The more I talk with my fellow born-again Christians who are voting for Obama, the more I find it’s less about Obama than clinging on to their old liberal values.

For instance, I know one married couple who is voting for Obama for one very simple reason: he’s more likely to expand the role of IRS. That’s it. This married couple, both are born-again Christians and work in IRS. The other example is my dear friend’s mother, who is a teacher, also a born-again Christian, however, she is going to vote for Obama for no reason other than she belongs to a teacher’s union, a source of Democratic support.

Even so, I think such people are still a small segment of both evangelical Christian and Catholic groups. Oh, I don’t doubt for a minute that they’re going to vote for Obama in much larger numbers, but not enough to change the largest voting bloc over to Democratic side.

This is the hope that he can quiet us, and control us. For the rest of us, he offers the same failed policies liberals have offered for decades.

Ironically, it is the minorities to whom he claims to offer hope that will suffer the most under his policies. Their place in society will be cemented for a long time to come.

Christianity thrived under Rome, and can thrive under Obama, however, if he wins many lives will be lost and any Christians that vote for him will have that blood on their hands.

I’ve been voting since 1980. And though I believe in limited government, and balanced budgets, basically the Republicans were clever enough to make themselves the “party of Christians” and paint the Democrats as the “party of the anti-Christ”.

And unfortunately, for the past 20 years, they got millions of votes by simply putting “pro-life” on their brochures, then went off to serve 6 years in the Senate – and no one ever questioned what else they did.

Bush walked into the White House with the full intention of invading Iraq – and 400,000+ Iraqis have died as a result of his lies. He has robbed Americans of their jobs and ability to support their families by making deals to send their jobs overseas so their CEOs can make more money. He robbed our treasury by giving tax reductions to the uber-rich and borrowing it from China. He and John McCain enjoyed a weekend on the ranch in the middle of Katrina where thousands of our country’s poor cried out for help. He’s shown arrogance and pride towards his own country – and truthfully – there’s nothing in John McCain’s campaign that looks any different. In fact it’s more obvious that he is owned by the rich and the lobbyists by proposing that workers pay income taxes on their employer-paid insurance (as a way to drive them off of company plans). I see nothing in these positions that make this a Christian choice for president – read proverbs if you’re in any doubt – or the sermon on the mount.

And back to voting on the basis of the abortion issue – in the 20 years that I’ve been voting, there have been no laws that have changed the status of abortion – it’s just as legal now as it was 20 years ago.

Frankly, there is more to America than what is happening in the abortion clinics. For those of us who are Christians, we should not be putting the responsibility of convincing people that abortion is wrong or that pre-marital sex is wrong in the hands of the government.

The Republican party got a lot of votes for free – and they have nothing to show for it except years of “oh – it was the Democrats” and the promise that “oh – we need to control the Supreme Court – so give us a few more years” and I can’t think of a single legislator who really thinks the day will come when the Supreme Court really overturns Roe v. Wade and thousands of abortion clinics put “closed” outside. Frankly, they’ve simply been shaking hands with Dobson, Falwell, and others for all these years – and laughing all the way to their swearing in.

Jesus never told his disciples to “go and get control of the governments and change the laws…” He said that the kingdom of God is within – and therefore to go and make disciples.

From now on, I will not expect politicians to change moral choices of teenagers – and not listen to any promises that they will. And I will continue to contribute to the CareNet center and offer my home as refuge for a teenager who needs help, and to work in residential treatment centers to help teenage girls make a difference.

So, I’m done falling for the same load of crap that Bush or McCain gets my vote because I’m an evangelical – and as I canvass – that’s how I’m going to explain my vote. I’m not voting for a pastor – I’m voting for a president. If there is a Republican who I agree with on when it comes to economic solutions or foreign policy, or other issues – they will earn my vote – but I’m not falling for that load of crap that got my vote for 20 years.

Obama’s Hope, I believe, is that people will be come more dependent on government for every area of their life.

And that as opposed to the Christian teaching that “all things are possible through God”, which to me is a statement of individual empowerment – Obama wants people to believe that “all things are possible through the government.” Need healthcare, no problem, we’ll take care of it; can’t pay your mortgage, no worries, we’ll bail you out; pregnant and concerned that you’ll be “punished with a baby”, we’ll make sure you can get an abortion whenever you want.

Obama’s Hope, I believe, is that people will be come more dependent on government for every area of their life.

And that as opposed to the Christian teaching that “all things are possible through God”, which to me is a statement of individual empowerment – Obama wants people to believe that “all things are possible through the government.” Need healthcare, no problem, we’ll take care of it; can’t pay your mortgage, no worries, we’ll bail you out; pregnant and concerned that you’ll be “punished with a baby”, we’ll make sure you can get an abortion whenever you want.

{Not to mention, vaguely sad. – Moe Lane}