liberty University, saying he knew
evangelicals have different beliefs than
Mormons.) Leaders professing Christianity,
but not demonstrating it in
personal action or political policies,
would present a false and distorted image
of true Biblical Christianity and its
good fruit. This would drive many
away from Christianity, saying “if this
is what Christianity produces I want
nothing of it.”
Regarding his actions, Romney is
pro-life and upholds the Biblical family,
so in these two important matters,
unlike Obama, he embraces the ideals
of the Christian faith. Romney has also
not shown hostility toward Christianity
as has Obama. For example, he is
against forcing businesses and organizations
to provide abortion services as
part of the medical care for employees.
Neither candidate acts like a regenerated
believer who meets the
qualification of fearing God as the Bible
presents. But there are some clear
distinctions between the two regarding
the other two qualities.
2. Morality or Christian
Character – “men of truth,”
“hate dishonest gain”
A second qualification for Godly
officials is morality. They should be
“men truly honest and upright in their
principles and views, not actuated and
governed by the sordid motives of self
interest and aggrandizement in their
desire and execution of office, but by a
sincere regard to the public good.”6
There are many examples in history
where corrupt and unprincipled rulers
have brought on all kinds of miseries
to mankind—including loss of liberty
and the downfall of nations. Socialist
and progressive leaders of the 20th
Century did much to steal the liberty
and property of many. This includes
many American leaders, such as President
Franklin Roosevelt, who may
have done some good things, but did
many things to increase the welfare
state and diminish American liberty.
The actions of these leaders flowed
from a wrong worldview, but were often
accompanied by dishonest and
immoral behavior.
Chandler Robbins, in an Election
Sermon in 1791, said, “Nothing will so
The Providential Perspective Page 3
surely, so rapidly bring on the dissolution
of society, and the loss of the
liberties of a people, as a want of virtue
and integrity in their rulers.”7
Two important character qualities
needed by rulers are honesty and humility.
Honesty is obviously important
in a ruler. Proverbs 29:12 says “if a
ruler pays attention to falsehood [hearkens
to lies], all his ministers become
wicked.” If a man cannot keep personal
vows or oaths, we cannot expect
him to keep national vows. We have
witnessed this in recent years.
Knowledge or intelligence (as man
sees it) without honesty — a good genius
with a bad heart — is worse than
an ignorant honest man because the
evil genius could find more subtle
ways to rob the people of their rights.
Some have argued support for certain
candidates based upon their intelligence,
saying: “He’s so smart. We
ought to elect him.” Yet, if a man, no
matter how smart, is reasoning from
wrong presuppositions, or has bad
character, he will not be a good leader.
Humility is a second great quality
needed in leaders. Jesus taught that
leaders are to be servants (Matthew
20:25-28).
How do the presidential candidates
align with Christian character?
Obama
One positive aspect of Obama’s
character is that he appears to love his
wife and children. Yet, at the same
time he supports gay marriage and is
radically pro-abortion. While apparently
faithful to his wife, he has done
much to undermine public morality by
promoting pre-marital sex. For example,
in August 2010, the Obama
administration cut funding for 176 abstinence
education programs, desiring
rather to fund teaching teens that sex
before marriage is okay if it is “safe.”8
His positions on the two most important
moral issues of life and family
follow:
Anti-life / Pro-abortion
· Obama is strongly pro-abortion. He
voted against banning partial birth
abortion as a legislator in Illinois.
· January 2009 – Obama lifts restrictions
on U.S. government funding for
groups that provide abortion services
or counseling abroad, forcing taxpayers
to fund pro-abortion groups that
either promote or perform abortions in
other nations.9
· March 2009 – Obama gave $50 million
for the UNFPA, the UN
population agency that promotes abortion
and works closely with Chinese
population control officials who use
forced abortions and involuntary sterilizations.10
· July 2010 – the Obama administration
uses federal funds in violation of federal
law to get Kenya to change its
constitution to include abortion.11
Promotes homosexual lifestyle
and marriage
· July 2009 – The Obama administration
illegally extends federal benefits to
same-sex partners of Foreign Service
and Executive Branch employees, in
direct violation of the federal Defense
of Marriage Act.12
· July 2011 – Obama allows homosexuals
to serve openly in the military,
reversing a policy originally instituted
by George Washington in March
1778.13
· 2012 – Obama announces his support
for same-sex marriage. The Democratic
party platform embraces
same-sex marriage as well.
There are numerous incidents of
Obama being dishonest. He has often
violated his word. For one, Obama
promised he would not rush legislation
through Congress, but he rushed both
the stimulus bill and Obamacare.
Obamacare was pushed through so
rapidly that few, if any, Congressmen
even read it all. Remember then
Speaker Pelosi’s famous comment that
we need to pass it so we can learn what
is in it. We have since learned health
care providers must cover abortions
and also child sterilizations without parental
consent.14
While running for President in 2008
Obama promised to cut the deficit in
half by 2012. Under Obama, deficit
spending has more than doubled that
of previous years, amassing over $5
trillion dollars during his term. While
some concession could be given to cutting
it in half, he has done little to even
try to limit government spending. He
did call for a freeze on pay of federal
workers and for cutting some programs,
but the only real cuts appear to
be coming in military spending. Overall,
spending under Obama has been
40% greater than tax revenue, hence
we have had to borrow more and more
money, leading to a current national
debt of about $16 trillion.
Some have argued that under Bush
and other Presidents there was large
deficit spending, so we cannot condemn
Obama for doing the same. The
general nature of deficit spending by
the federal government over the years,
under both Democrats and Republicans,
is immoral and unbiblical. It is in
fact, theft, violating God’s commandment
to not steal, since future
generations will be forced to pay for
current spending.15 It is wrong no matter
who does it. We must stop this or
experience grave consequences.
