The term "single issue" is a social construct that encompasses a wide array of issues under some abstract title. I find this reality clearly relevant to Christian voters who chose a specific issue like being pro-life as a determinant of who they support. I have heard, through various conversations, that this form of voting is close-minded or fails to really look at all the issues relating to the election. However, while it does seem to be very individual to vote because of one issue, it's really how someone views this issue that matters the most. I will elaborate.
Speaking in terms of Christian voting, many Christians will vote pro-life because of faith beliefs and the call to respect the dignity of all life. While this is a single issue vote in the public eye, for a Christian, voting pro-life could encompass endless issues which they support. A pro-life vote supports the dignity of life, the belief that life starts at the time of conception, the renunciation of government funding for embryonic stem cell research, hopefully a desire to end capital punishment and up holding of strong "family values". There is no single issue in the matter, rather it is a multi-issue topic that reveals many values a voter holds important to the person they want in office.
While I feel that this can relate to many people, without faith as a consideration, I feel that bringing faith into politics eliminates single issue voting. It really promotes the sincere desire to fully take part in the democratic process and be a fully informed citizen. When faith, of any tradition, is brought into the political equation, no rash decisions can be made. Each vote, each platform must be carefully considered and broken down. This creates a genuine desire to vote for what one feels is true and best for the country. More importantly, because faith makes each issue important and multi-faceted, it eliminates single issue voting and promotes a comprehensive evaluation of every issue.
2 comments:
I was speaking to a friend's mother recently, who said she can not morally bring herself to vote for a pro-choice candidate, because she knows children our dying, and she is morally responsible to vote for someone who will end that.
Let's keep the pro-life example. Do you, class, believe that isolating issue(s) that are "most" morally abhorrent, while keeping in mind the other issues pro-life candidates address (i.e. health care, the war, etc), is a bad thing?
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