Since we have an abundance of candidates running on the faith platform, it seems reasonable to measure their positions on public issues against the biblical standards they are so quick to claim as their own. A close examination of scripture reveals quite a list, although it will disappoint some to discover that abortion, homosexuality and gay marriage are not on it. It’s not like God laid it out just once and then let it go. Not at all, almost every one of the 8th century prophets, and those who wrote in their names, had the same things to say. I’m particularly fond of Amos, maybe because he was a farmer from a small rural town, but I also think that God used him to provide the most comprehensive list against which to judge candidate positions, which he did by articulating the failings of a people and its rulers who bear a remarkable similarity to our own. So here goes. Will the candidate:
• Even for enemies refuse to use the food of the people as a weapon
• Oppose all forms of ethnic cleansing
• Display integrity in international dealings
• Foster civil harmony
• Provide for security of persons and possessions without discrimination
• Respect legitimate civil authority
• Initiate economic policies and practices that are fair to all
• Promote fair and honest dealings in all areas of trade, commerce and personal relations
• Assure that interest rates on loans, especially to the poor, that are not confiscatory
• Demand equal justice for all, especially for the poor
• Initiate policies and practices that remove barriers to success in life for all persons
• Show awed respect for God’s holy places
• Show and promote a holy respect for all acts of (sexual) intimacy
• Be sober and promote sobriety
• Allow God’s servants to speak freely as God inspires them
• Engage in constructive work that shows respect for all
• Be personally honest and intentional worship of God in heart, soul and mind
• Have humility in God’s presence and eliminate conditions or behavior that oppress others
• Provide for honest courts and judges
• Assure fair taxation of all
• Promote policies that encourage economic well being for all
• Respect the dignity of all persons
• Lead a government that is generous in its compassion for those in need
I imagine that some will wonder how all of that comes out of Amos. It’s really quite simple. Just take a look at what God has condemned. Wouldn’t the reciprocal of that be what God approves? I think so.
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