Obama has taken deficit spending
to a new unprecedented level. So if
Bush was wrong (and he was), Obama
is doubly wrong. We must, of course,
remember that deficit spending cannot
occur without the approval of Congress,
so we should always look at the
House and Senate budgets, and how
our Congressmen voted regarding
these budgets, to help determine for
whom we should vote. (You should
take note that the Senate under Democratic
control has not passed a budget
in over 3 years.)
Some of Obama’s recent campaign
ads are astoundingly dishonest. Like
the claim of one that a man’s wife died
of cancer due to lack of insurance that
is blamed on Romney’s actions while
at Bain Capital. Even the leftist media
has pointed out the absurdity of this.16
Romney
Like Obama, Romney appears to
love his family and wife, and presents
a positive image of the family. While
not a true believer, he generally adheres
to Biblical positions on many
moral issues (though with some clear
differences; see below). In addition, he
has pledged to bring government
spending under control, not stealing
from future generations by borrowing
money today. His selection of Paul
Ryan as his vice-presidential running
mate shows he is serious about taking
hold of runaway federal budgets because
Ryan was the author of a very
specific bill that would balance the
budget (Romney endorsed the bill).
Life Issue
· Romney has been called a flip-flopper
on issues, in particular on abortion. In
recent years, Romney has spoken out
against abortion and called for overturning
Roe vs. Wade; however, while
governor of Massachusetts, Romney
repeatedly described himself as
pro-choice. He explained the evolution
of his beliefs on abortion in an interview
with the Des Moines Register in
The Providential Perspective Page 4
2007, stating, “I was effectively
pro-choice when I ran for office. When
I became governor of Massachusetts,
the first time a bill came to [me] that
dealt with life, I simply could not side
with—with taking a life, and I came
on the side of life. Every bill that came
to my desk, every issue that related to
protecting the sanctity of life, I came
down on the side of life.”17 Romney’s
current position is that he’s prolife but,
“I’m in favor of abortion being legal in
the case of rape and incest, and the
health and life of the mother.”
Family Issue
· Romney has expressed support for the
Biblical family and opposition to gay
marriage, stating “I believe we should
have a federal amendment in the Constitution
that defines marriage as a
relationship between a man and
woman, because I believe the ideal
place to raise a child is in a home with
a mom and a dad.”
· He reiterated his opposition to gay
marriage after President Obama offered
support for gay rights in May
2012, stating “I believe marriage is a
relationship between a man and a
woman.”
· However, Romney has expressed support
for homosexual adoption. This
past May, in an interview with Neil
Cavuto of Fox News, he explained that
while he is against the concept of homosexual
“marriage,” he does believe
that homosexual couples should be
able to adopt children. Romney said,
“if two people of the same gender
want to live together, want to have a
loving relationship, or even to adopt a
child, in my state, individuals of the
same sex were able to adopt children.
In my view, that’s something that people
have a right to do, but, to call that
‘marriage’ is something that in my
view is a departure from the real
meaning of that word.”18
· Romney believes homosexuals should
be allowed in the Boy Scouts, but supports
the right for the Scouts to decide
on this issue. “I support the right of the
Boy Scouts of America to decide what
it wants to do on that issue,” Romney
stated from a 1994 political debate,
which a Romney spokesman has said
remains his position. “I feel that all
people should be able to participate in
the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual
orientation.”19
There are clearly differences in the
views of Obama and Romney on life.
Since valuing life is of highest concern
to God, this one issue alone should be
enough to sway Biblical thinkers away
from Obama.
How one views the family is also a
central issue from a Biblical perspective.
Romney’s view is more closely
aligned to the historic and traditional
Biblical view than Obama’s, although
his support for gay adoption is troubling
since it gives credence to the
homosexual lifestyle, in contrast to
what the Bible teaches regarding this
behavior.
3. Biblical Worldview or
Knowledge – “men of truth,”
“wise,” “discerning”
Both Obama and Romney fail to
align with the first Biblical qualification.
Obama also generally fails to
meet the second qualification, while
Romney embraces some important
Biblically moral positions, like being
prolife. It is especially in this third
Biblical qualification for governing officials
that distinctions arise.
In many ways this third qualification
is of most importance because a
man will act and vote based upon how
he thinks. If he thinks wrong he will
vote wrong. The best leaders will have
a Biblical philosophy of government,
understanding its purpose (to protect
the life, liberty, and property of citizens)
and limited nature. Government
is not our savior. It is not to provide for
us, control our children, govern our
property, or regulate every aspect of
our lives.
The tendency of fallen man is to assume
too much power, with this often
justified for benevolent reasons. Jesus
taught we are to render to Caesar (civil
government) things under his jurisdiction
(which are very limited) and to
God the things that are God’s. In
America today, we have been rendering
to Caesar the things that are God’s
as we have moved towards socialism.
Under all forms of statism, civil government
assumes the role of God, the
family, the church, and the private sector.20
Socialism is the golden calf of modern
America and is a great threat to
liberty and prosperity. Discerning
whether a candidate adheres to a Biblical
or socialistic philosophy of
government comes down to the question,
“Who controls the property and
children in the nation?” Whoever controls
the property controls the present,
whoever controls the children controls
the future. God has given this
responsibility to the family, not the
state.
We must seek to place men in office
who understand the divine, but very
limited role, of civil government.
Without knowledgeable Christians participating
in elections, America will
become another Tower of Babel, with
man looking to himself for all things.
As Rev. Burnet stated in his sermon
before the Connecticut Assembly, we
should choose “men of good natural
understanding and competent acquired
knowledge.”21 Knowledge is more important
than belief for daily living out
your life. Many people say, “I believe
in Christ,” but this means different
things for different people. Your
knowledge determines your actions
and belief, for as a man “thinks in his
heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
A few years ago I ruptured my
Achilles tendon playing basketball.
