The Unelectable Candidate with an Unpopular Platform
A commentary by
David Treybig
United Church of God pastor, St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida
In approximately two weeks Americans will go to the polls and
elect the next president of the United States. Yet few Americans seem
to realize that there are more than two candidates for this office. President
George Bush of the Republican Party and John Kerry of the Democratic
Party receive the most attention because they represent the major political
parties and are the only candidates with a realistic chance of being
elected. While a few people realize that Ralph Nader of the Reform Party
is also a candidate, fewer still know that David Cobb of the Green Party
and Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party are also running for president.
These candidates are relatively unknown and therefore unelectable. But
there are many more unknown unelectables! For a quick lesson on just
how many check out http://www.politics1.com/p2004.htm.
Since
we are in this political season of divergent views, let me share with
you a portion of the political platform of a candidate that most definitely
won't be elected. The family values plank of this platform
includes a strong belief in biblical instruction and a conviction to
make these principles the law of the land. I suspect that you can already
see the problem. Too many Americans today don't like or follow
biblical instructions.
Take the biblical command not to commit fornication
(1 Corinthians 6:18). Since approximately half of young people today
engage in sexual relations prior to marriage and even live together
prior to marriage, many would be incensed at a government that tried
to control or guide personal conduct in this area. These individuals
would not like anyone telling them that they are sinning.
Of course
biblical instructions aren't limited to premarital sex;
they also forbid extramarital sex and homosexuality. The seventh commandment
says, "You shall not commit adultery [have an affair or fraudulently
divorce your mate so as to marry another]" (Exodus 20:14). Homosexuality
is also described as an abomination—something particularly loathsome
and detestable—to God (Leviticus 18:22). God considers both adultery
and homosexuality abominably sinful behaviors.
Adding these values to the
premarital one above is guaranteed to make this family values plank one
that would generate massive howls of protest. I can already hear the
hateful, visceral retorts. "Get the government
out of people's bedrooms! We don't want Big Brother controlling
our love life!"
And what about abortion—that hot topic that crosses many party
lines and pretty evenly divides Americans today? Upon implementation
of the preceding platform, abortion would basically disappear. The main
reason for abortion today—a means of birth control—would
no longer be necessary if there was no premarital sex or adultery. If
everyone would implement God's sexual standards and treat each
other with respect, everyone could be both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. Everyone
could be Pro-Life in agreeing that no life should be snuffed out once
it has begun at conception. And everyone could be Pro-Choice in the sense
that married couples should decide prior to having sex whether they want
to have a child.
Such a family values plank sounds simple, logical, and
practical. And it is! So who is this unelectable candidate with this
unpopular platform? Jesus Christ!
Jesus is the Candidate who most definitely
wouldn't be elected.
Given the majority of opinions today on family values as well as many
other issues, it would be impossible for Him to be popularly elected
to office! Yet the Bible reveals that God the Father will install Jesus
as the Head of a new government called the Kingdom of God.
The Bible has
long predicted this kingdom and its installation when Jesus returns.
Jesus will rule over the United States and all the other nations of
the world via a mandatory regime change (Revelation 11:15, Zechariah
14:1-4). Jerusalem will be His capital city and from it will emanate
policies that will impact the conduct of every citizen in every aspect
of life including what one does in the privacy of his or her bedroom
(Isaiah 2:2-4).
And as strange as it may sound today, public opinion is
going to change. The belief that church and state must remain separate
will disappear as people come to understand and agree with the policies
coming from the "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:16).
As these winds of change sweep the earth, people will finally realize
that "Righteousness [obeying God's laws] exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).
  To
better understand Jesus' soon coming kingdom and His platform
request our free booklets: The Gospel of the Kingdom and
The Ten Commandments. Request or download your copy now.
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