Evangelical Christians: Why the social conservative voice has failed to be the voice of a party

Since its inauguration the Republican party has been a voice of compassion that helped bring needed change to America. From the very first candidate, the Republican ticket sought to fight immorality and inequality in our beloved country. The first Republican nominee for president John C. Fremont campaigned endlessly to abolish slavery but lost in the end. Four years later Lincoln, who also favored emancipation was elected and eventually would give his life to do just that.

Grant would later reach across party lines to pass the Reconstruction, showing compassion to the very people who fought against him. Hayes fought for civil rights for minorities and rights for women, passing legislation that evened the bar quite literally allowing women to argue cases at the Supreme Court level for the first time in America.

And yet a century later the party that was begun by Evangelical social conservatives has lost its voice in American politics because we have forgotten how to communicate.

I remember as a child, when my mother would tell me NO or tell that something was bad and how that affected me. Telling Americans no and condemning their very morality will never win an election or bring about change in this country.

As Christians, conservatives and Republican's alike we have forgotten that the true injustice in America is not that abortion is legal, but rather that a woman would face a decision where in her heart of hearts abortion was the only choice she felt could be made to ensure herself a future. As conservatives we have pushed so hard to overturn the decision of the court, and have spent very little time giving women who've become unexpectedly pregnant options to bring about that life into this world. If the Republican party and Evangelicals spent as much time promoting alternative options and empowering parents to be more involved in the lives of their children as they do campaigning to overturn Roe Vs Wade or protesting abortion clinics change would have happened. True we may never end the travesty of a loss of life, and perhaps an even greater burden of an America without hope, but we can bring change if we focus on the real problem instead of just on legislation.

The same can be said for the protection of the sanctity of marriage. As a party we have become so focused on the redefining marriage that we have forgotten that true marriage does not come from the church or the state but through the eyes of God. Why should we campaign to change something that God has already defined in his own eyes. Instead lets focus on lowering the divorce rate in America by changing the culture of America. We need to focus on bringing the family friendly brand back to television and giving parents and other family members more control over the schools in their own backyards.

Let's also work to reform welfare and Human Services, as well as other social organizations across America to protect children and promote a healthy and loving family. Let's make adoption easier, more affordable, and open to all those with the desire and ability to raise a child in a loving and caring environment. We need to focus on our families and communities instead of pushing and campaigning for changes in legislation
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Christ proclaims that humanity will work out it's own salvation with fear and trembling. He also commands us that we shall not pass judgment. We as Christians must not seek to play God and as Republicans and compassionate citizens of this country we must refrain from passing judgment on issues we were not meant to decide. Instead lets work to bring about change by changing the culture in America by doing as Christ commands us to do. We must take up the Great Commission. We must go out into the world and spread the Gospel, being careful to remember that his true Gospel is the Gospel of his love and forgiveness. This is something that must done with a soft footprint as Christ's love is one of gentleness. We must share his Gospel in the same sense that we shared our toys as children. We must teach love, hope and faith through our actions. We must never force our will upon the free will of others. That's something early Republicans understood and that Christ himself would agree with.