The first question I asked my family
doctor about the various specialists
who could perform surgery was, “who
is best able to repair it?” not “which, if
any, doctor is a Christian?” Now, if
two were equally skilled, I would certainly
choose the Christian.
The same concept applies to rulers.
We want those who best know how to
govern Biblically — those who have a
Biblical philosophy of government.
Some non-Christians’ governmental
philosophy is more Biblical than some
Christians’. Most rulers will not have
all Biblical qualifications, so we must
weigh all factors. Mature Christians
should have mature Biblical knowledge.
Unfortunately, many Christians
never develop mature Biblical knowledge.
I would rather elect an
unregenerate man with a Biblical view
of governance than a believer who
thinks like a pagan, for your knowledge
determines your actions.
The Bible says we are to help the
poor. To some Christians this means
using the force of government to make
everyone fulfill this duty. Those with
this philosophy would tax all citizens
and take this money to give to others.
This is really socialism, justified under
the guise of fulfilling our Biblical duty.
History has shown socialism does not
work, and a study of the Scriptures reveals
our duty to the poor must be
fulfilled voluntarily by individual
choice, and in a Biblical manner. Considering
that one third of our tax
dollars is spent on social programs, our
The Providential Perspective Page 5
rulers’ governmental philosophy matters
greatly.
Righteous rulers will know the Biblical
purpose of government and civil
law, which is to restrain the evil action
of men in society (Romans 13:1-4; 1
Peter 2:13-14), so that they will not try
to make the law do what God never intended
it to do.
Godly rulers will also understand
jurisdictional authority. Jesus taught in
Matthew 22:17-21 that the state has a
legitimate function, but that it is limited
and should not usurp the authority
He gave to individuals, the family, and
the church. It is essential that our
elected officials understand to whom
God has given authority to do what.
The result of usurpation of authority
by the civil government from the family
and church is tyranny.22
Understanding the limited role of
government is very important, because
the tendency of fallen man is to centralize
and increase power, which is
often done in the name of good. Most
rulers in the world today are statists or
socialists, including President Obama.
Those with a statist philosophy see
civil government as the primary authority
in the world—the state (and its
law) is the savior. In a statist world,
there is no other savior; government
must save man for there is no supreme
God to do so.
While there is some significant differences
in the Republican and
Democratic parties (comparing the
Party Platforms shows profound differences),
most of America’s national
elected officials are socialists or statists,
as evidenced by spending
appropriations of tax dollars. A minority
of principled representatives adhere
to the limited jurisdiction of government,
while most go along with
uncontrolled spending. Ever increasing
spending by government is done in the
name of helping society and the citizens,
and is considered legitimate
since, to many, the law or government
is savior. This often takes the form of
taking from one group of citizens to
give to others, which is not compassionate
governing, but rather stealing.
Government is to protect its citizens,
not plunder them.
In addition to understanding the
purpose of government and jurisdictional
authority, there are many other
aspects of a Biblical philosophy of
government that Godly leaders should
embrace, including: being pro-life,
pro-liberty, and pro-property rights;
having knowledge of inalienable
rights, the laws of nature, and the laws
of nature’s God; understanding the
power and form of free nations; and
recognzing that self-government under
God is the foundation of all earthly
governments desiring liberty.23
To summarize, policies of leaders
that give more control of property or
children to the state is movement away
from the Biblical standard. In general,
an increase of taxes – especially
unbiblical taxes (inheritance, property,
and graduated income) – shifts control
of property from the family to the government,
which undermines the family
and leads to loss of liberty.
What if no candidate on the ballot
has all the Biblical characteristics?
Consider the one whose policies result
in smaller government, the one that allows
families to manage their property
and children, the one that allows all individuals
to keep more of their money,
then vote for him.
When comparing the worldview
and political philosophy of Obama and
Romney, we see a great difference in
the two candidates.
Obama
Issues of importance to Christians
(and others) and the Biblical position,
include: 1) Pro-life – protect the unborn,
against abortion; 2) Preserve the
Biblical family; 3) Oppose homosexual
agenda; 4) Public morality; 5)
Protect family property rights; 6)
Limited government; 7) Judicial appointments
that uphold Biblical issues.
Obama’s views on life, the family, religious
liberty, and public morality were
presented above. Some other views of
his include:
Governmental View: Statist /
Socialist / Big Government
· Taxes: President Obama has called for
the so-called “Buffett Rule,” which
would impose a 30% tax rate on all individuals
making over one million
dollars a year. As a senator, Obama
consistently voted against abolishing
or raising the limits on the so-called
“death tax” or inheritance taxes.
· Obama’s national healthcare program
(Obamacare) moves the control of
medical care from the private sector to
government. Obamacare will place another
60 million Americans in
Medicaid, a system that is already
bankrupting the states. Under
Obamacare employers must provide
“free” contraceptives, sterilization and
abortion-inducing drugs to employees
as part of their health care plan, hence
forcing many religious organizations
and businesses to violate their conscience
and religious convictions.
· Welfare state – Obama has pushed to
greatly expand the food stamp program
where now 1 in 5 American
families receive food stamps.
· Obama ended welfare reform by illegally
gutting the federal work
requirement for those receiving government
money.24
· Obama administration spent about $50
billion of taxpayer money (with current
loss to taxpayers of $25 billion25)
to bail out General Motors, throwing
all bondholders “under the bus” and
giving control of the company to government
bureaucrats and unions,
whose past demands brought the company
to the point of bankruptcy and
need of being bailed out in the first
place. (Some have claimed this to be a
good thing, but propping up a
non-productive and ineffectively run
business is no different than what
communist nations have done with
their government run and owned businesses.
