As is was stated a few posts back, America is waaaay behind the times militarily (good thing we can still be the jestor for the world's entertainment), dumb enough to build up nations who take our billions of Democracy to build an even better military (check out Russia and China's latest advancements in MIlitary Strike Capability). Our "beloved" Govt. has an underground city (almost the the size of DC) that can store "all the Presidents Men (and all their favorite women) for years and years to come in the event of a nuclear fallout. For those of you who still believe in a system which truly cares about "serving the interests of the country", Are you so sure about what our countries interests really are?? I don't want to spoil it for you…..we still have to Honor God with rendering Ceasar what is Ceasars…..and God what is Gods. I think we've all been held captive by a system that has become far and away from what it was designed to be from the beginning. Does it alarm anyone that we spend more building up a Communist Chinese (along with Russia) Country who murders more children by "law" than any other nation? And we talk about abortion as a "choice" in this nation?? They want us to take a side, pick a popular stand….either way, those reasons are very seldom "actionable" exactly as Tim states.

Paying a tax on income was never a part of a "legal right of Govt"…..it was voluntary….and states so in the constitution on behalf of a choice of a company or corporation…not individuals!! It's all become a lawyer game of loopholes. If you can pay enough to play….(like Wesley Snipes) you can exempt yourself from having to pay…and buy yourself a "get out of jail card"!

I think all Christians need to wise up. As time goes by, I am ever more so resigned to the desire to spend less and less time looking to a Worldly Leader promising no new taxes….or cuts galore, or programs for everyone to bequethe a regime probably owned by a foreign Govt. group of Elitists, as a means for instilling hope in a Godlessly lead nation. Honestly, it's a real shambles…..and Christians have been pawned off and used for votes. But awwwwe…..well get our "way" next time we say. I think our Govt is allot more wicked than anyone really wants to believe. I'd rather turn a blind eye and not believe some of the things we do overseas in the name of "democracy". The 3rd Worlding of America is well on its' way….and if it weren't for the principle of my conscience and desire to "honor the Grand ole system"….I probably wouldn't care to vote anymore at all.

All successful Washington Politicians are liars….even the most honest ones get "bought out" or put to shame for standing up on principle so they don't get re-elected (ie Bill McCollum). It's all about favors and paybacks….everything's negotiable….even God to these folks is just a bargaining chip….don't kid yourself by having read some propaganda biography which outlines their lives like regular people…..it's all about power and personal gain to these poeple….and they find ways to make you to do (and think) exactly that!!

Just my 2 cents…..(it's really all I have left!) I suppose I will vote for…..someone I really and truly believe in (write in) …..since no one is really very actionable on what they campaign on anyway…..I thank you TIm, for bringing this to light…..you had me at "Where McCain's priorities lie"!!! Does not your gut tell you how true this really is??? Funny how a billion dollars gets raised (pooof) just to campaign for all the candidates…..then, the one with the most money (and I thought it was toys) in the end….wins!!! It's morally bankrupt….ooops….The Governor of NY has just been ratted out!! Gotta go.

I'm not saying that abortion is anything less than morally wrong. But what I am saying is that I'm not voting for a new conscience, I'm not voting for a new savior, I'm not voting for a new moral compass. I'm voting for the office of president. I'm voting for a fallen human who will attempt to do something about the positions they are taking. And in making my choice on whom to vote for I have to consider whether or not an issue or position is "actionable" or not.

I think it's pretty clear that abortion is not an "actionable" item.

I also think it's pretty clear where McCain's priorities lie, and they aren't with passing laws banning different types of abortions, or with even making a pro-life message a priority. You have to consider that pro-life shouldn't just be about abortion, it should be about being pro-life in every way, including decisions about war, the environment, health care, etc.

I'm not saying Obama's perfect; he definitely isn't. But equating voting for McCain with doing God's perfect will seems pretty presumptuous to me…and Charles is right, if we are putting our faith in whoever the next president is to fix what ails our world, then we will be sorely disappointed however we vote.

