Republican Primary Vote

I am not going to lie. Voting is a stressful thing for me. There are so many things to consider when choosing the person I will vote for. I am always going to vote for someone who claims to be anti-abortion, and anti-gay rights. That is usually the Republican Party. I realize that what I just said could offend some people. If it does, I am truly sorry. My intention with this post is not to alienate anyone, but rather to explain my beliefs and thought process. Since I have the right to an opinion and free speech, I feel like my blog is an appropriate forum to post these thoughts.

I am a Christian and believe that I need to vote for someone who will support my rights to worship  and to follow God the way he has instructed me to through His Word. I believe that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin. This does not mean that I am a homophobe. I try my hardest to treat every human being with the same love and compassion. If I know a person who practices homosexuality, I don't steer clear of them acting as though their choice of lifestyle will somehow rub off on me. Instead, I try to find the things we have in common. After all, the Bible has also asked me to love my neighbor. Just because I disagree with how someone lives their life, does not mean I hate them. 

I also believe that abortion is a sin. I know several people who would argue that "it isn't a baby." I just disagree. If it isn't a baby, then scientists need to get to work deciding on a new genus and species for every animal that has ever conceived. This does not mean that I will be mean to someone who has ever had an abortion. I won't. I will also refuse to get into a heated debate about the subject. 

Since these two "hot topics" seem to be the popular platforms, they are the ones I have chosen to base my vote on. Just because I vote for someone who is against these two things does not mean I endorse their lifestyle. I have been given the right to vote and therefore have to decide what is important to me.

With all of this in mind, Jeremy and I headed off to vote earlier this month. We talked on the way about what we struggled with. I knew that one popular candidate claimed to be against one of my "it" issues, but had endorsed several abortion initiatives in times past. I also knew that this person, if selected as the Republican nominee, would be more likely than any other Republican nominee to be elected to the presidency. Even though my beliefs would have to potentially take a backseat, did I want to vote for someone that I feel this country really needs?

There was also the second candidate that I considered. I believe that his beliefs line up with my own conservative line of thought. If chosen as the Republican nominee, though, he probably would not be elected to the presidency. Did I want to risk "wasting" my vote on someone who would not be chosen anyway?

When the time came and I was standing with a pen and my ballot, I went with my heart. I voted on the person who seemed most conservative. If I had voted the other way, I think I would have walked away feeling guilty. I think I did the right thing.

Like I said, voting is stressful. There are so many ideas and platforms to consider! I did walk away that day feeling very proud to wear an "I Voted!" sticker. With all the thought and the worry that I put into that vote, I surely earned it!!