It is not a great
accomplishment to save a business that
cannot compete in the free market with
$25 billion of money belonging to
someone else.) There were similar
bailouts for other companies.
· Obama’s “Cash for clunkers” program
was a government subsidy to attempt
to direct consumer spending. This
forced taxpayers to subsidize his
neighbor’s car purchase.
· Money to “green companies” that have
gone bankrupt and could never survive
on their own. (Solyndra cost at least a
half-billion public dollars.)
Lack of fiscal responsibility
· The $800 billion stimulus package was
a failure. The Keynesian philosophy of
having government spending to stimulate
economy does not work, and has
never worked. There has been a net
loss of jobs since Obama became President
and attempted to create new jobs
by spending borrowed money.
· Federal deficit has increased over $5
trillion in less than 4 years.
· Obama’s annual budget deficits have
been over $1 trillion each year, dwarfing
the deficits under Bush and
previous Presidents. Deficit spending
is wrong, and consistent deficit spending
for decades contributed to the
fiscal mess that Obama inherited, but
The Providential Perspective Page 6
his actions have compounded the
mess. He plans to continue the same
failed policies.
Obama energy policies stifle
economy26
· Wasting billions on loan guarantees
(including bankrupt Solyndra, Solar
Trust of America, Beacon Power and
Energy).
· Banking on electric car dream machines
that are impractical and few
want to buy.
· Saying “No” to the Keystone Pipeline
and to domestic energy production.
This when recent developments in
technology have enabled cheap extraction
of shale oil, and increased the
useful oil reserves in the US to more
than Saudi Arabia, making energy independence
easily achievable.
· The EPA’s regulatory train wreck: The
Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) ream of new regulations will
adversely affect existing power plants
(not to mention private property of
many individuals).
· Job-killing CAFE Standards
These are just a few of the Obama
policies and laws that are not in line
with a Biblical worldview. Since laws
are the working religion of a people,
we gain much insight into the true and
practical faith of Obama. His profession
does not align with his action.
Titus 1:16 speaks of those that “profess
to know God, but by their deeds they
deny Him, being detestable and disobedient,
and worthless for any good
deed.” This is an apt description of
Obama regarding his service in civil
government. In evaluating Obama’s
political philosophy overall, he is
likely the least Biblical of any of our
Presidents.
Romney
What are Mitt Romney’s views regarding
these important issues? His
view of life and the family were presented
above. Following are some of
his views on spending and the scope of
government.
Governmental View: semi-limited
· Taxes: Romney supports eliminating
the estate tax (the “death tax”) and
eliminating all capital gains taxes for
those who earn less than $200,000 a
year.
· Romney has proposed a balanced budget
amendment requiring Congress to
submit a balanced budget each fiscal
year to help contain the current budget
deficit.
· In early 2009, Romney came out
against the stimulus bill passed by
Congress and signed by President
Obama, calling for increased tax cuts
over increased spending.
· Romney strongly endorsed the plan
put forward by Congressman Paul
Ryan in early 2012 that proposes to
solve the budget deficit by cutting
nearly $5.3 trillion in federal spending
while simultaneously slashing tax rates
for Americans earning over $150,000
a year, calling it “simply marvelous”
and a “bold and exciting effort” in
March 2012.
· Romney has repeatedly expressed support
for repealing Obamacare, stating
in December 2011, “If I’m President,
we’re going to get rid of ObamaCare
and return, under our Constitution—the
10th Amendment—the
responsibility of health care to the people
in the states.” However, as
governor of Massachusetts, Romney
signed a bill setting up a state health
care system, though he says this would
not be appropriate for every state.
· Unlike Obama, Romney supports prohibiting
governmental mandate of
abortion services, and hence, not violating
people’s religious liberty.
Energy
· Romney supports the development of
all of America’s energy sources, including
coal, oil, nuclear, and
alternative sources, with the goal of
making America energy independent.
He is against subsidizing wind power.
Romney embraces a plan to balance
the budget and get government spending
under control. Reducing
government spending and regulations
will help the economy to grow, as the
private sector will have more funds to
create new goods and services. He is
for more of a limited government than
Obama, which is good, but, like most
of our current leaders, Romney is still
a progressive in many ways; for example,
he oversaw the establishment of a
state health-care program in Massachusetts.
His policies are a step in the
right direction compared to where we
have been going, but in reality only
slows the train down. It is still going in
the wrong direction.
Under Obama’s fiscal and moral
leadership, the train is heading toward
the cliff at 100 miles per hour. In general,
those who have led the nation in
recent generations, both Democrats
and Republicans, have been going the
wrong way on the track headed toward
the cliff. Some have slowed the train
but what is needed is to turn the train
around. There are those currently serving
in government who want to do this,
and have tried, but we need more servant
leaders who adhere to the Biblical
qualifications of Godly officials before
this is possible.
Since slowing the train down will
give us more time to prepare new leaders,
Romney seems the best option at
this time. In contrast to Obama, he also
supports life and upholding the Biblical
definition of marriage. Romney
certainly does not meet all of the Biblical
qualifications for Godly officials,
but he comes closer to the standard
than Obama. We cannot afford to continue
down the wrong track at 100
miles per hour because the cliff is
coming soon. Slowing the train to 20
miles per hour may give us time to
awaken to our civil duties, and restore
Godly leadership to the nation.
To those who say they cannot vote
for either and will vote “other,” this is
in reality a vote for the least Biblical
guy. By your tacit consent, you are
helping put the worst guy in office. At
100 miles per hour, I fear we cannot
last long enough to restore America to
its place as the most free, prosperous,
virtuous, and just nation the world has
ever seen.
Godly leaders begin with Godly citizens.
Reform begins in our house, but
it will eventually be reflected in the
White House. America needs Godly
transformation. Those that are transformed
need to be eternally vigilant to
have this reflected in our civil leaders.
