The biggest contributor to both homelessness and abortion is poverty. If we can take care of poverty, we can take care of these issues and others. Yes, I believe the government is there to help take care of everybody including the poor, the sick, the homeless, the veterans... basically all citizens. And I believe that the top earners are not paying their fair share of taxes. This needs to be fixed by both parties. I don't believe in trickle down tax breaks (letting top earners get taxed less) because it sure didn't work during the Bush years. The economy did well under Clinton (whether you liked his morals or not), and it tanked under Bush and we've yet to recover fully... Partly because of job losses, partly because of the housing bubble bursting, etc.
You know I'd always been an Independent voter, and still am at heart. But during the past eight years, I saw a GOP Congress obstruct Obama just for the sake of partisan politics. Instead of working together to improve the ACA, they just complained about it. In fact, the Republicans themselves couldn't all agree on how to best improve it. Obiously, it's not perfect, but it's working in some states more than others (as far as rising costs, Arizona's the worst). I was able to use it to cover my kids at work until they got their own coverage, my friends with pre-existing conditions were able to use it, and I was also able to refinance my home with the HARP for a better rate. The auto industry was also saved. In short, like you, I believe God gave us hearts and brains to use - but unfortunately both GOP and Democrats are failing to use both. If they did, they'd work together to compromise and find solutions instead of blocking each other. Now that there's a Republican in the White house and a majority in Congress, they have a chance to advance their platform. While I want the Democrats to work with them, I don't want them to just let the GOP trample all the progress we've made on Climate Change, finding alternate sources of energy, equal pay for women, gay marriage, women's right to choose, etc.
Which brings me back around to your question about abortion. I believe that God gave us free will. Not every woman that walks into Planned Parenthood gets an abortion (the majority don't). Abortions didn't just happen when PP was formed, and it won't stop if it becomes illegal. There will always be women who choose to have their babies and there will be some who choose to abort whether it's legal or not. If they choose to abort (for health reasons, for poverty reasons, whatever), I want them to have it done in sterile conditions and not put their health at risk. As I mentioned above, one of the biggest reasons women choose to abort is economics. If we want women to have their babies, we need to provide them the support they need - whether it's the WIC program, letting them collect welfare, etc. There are many Conservatives that are against abortion, yet complain about their tax dollars going to welfare families, etc. In short, I believe the best way to prevent abortion is to ease poverty and provide the support prospective mothers need by making the top 5% earners pay their fair share in taxes. We need to close the loopholes that Trump and others are likely taking.
As far as a Christian in the White House, Obama is a Christian too. But I don't necessarily think God put him there. The majority of American voters put him there, just as the electoral college put Trump in next. God didn't put Hitler in power in Germany. My main point is that God gave us hearts and brains and free will... What we do with those leads to who we put in power. God has blessed us with more wealth than most other countries in the world, and I am afraid we are squandering it. Too many Christians are behaving as if money is theirs instead of God's. If every American Christian tithed like we are called to do, many of the world problems (not just American problems) would be alleviated. From Relevant Magazine:
- Only 5 percent of the U.S. tithes, with 80 percent of Americans only giving 2 percent of their income.
- Christians are only giving at 2.5 percent per capita, while during the Great Depression they gave at a 3.3 percent rate.
Numbers like that can invoke a lot of guilt, which isn’t really the point. The larger point is what would happen if believers were to increase their giving to a minimum of, let's say, 10 percent. There would be an additional $165 billion for churches to use and distribute. The global impact would be phenomenal. Here's just a few things the Church could do with the kind of money:
- $25 billion could relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases in five years.
- $12 billion could eliminate illiteracy in five years.
- $15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day.
- $1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work.
- $100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/what-would-happen-if-church-tithed#jezhfDIKEEeBsFij.99
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