I feel that I am in the minority. I am a good-natured Christian without a political allegiance. I believe in the power of faith, sacrifice in defense of the public good, and “staying the course.” I trust God's will and others who do the same. I also believe in using the intelligence, talent, and judgment I was blessed with to help others and to promote my religion. This is my purpose and goal as a good person. I, like many similarly principled people, depend on my moral compass to guide me during moments of indecision. However in this presidential election, our faith-based guidance systems are having difficulty focusing on the target. Bush is a self-proclaimed instrument of God, but he is also close-minded and partisan. His determination was supposed to save this nation, but instead has alienated us from the rest of the world and sent us backwards in civil rights and environmental reform. As a Christian, I cannot abandon my support for those who wish to spread Christian values, but on the practical level this nation's fate cannot hinge on one man's faith.

The intersection of faith and logic has created an impasse. Christianity and the values at its roots have found in President Bush the opportunity to become more deeply ingrained into American society. After being re-elected, Bush will likely drive these values to such depths as to threaten other religions and our nation's founding principle of freedom of religion. The likely outcome of this would be more pervasive Christianity and Christian principles. Our nation could have more faithful, selfless, and hard-working citizens. But in building the Christian base, we risk eliminating our religious diversity. As our position in the global balance depends on political, military and economic alliances, abandoning our commitment to protecting alternative religions and cultures will fracture our credibility as a free nation.

But most Americans only care about their religion and culture. As long as the values they feel are important are promoted, they rest easy knowing that this nation is in good hands. For Christians then, faith seems an attractive ground on which to base our vote.

However, faith alone cannot be enough. It must be coupled with the tremendous responsibility of using logic to support our faith whenever possible. In the search for the true direction of our moral compass, many Christians get lost. They see a man on the horizon proclaiming that faith will heal this nation and kill our enemies, and they forget about their obligation to analyze and challenge his values to ensure they are genuine. Faith has become the get-rich-quick solution to our nation's complex problems, and the thick propaganda of it has clouded our minds from dissenting. Christians are cornered to support Bush's faith, or else their faith is questioned.

The Christian right is uncompromising. A vote for Kerry is a vote for abortion and a ticket to hell. America is a two-party democracy but only one party leads to a bright future. Republicans will protect the homeland, and Democrats will let the terrorists win. In many ways, it is the Christian right that is un-Christian. Delineating politics as the struggle of good versus evil blurs reality with illusions, stereotypes, and generalizations. Rational thought and analysis, not ideology, are prerequisites for effective decision-making. We cannot expect terrorists to abandon their cause nor can we expect to eliminate them through firepower. The earth will not break away from underneath them because we believe God's will is with us. Such beliefs are unsubstantiated and closed-minded. They do not reflect judgments of character or policy, only reckless allegiance to faith. Rhetoric alone does not produce results.

As a Christian, I feel compelled to support those who demonstrate and promote Christian principles. Courage in the face of danger, integrity in the face of temptation, generosity to those less fortunate— our personal values are defined by an eternal moral axis of good versus evil. We characterize others by their adherence to or rejection of these measures. But disenfranchised by the extremism of the conservative right and turned off by liberal policy, level-headed Christians do not have a valid candidate to support. One road leads to more pervasive Christianity and the other to hope and a fresh start. I am at the crossroads. I like Bush as a person and admire his strength as a leader. However, Christians in good conscience must commit themselves to becoming deeply aware of the consequences of their decisions. In this regard, there is a disconnect between Bush the Christian and his demonstration of Christian principles. Bush has failed to realize or even attempt to recognize fault in his actions.

In many respects, this Presidential election reflects the dichotomy of faith and logic. The idea that Manifest Destiny will lead America, God's country, to glory is an empty ideal. God cares deeply for people of all races and creeds and does not condemn those who have never been exposed to him. America has the power to impose our views onto the rest of the world, but we must first be compelled to analyze the practicality and consequences of our actions. The lens of Christianity can obscure our judgment if we are ill-informed about the truth. It can simplify complex issues into one absolute line with a political party on each side. The creation of such an elementary division between the parties is not only dangerous to the legitimacy of our democracy, but also to our power to hold leaders accountable for their actions.

As a citizen, the most I can do is vote rationally and hope others do the same. The Christian in me cannot be bought by rhetoric nor will it be sold to hell for supporting a party that promotes abortion. If we are to have faith as Christians, it should not go to any man or party of self-proclaimed righteousness but to the God that blessed us with the power and responsibility to vote. As moral and conscious citizens of this nation, we must exercise the intelligence we are blessed with to analyze the characteristics of both Presidential candidates and not base our judgments on self-branding, even if it appears to support the universal good of Christian principles. The truth lies in digging underneath the machined propaganda to discover the intentions and motivations of our leaders. Unearthing the mechanism of their true calling, we discover what makes them tick. Are they driven by personal gain or a devotion to faith and public service? Only with the answer to this question can we ground our faith in principles and not rhetoric.