Noah Webster summarized the effect
of unprincipled men in office:
Let it be impressed
on your
mind that God commands
you to
choose for yourselves
rulers, “just
men who rule in the
fear of God.” The
preservation of a republican
government depends
on the faithful discharge of this
duty; if the citizens neglect their duty
and place unprincipled men in office,
the government will soon be corrupted;
laws will be made, not for the
public good, so much as for selfish or
local purposes; corrupt or incompetent
The Providential Perspective Page 7
men will be appointed to execute the
laws; the public revenues will be
squandered on unworthy men; and the
rights of the citizens will be violated
or disregarded. If a republican government
fails to secure public prosperity
and happiness, it must be because the
citizens neglect the divine commands,
and elect bad men to make and administer
the laws.27
The election of unprincipled men
produces misery and tyranny, but
Godly rulers bring peace, prosperity,
justice, and rejoicing. If we fulfill our
duty and place Godly men in office
(who have knowledge, character, and
faith) our future will be bright. According
to 2 Samuel 23:3-4,
The God of Israel said…He who
rules…in the fear of God, is as the
light of the morning when the sun
rises, a morning without clouds, when
the tender grass springs out of the
earth, through sunshine after rain.
PP
[This article can be found on our
website: providencefoundation.com]
End Notes
1. For more on this subject see, Stephen
McDowell, Qualifications for Godly Officials,
Building Godly Nations, Charlottesville, Vir.: Providence
Foundation, 2004, pp. 231 ff.
2. Charles G. Finney, Revivals of Religion, Virginia
Beach: CBN University Press, 1978, pp.
311-312.
3. Matthias Burnet, Religion and Government
the Foundations of Order, Peace, and Security, in
Society, An Election Sermon Preached at a General
Assembly of the State of Connecticut at
Hartford, on the Day of the Anniversary Election,
May 12, 1803.
4. Ibid.
5. List from David Barton, America’s Most
Biblically-Hostile U.S. President, WallBuilders,
2012,
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp
?id=106938#FN10
6. Burnet.
7. Chandler Robbins, And Also in Judah Things
Went Well. A Sermon Preached before His Excellency
John Hancock, Governour; His Honor
Samuel Adams, Lieutant-Governour; the Honourable
the Council, and the Honourable the Senate
and House of Representatives, of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, May 25, 1791, Being the
Day of General Election.
8. Barton.
9. Barton,
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp
?id=106938#FN10
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. http://www.catholic.org/health/story.php?id=47274
15. For more on this see Stephen McDowell, The
Economy from a Biblical Perspective and Honest
Money and Banking, both published by the
Providence Foundation.
16. This ad was not directly produced by the
Obama campaign; but he in no way discredited it,
and he could have certainly stopped it.
17.
http://ajherrma.hubpages.com/hub/mittromney
18.
http://ajherrma.hubpages.com/hub/mittromney
19
.http://christiannews.net/mitt-romney-comes-out-in
-support-of-homosexual-boy-scout-leaders-membe
rs/
20. See McDowell, Rendering to Caesar the
Things that Are God’s, Providence Foundation.
21. Burnet
22. See McDowell, Building Godly Nations,
Chapter 3 to learn the purpose and responsibilities
of the individual, family, church, and state.
23. See Liberating the Nations, Chapter 1, by
Stephen McDowell and Mark Beliles, Charlottesville,
Vir.: Providence Foundation, 1995.
24. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/309300/obama-ends-welfare-reform-we-knowit-robert-rector
25. Payback estimate for GM bailout slips, The
Daily Progress, Tuesday, August 14, 2012, Charlottesville,
Virginia.
26. http://blog.heritage.org/2012/04/11/obamas-ten-worst-energy-poli
cies/?query=Obama’s+Ten+Worst+Energy+Policies
27. Noah Webster, History of the United Sates,
New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1833, pp. 307-308.
___________
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· Romney has expressed support for the Biblical family and opposition to gay marriage, stating “I believe we should have a federal amendment in the Constitution that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and woman, because I believe the ideal place to raise a child is in a home with a mom and a dad.”
· He reiterated his opposition to gay marriage after President Obama offered support for gay rights in May 2012, stating “I believe marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman.”
· However, Romney has expressed support for homosexual adoption. This past May, in an interview with Neil Cavuto of Fox News, he explained that while he is against the concept of homosexual “marriage,” he does believe that homosexual couples should be able to adopt children. Romney said, “if two people of the same gender want to live together, want to have a loving relationship, or even to adopt a child, in my state, individuals of the same sex were able to adopt children. In my view, that’s something that people have a right to do, but, to call that ‘marriage’ is something that in my view is a departure from the real meaning of that word.”18

· Romney believes homosexuals should
be allowed in the Boy Scouts, but supports
the right for the Scouts to decide
on this issue. “I support the right of the
Boy Scouts of America to decide what
it wants to do on that issue,” Romney
stated from a 1994 political debate,
which a Romney spokesman has said
remains his position. “I feel that all
people should be able to participate in
the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual
orientation.”19
There are clearly differences in the
views of Obama and Romney on life.
Since valuing life is of highest concern
to God, this one issue alone should be
enough to sway Biblical thinkers away
from Obama.
How one views the family is also a
central issue from a Biblical perspective.
Romney’s view is more closely
aligned to the historic and traditional
Biblical view than Obama’s, although
his support for gay adoption is troubling
since it gives credence to the
homosexual lifestyle, in contrast to
what the Bible teaches regarding this
behavior.
3. Biblical Worldview or
Knowledge – “men of truth,”
“wise,” “discerning”
Both Obama and Romney fail to
align with the first Biblical qualification.
Obama also generally fails to
meet the second qualification, while
Romney embraces some important
Biblically moral positions, like being
prolife. It is especially in this third
Biblical qualification for governing officials
that distinctions arise.
