What part should religion play in voting for political candidates?
Question: “What part should religion play in voting for political candidates?”Answer: Obviously we shouldn’t select a particular candidate simply because they are of the same faith as we are. That would be like selecting a candidate because they drive the same car we do. Selecting an individual for political office is a far more complicated issue than simply agreeing upon a religious world-view.
However, religion does provide us with a moral and ethical framework from which to make decisions. Should we select a candidate because of his or her stance on certain bioethical questions? This should certainly be a part of our decision process, but we need to consider other issues as well. Do you agree with a particular candidate’s views on health care? Education? Foreign policy? Method of helping the poor? Protecting the environment? Immigration? It is obvious that selecting a political candidate is a complicated process. And rarely do we find a political candidate whose views match our own 100 percent.
If we use the moral and ethical framework from our faith as a guide, it can help us select political leaders who hopefully will make decisions that will make our world a better and safer place to live. For example, Buddhism places great emphasis on non-harming and bringing compassion and a healing intention to every situation. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to elect political leaders who personify these attributes?
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