Looking at abortion issue from the standpoint that if we don't outlaw it, it happens legally and if we outlaw it, it still happens, but illegally, misses one important thing…it's morally wrong. The thing about moral questions is that they are true or false, regardless of how things work out by the numbers. I believe it is morally wrong. So, I vote that way. It's a priority for me to vote my conscience. Morality isn't a private matter. To argue it is, makes it public. Whether abortions happen legally or illegally, they're still wrong. The problem, aside the fact we operate with a reduced value for knowledge, is virtue is replaced with rights. Virtue has never been a part of the pro-choice side…..that's because virtue has no place in it. Instead, it has been about rights. Rights have become our absolutes in which everything else revolves. I have the right to ignore my child. But I produce a disfunctional child in the process. And because of that, we are the most depressed generation in our nation's history, with the most suicides….prescribed anti-depressants….looking for a medical solution to it. And it keeps spiralling.

Who do we turn to? The State? The State is a self-preserving machine that operates by force and cohersion. Good luck with that! I don't care how persuasive your candidate sounds or looks (which is all that matters these days), if you put that sort of trust in their hands, you will be on Paxal in no time.

As a homeschooling parent, I can tell you that it isn't because of evolution that we homeschool (in fact, I insist my child learn evolution alongside the alternative)…or that there is no legal way to talk about Jesus unless it is about an unbiblical reference….we homeschool because the State has no idea how to produce a virtuous person. In fact, they have no idea what kind of people they are producing at all. And when there are school shootings, they turn to psychiatrists and bio-chemists to see what's wrong with the brain to cause these things….and we keep on hitting walls in the dark, blaming whoever we can and have no idea what we are talking about, in the process.

The makeup man is more important that the speechwriter, so I have no confidence in the process, even though i still participate. I have no idea where we are headed, but I am sure no one else does either. They fake it. And due to postmodern philo…the fact no meta-narrative universally applies to everyone at all times, everything we are engaging here has nothing to do with knowledge but instead is simply rhetoric and opinion: a bunch of clanging meta-narratives lost in space and time.

It would be great if Jesus came today….if just to avoid political adverts.

I'm not saying that I like abortion, I hate it! But I also hate using that as the only qualifications for a guy to run our country - I think that's irresponsible. Now if you agree with everything else McCain stands for and his stance on abortion is just the icing on the cake, then that's fine, I have no quibble with that. But to rest the entirety of why I should vote for someone on one issue that he really doesn't have control over is something I can't do.

And again, how can you look in the mirror and vote for someone who was pro-life in the Senate at the time when Republicans controlled everything, but then didn't do anything about it? That was the best opportunity that we have ever had to actually do something from a legal standpoint, but it didn't happen. How can you trust that he's not just playing anyone who is a Christian for their vote when he's clearly displayed that it's not a priority to him?

I'm going to just chuckle that you are not only questioning my Christianity but also not addressing any of my points except to say that being "practical" is not Christian enough for you.

And I disagree with Steve about societal law here. To be "even more cynical" as you would put it, I think that this is all just an ego trip on the part of Christians everywhere. To say that "we outlawed abortion" when it doesn't stop abortion is pointless. Why do that? Why insist on it? Isn't it all just a way to placate the fact that we aren't really doing anything to change people's hearts? Instead it's just much easier to vote and claim that fills our quota of how we should be changing society. I think it's the devil's best distraction - get people thinking that politics will bring people to Jesus instead of loving actual human beings into the Kingdom.

And that brings us to the ultimate question here - what is your goal? To make American law reflect what you think Christian society ought to look like? That isn't my goal and isn't what I think Christians should be about. But rest assured we can both disagree on that and still be Christians

Just wanted to point out. The US Navy and US Military for that matter are not the most powerful/largest in the world. According to the National Defense Report, we are third, behind China and Russia. Now… technology wise; we kick some serious booty. I can just see ol' Patrick Henry now: "Give me Quality or give me death!".