In many ways this third qualification
is of most importance because a
man will act and vote based upon how
he thinks. If he thinks wrong he will
vote wrong. The best leaders will have
a Biblical philosophy of government,
understanding its purpose (to protect
the life, liberty, and property of citizens)
and limited nature. Government
is not our savior. It is not to provide for
us, control our children, govern our
property, or regulate every aspect of
our lives.
The tendency of fallen man is to assume
too much power, with this often
justified for benevolent reasons. Jesus
taught we are to render to Caesar (civil
government) things under his jurisdiction
(which are very limited) and to
God the things that are God’s. In
America today, we have been rendering
to Caesar the things that are God’s
as we have moved towards socialism.
Under all forms of statism, civil government
assumes the role of God, the
family, the church, and the private sector.
20
Socialism is the golden calf of modern
America and is a great threat to
liberty and prosperity. Discerning
whether a candidate adheres to a Biblical
or socialistic philosophy of
government comes down to the question,
“Who controls the property and
children in the nation?” Whoever controls
the property controls the present,
whoever controls the children controls
the future. God has given this
responsibility to the family, not the
state.
We must seek to place men in office
who understand the divine, but very
limited role, of civil government.
Without knowledgeable Christians participating
in elections, America will
become another Tower of Babel, with
man looking to himself for all things.
As Rev. Burnet stated in his sermon
before the Connecticut Assembly, we
should choose “men of good natural
understanding and competent acquired
knowledge.”21 Knowledge is more important
than belief for daily living out
your life. Many people say, “I believe
in Christ,” but this means different
things for different people. Your
knowledge determines your actions
and belief, for as a man “thinks in his
heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
A few years ago I ruptured my
Achilles tendon playing basketball.
The first question I asked my family
doctor about the various specialists
who could perform surgery was, “who
is best able to repair it?” not “which, if
any, doctor is a Christian?” Now, if
two were equally skilled, I would certainly
choose the Christian.
The same concept applies to rulers.
We want those who best know how to
govern Biblically — those who have a
Biblical philosophy of government.
Some non-Christians’ governmental
philosophy is more Biblical than some
Christians’. Most rulers will not have
all Biblical qualifications, so we must
weigh all factors. Mature Christians
should have mature Biblical knowledge.
Unfortunately, many Christians
never develop mature Biblical knowledge.
I would rather elect an
unregenerate man with a Biblical view
of governance than a believer who
thinks like a pagan, for your knowledge
determines your actions.
The Bible says we are to help the
poor. To some Christians this means
using the force of government to make
everyone fulfill this duty. Those with
this philosophy would tax all citizens
and take this money to give to others.
This is really socialism, justified under
the guise of fulfilling our Biblical duty.
History has shown socialism does not
work, and a study of the Scriptures reveals
our duty to the poor must be
fulfilled voluntarily by individual
choice, and in a Biblical manner. Considering
that one third of our tax
dollars is spent on social programs, our
The Providential Perspective Page 5
rulers’ governmental philosophy matters
greatly.
Righteous rulers will know the Biblical
purpose of government and civil
law, which is to restrain the evil action
of men in society (Romans 13:1-4; 1
Peter 2:13-14), so that they will not try
to make the law do what God never intended
it to do.
Godly rulers will also understand
jurisdictional authority. Jesus taught in
Matthew 22:17-21 that the state has a
legitimate function, but that it is limited
and should not usurp the authority
He gave to individuals, the family, and
the church. It is essential that our
elected officials understand to whom
God has given authority to do what.
The result of usurpation of authority
by the civil government from the family
and church is tyranny.22
Understanding the limited role of
government is very important, because
the tendency of fallen man is to centralize
and increase power, which is
often done in the name of good. Most
rulers in the world today are statists or
socialists, including President Obama.
Those with a statist philosophy see
civil government as the primary authority
in the world—the state (and its
law) is the savior. In a statist world,
there is no other savior; government
must save man for there is no supreme
God to do so.
While there is some significant differences
in the Republican and
Democratic parties (comparing the
Party Platforms shows profound differences),
most of America’s national
elected officials are socialists or statists,
as evidenced by spending
appropriations of tax dollars. A minority
of principled representatives adhere
to the limited jurisdiction of government,
while most go along with
uncontrolled spending. Ever increasing
spending by government is done in the
name of helping society and the citizens,
and is considered legitimate
since, to many, the law or government
is savior. This often takes the form of
taking from one group of citizens to
give to others, which is not compassionate
governing, but rather stealing.
Government is to protect its citizens,
not plunder them.
In addition to understanding the
purpose of government and jurisdictional
authority, there are many other
aspects of a Biblical philosophy of
government that Godly leaders should
embrace, including: being pro-life,
pro-liberty, and pro-property rights;
having knowledge of inalienable
rights, the laws of nature, and the laws
of nature’s God; understanding the
power and form of free nations; and
recognzing that self-government under
God is the foundation of all earthly
governments desiring liberty.23
To summarize, policies of leaders
that give more control of property or
children to the state is movement away
from the Biblical standard. In general,
an increase of taxes – especially
unbiblical taxes (inheritance, property,
and graduated income) – shifts control
of property from the family to the government,
which undermines the family
and leads to loss of liberty.
What if no candidate on the ballot
has all the Biblical characteristics?
Consider the one whose policies result
in smaller government, the one that allows
families to manage their property
and children, the one that allows all individuals
to keep more of their money,
then vote for him.
When comparing the worldview
and political philosophy of Obama and
Romney, we see a great difference in
the two candidates.
