If the Democratic candidates are genuine in their conviction that Christian truth should inform their moral judgments, I am certainly the first to applaud.
It's not enough, however, to simply be concerned with the poor without also being concerned with the sanctity of human life. Conversely, it is not enough to be concerned with the sanctity of human life and not be concerned with the poor. Abraham Kuyper said "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'" so there is no way to pick and choose parts of the biblical mandate.
If we see all of creation under the lordship of Christ, we will care passionately about the poor—God has a preference for them. But we'll be equally fervent in our defense of human life. One might ask the question: Which is more important to the poor, the protection of their lives or the redistribution of income?
I take the Democratic discussion of faith as a very healthy sign. I want to encourage them to continue it, to embrace all aspects of caring for life—from caring for the poor to caring for the unborn—just as I have urged the Republicans.
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