Keep up the Good Work Steve and when you are elected President; I'd like to be your Defense Department Advisor. You think about that!

And as for all of the Obama/Hillary Supporters out there…. c'mon, they are both Pro-Choice. Get a backbone will you puuuleease?

I agree that we are lax with border control. I also agree we have made errors in Iraq.

But, having said that, we had a serious choice to make in 2001 and 2003….do we get militarily pro-active in the Middle East or try using diplomacy? Diplomacy is a joke, IMO. Bargaining with people who want you Muslim or dead, is just a way of biding time and passing the buck, rather than solving problems.

We live in a fallen world and until Jesus consumates His Kingdom over all other realms, we will always struggle between chaos and tyranny, tipping one way or the other barring God super naturally maintaining a balance despite us, like He has over the recent past. America is no different than Rome, Carolingian, Merovingian, Spanish or English empires.

George Bush made mistakes and has flaws. But the emotional ferver and lack of grace towards this one man is beyond bizare. The fact is, most critics have no idea what they are talking about and really have no good answers, reflecting a lack of knowledge. In fact, my own understanding is limited, other than what I get from Marines who come back from tours. We like being fed and we are all addicted to adrenaline, without regard to knowledge. I think that is the deeper problem than either the war or the current president.

These are actually a bit higher. Can you imagine the price of aid, medical treatment, rebuilding? I hope America has learned it's lesson. For those of you who maintain that we fight there in Iraq so it doesn't get here…..you've been duped again. Our Mexican borders have been wide open for millions of illegals (and terrorists alike) to enter our country and we actually place our OWN border patrol in prison for trying to keep them out! Next time you think we are "safer"….think again….they just might already be here!

Polls show that America wants to be done with Iraq. McCain sounds as like He thinks we can contain and control the region…for thousands or years it's been this way….at what price is the war on terror worth?? We don't even get most of our Oil from this part of the world….and terrorists??? They've always been around, always will be around….and there are more political regimes now that support terror, (like the Chinese and Soviet weapons sold to our "enemies") seems we will be broke fighting terror before those wars will ever get the chance to be won! Our business in China actually helps them develop more and more weapons to sell to terrorist nations so they can kill American troops….why isn't this being called out??

While I agree with you about George W being incompetent….I'm not so sure about any of the other candidates. I think many out there feel the same way. One way for John McCain to sweep this election though, would be to change his policy on Iraq, and the "what's next in the war on terror" venue Cheney and fellow bureacratic Neocons decided was best… a war which will break us economically trying to fight. Bin laden has yet to be found, or if they ever did, would they dare ever announce it?? This would make millions sense the 9/11 tragedy avenged….and call for an even harder line to stop fighting a misdirected senseless war in a region which will we are much better at "supporting Isreal" rather than fighting it for them.

Alot of this rests on how much you actually trust the Government?? I suppose my issue is that I know that I don't….and wonder how so many can so easily put their faith in the Power of Regime Politics. Sometimes what you think you have….is just another flavor of what's already out there, and the faith of all those founding fathers doesn't really seem to mean that much to those who "serve" (or is it we that serve them?) as our leaders in Govt. God is sovereign. Perhaps, America's grace period has just expired, and now it's time for her to be judged for her wickedness?? here come that Euro Currency!!

The guy has made mistakes and hasn't done enough or much of anything to combat big oil….but then so has all the presidents prior to him.

That isn't popular, but it doesn't matter. I think he's been the most bold, honest and principled president we've had since I can remember.

So far, all the criticism about him has been general or prejorative, without any substance, other than poor speaking abilities, which I agree. I also agree he's made mistakes, and particularly in Iraq. The part the critics won't admit or even consider are the bigger potential mistakes made by Bill, Gore, Kerry or even McCain…or anyone else, had they been OJT during 2001 on.

Not very popular opinion, but then who cares?