Obama
Issues of importance to Christians
(and others) and the Biblical position,
include: 1) Pro-life – protect the unborn,
against abortion; 2) Preserve the
Biblical family; 3) Oppose homosexual
agenda; 4) Public morality; 5)
Protect family property rights; 6)
Limited government; 7) Judicial appointments
that uphold Biblical issues.
Obama’s views on life, the family, religious
liberty, and public morality were
presented above. Some other views of
his include:
Governmental View: Statist /
Socialist / Big Government
· Taxes: President Obama has called for
the so-called “Buffett Rule,” which
would impose a 30% tax rate on all individuals
making over one million
dollars a year. As a senator, Obama
consistently voted against abolishing
or raising the limits on the so-called
“death tax” or inheritance taxes.
· Obama’s national healthcare program
(Obamacare) moves the control of
medical care from the private sector to
government. Obamacare will place another
60 million Americans in
Medicaid, a system that is already
bankrupting the states. Under
Obamacare employers must provide
“free” contraceptives, sterilization and
abortion-inducing drugs to employees
as part of their health care plan, hence
forcing many religious organizations
and businesses to violate their conscience
and religious convictions.
· Welfare state – Obama has pushed to
greatly expand the food stamp program
where now 1 in 5 American
families receive food stamps.
· Obama ended welfare reform by illegally
gutting the federal work
requirement for those receiving government
money.24
· Obama administration spent about $50
billion of taxpayer money (with current
loss to taxpayers of $25 billion25)
to bail out General Motors, throwing
all bondholders “under the bus” and
giving control of the company to government
bureaucrats and unions,
whose past demands brought the company
to the point of bankruptcy and
need of being bailed out in the first
place. (Some have claimed this to be a
good thing, but propping up a
non-productive and ineffectively run
business is no different than what
communist nations have done with
their government run and owned businesses.
It is not a great
accomplishment to save a business that
cannot compete in the free market with
$25 billion of money belonging to
someone else.) There were similar
bailouts for other companies.
· Obama’s “Cash for clunkers” program
was a government subsidy to attempt
to direct consumer spending. This
forced taxpayers to subsidize his
neighbor’s car purchase.
· Money to “green companies” that have
gone bankrupt and could never survive
on their own. (Solyndra cost at least a
half-billion public dollars.)
Lack of fiscal responsibility
· The $800 billion stimulus package was
a failure. The Keynesian philosophy of
having government spending to stimulate
economy does not work, and has
never worked. There has been a net
loss of jobs since Obama became President
and attempted to create new jobs
by spending borrowed money.
· Federal deficit has increased over $5
trillion in less than 4 years.
· Obama’s annual budget deficits have
been over $1 trillion each year, dwarfing
the deficits under Bush and
previous Presidents. Deficit spending
is wrong, and consistent deficit spending
for decades contributed to the
fiscal mess that Obama inherited, but
The Providential Perspective Page 6
his actions have compounded the
mess. He plans to continue the same
failed policies.
Obama energy policies stifle
economy26
· Wasting billions on loan guarantees
(including bankrupt Solyndra, Solar
Trust of America, Beacon Power and
Energy).
· Banking on electric car dream machines
that are impractical and few
want to buy.
· Saying “No” to the Keystone Pipeline
and to domestic energy production.
This when recent developments in
technology have enabled cheap extraction
of shale oil, and increased the
useful oil reserves in the US to more
than Saudi Arabia, making energy independence
easily achievable.
· The EPA’s regulatory train wreck: The
Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) ream of new regulations will
adversely affect existing power plants
(not to mention private property of
many individuals).
· Job-killing CAFE Standards
These are just a few of the Obama
policies and laws that are not in line
with a Biblical worldview. Since laws
are the working religion of a people,
we gain much insight into the true and
practical faith of Obama. His profession
does not align with his action.
Titus 1:16 speaks of those that “profess
to know God, but by their deeds they
deny Him, being detestable and disobedient,
and worthless for any good
deed.” This is an apt description of
Obama regarding his service in civil
government. In evaluating Obama’s
political philosophy overall, he is
likely the least Biblical of any of our
Presidents.
Romney
What are Mitt Romney’s views regarding
these important issues? His
view of life and the family were presented
above. Following are some of
his views on spending and the scope of
government.
Governmental View: semi-limited
· Taxes: Romney supports eliminating
the estate tax (the “death tax”) and
eliminating all capital gains taxes for
those who earn less than $200,000 a
year.
· Romney has proposed a balanced budget
amendment requiring Congress to
submit a balanced budget each fiscal
year to help contain the current budget
deficit.
· In early 2009, Romney came out
against the stimulus bill passed by
Congress and signed by President
Obama, calling for increased tax cuts
over increased spending.
· Romney strongly endorsed the plan
put forward by Congressman Paul
Ryan in early 2012 that proposes to
solve the budget deficit by cutting
nearly $5.3 trillion in federal spending
while simultaneously slashing tax rates
for Americans earning over $150,000
a year, calling it “simply marvelous”
and a “bold and exciting effort” in
March 2012.
· Romney has repeatedly expressed support
for repealing Obamacare, stating
in December 2011, “If I’m President,
we’re going to get rid of ObamaCare
and return, under our Constitution—
the 10th Amendment—the
responsibility of health care to the people
in the states.” However, as
governor of Massachusetts, Romney
signed a bill setting up a state health
care system, though he says this would
not be appropriate for every state.
· Unlike Obama, Romney supports prohibiting
governmental mandate of
abortion services, and hence, not violating
people’s religious liberty.
Energy
· Romney supports the development of
all of America’s energy sources, including
coal, oil, nuclear, and
alternative sources, with the goal of
making America energy independent.
He is against subsidizing wind power.
Romney embraces a plan to balance
the budget and get government spending
under control. Reducing
government spending and regulations
will help the economy to grow, as the
private sector will have more funds to
create new goods and services. He is
for more of a limited government than
Obama, which is good, but, like most
of our current leaders, Romney is still
a progressive in many ways; for example,
he oversaw the establishment of a
state health-care program in Massachusetts.
His policies are a step in the
right direction compared to where we
have been going, but in reality only
slows the train down. It is still going in
the wrong direction.
Under Obama’s fiscal and moral
leadership, the train is heading toward
the cliff at 100 miles per hour. In general,
those who have led the nation in
recent generations, both Democrats
and Republicans, have been going the
wrong way on the track headed toward
the cliff. Some have slowed the train
but what is needed is to turn the train
around. There are those currently serving
in government who want to do this,
and have tried, but we need more servant
leaders who adhere to the Biblical
qualifications of Godly officials before
this is possible.
Since slowing the train down will
give us more time to prepare new leaders,
Romney seems the best option at
this time. In contrast to Obama, he also
supports life and upholding the Biblical
definition of marriage. Romney
certainly does not meet all of the Biblical
qualifications for Godly officials,
but he comes closer to the standard
than Obama. We cannot afford to continue
down the wrong track at 100
miles per hour because the cliff is
coming soon. Slowing the train to 20
miles per hour may give us time to
awaken to our civil duties, and restore
Godly leadership to the nation.
To those who say they cannot vote
for either and will vote “other,” this is
in reality a vote for the least Biblical
guy. By your tacit consent, you are
helping put the worst guy in office. At
100 miles per hour, I fear we cannot
last long enough to restore America to
its place as the most free, prosperous,
virtuous, and just nation the world has
ever seen.
Godly leaders begin with Godly citizens.
Reform begins in our house, but
it will eventually be reflected in the
White House. America needs Godly
transformation. Those that are transformed
need to be eternally vigilant to
have this reflected in our civil leaders.
Noah Webster summarized the effect
of unprincipled men in office:
Let it be impressed
on your
mind that God commands
you to
choose for yourselves
rulers, “just
men who rule in the
fear of God.” The
preservation of a republican
government depends
on the faithful discharge of this
duty; if the citizens neglect their duty
and place unprincipled men in office,
the government will soon be corrupted;
laws will be made, not for the
public good, so much as for selfish or
local purposes; corrupt or incompetent
The Providential Perspective Page 7
men will be appointed to execute the
laws; the public revenues will be
squandered on unworthy men; and the
rights of the citizens will be violated
or disregarded. If a republican government
fails to secure public prosperity
and happiness, it must be because the
citizens neglect the divine commands,
and elect bad men to make and administer
the laws.27
The election of unprincipled men
produces misery and tyranny, but
Godly rulers bring peace, prosperity,
justice, and rejoicing. If we fulfill our
duty and place Godly men in office
(who have knowledge, character, and
faith) our future will be bright. According
to 2 Samuel 23:3-4,
The God of Israel said…He who
rules…in the fear of God, is as the
light of the morning when the sun
rises, a morning without clouds, when
the tender grass springs out of the
earth, through sunshine after rain.
PP
[This article can be found on our
website: providencefoundation.com]
End Notes
1. For more on this subject see, Stephen
McDowell, “Qualifications for Godly Officials,”
Building Godly Nations, Charlottesville, Vir.: Prov-
idence Foundation, 2004, pp. 231 ff.
2. Charles G. Finney, Revivals of Religion, Vir-
ginia Beach: CBN University Press, 1978, pp.
311-312.
3. Matthias Burnet, “Religion and Government
the Foundations of Order, Peace, and Security, in
Society,” An Election Sermon Preached at a Gen-
eral Assembly of the State of Connecticut at
Hartford, on the Day of the Anniversary Election,
May 12, 1803.
4. Ibid.
5. List from David Barton, “America’s Most
Biblically-Hostile U.S. President,” WallBuilders,
2012,
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp
?id=106938#FN10
6. Burnet.
7. Chandler Robbins, “And Also in Judah Things
Went Well.” A Sermon Preached before His Excel-
lency John Hancock, Governour; His Honor
Samuel Adams, Lieutant-Governour; the Honour-
able the Council, and the Honourable the Senate
and House of Representatives, of the Common-
wealth of Massachusetts, May 25, 1791, Being the
Day of General Election.
8. Barton.
9. Barton,
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp
?id=106938#FN10
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. http://www.catho-
lic.org/health/story.php?id=47274
15. For more on this see Stephen McDowell, The
conomy from a Biblical Perspective and Honest
Money and Banking, both published by the
Providence Foundation.
16. This ad was not directly produced by the
Obama campaign; but he in no way discredited it,
and he could have certainly stopped it.
17.
http://ajherrma.hubpages.com/hub/mittromney
18.
http://ajherrma.hubpages.com/hub/mittromney
19
.http://christiannews.net/mitt-romney-comes-out-in
-support-of-homosexual-boy-scout-leaders-membe
rs/
20. See McDowell, Rendering to Caesar the
Things that Are God’s, Providence Foundation.
21. Burnet
22. See McDowell, Building Godly Nations,
Chapter 3 to learn the purpose and responsibilities
of the individual, family, church, and state.
23. See Liberating the Nations, Chapter 1, by
Stephen McDowell and Mark Beliles, Charlottes-
ville, Vir.: Providence Foundation, 1995.
24. http://www.nationalreview.com/cor-
ner/309300/obama-ends-welfare-reform-we-know-
it-robert-rector
25. “Payback estimate for GM bailout slips,” The
Daily Progress, Tuesday, August 14, 2012, Char-
lottesville, Virginia.
26. http://blog.heri-
tage.org/2012/04/11/obamas-ten-worst-energy-poli
cies/?query=Obama’s+Ten+Worst+Energy+Pol-
icies
27. Noah Webster, History of the United Sates,
New Haven: Durrie & Peck, 1833, pp. 307-308.
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