Criteria for Endorsement of a Pro-Life Candidate

There is an old saying I remember from my childhood: "Politics makes strange bed-fellows".  I heard my parents make this statement many times, and of course as a child I never really fully understood it.  Until I grew up, at which time I came to understand that not everything in this world is clearly black and white, and that some times it's all about winning ground - verses falling on your sword over a point of argument. 

Working in the pro-life movement, as well as learning about all the political strategies that go along with that, I am reminded of a story in the Bible about the crafty steward. It comes from Luke 16, where, being accused of the mishandling of his stewardship, a man is called by his master to give an account of himself.  After summing up his situation, the crafty steward decides, that if he is relieved of his stewardship and thrown out into the street,  he is going to have to take measures to ensure security for himself - since - as he says to himself - he cannot dig ditches. And so, the story goes, that the shrewd steward calls together some of his master's debtors, and one by one has them write down a lesser amount of what they owe.  In this way, the clever steward figures he will have made a few friends, who, will welcome him into their homes, after he is cast out in the street. 

The clincher to this story comes, when the master finds out what this wretched steward has done, instead of putting his head on a chopping block, he praises the rascal, as we read in Luke 16:8 "The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light."  

As a child, this story always shocked me ... especially as it was a story told by Jesus to His disciples, where it seemed Jesus was praising disreputable and deceitful behavior. To this very day, one has to really read this story carefully and prayerfully to really understand what Jesus is telling us.  And more recently, I was reminded of this biblical tale, as I witnessed certain disagreements among pro-lifers regarding Lake County Life PAC's endorsement of certain candidates over others.  

The controversy arose over the PAC's endorsement of certain candidate's who were pro-life, but with a rape/incest exception, over another candidate who was pro-life no matter what the situation ... or as they would say: "a 100% pro-life candidate".  I watched and listened very carefully at Lake County Right to Life's Candidate Forum, as each candidate got up and spoke their views on the life issues.  I was struck by several of the candidates, for varying reasons ... and some of those candidate's who struck me were not all necessarily 100%.

The ultimate choice to endorse one candidate over another was based on 3 criteria: 1.) their position on the Life issues.  2.) their track record on the life issues, voting etc.  and 3.) their viability as a candidate who could secure a victory against the 100% pro-abort opponent.   This 3rd criteria is what prompted the source of conflict over the ultimate choice which was made by the PAC.  For some pro-lifers felt that it was more important to endorse the candidate who expressed a more 100% pro-life position, rather than another candidate who was pro-life, but with an exception, such as rape/incest. 

Now, as it turned out, the candidate whom Lake County Life PAC endorsed, though they held the one exception to their pro-life position, nevertheless met the 3rd criteria of viability as a candidate.  But, this did not set very well with the conscience of some pro-lifers, who felt it was a sell out against the principles of the pro-life cause.   

Politics is not religion ... nor is it about being a faithful steward as in a religion ... but more about being an astute steward ... who knows how to win the ultimate battle against his opponent.  If we choose the candidate with the halo on his head, who is 100% ... but who shows no chance of knocking out the opponent with the horns on his head, who is 100% against all that we stand for ... what have we gained? 

Again, Jesus tells His apostles in Matthew 10:16 "Remember I am sending you out as sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet harmless as doves."  This paradox of trying to balance between being harmless as doves, yet cunning as serpents, is what as sheep among wolves, we must master in our dealings with the children of this world, who are "far more astute than the children of light", in Christ's own words.  

Our pro-choice opponents, being far more cunning, shrewd and astute than we on the pro-life side, have basically been kicking our proverbial but for the past 38 years!  Why?   Is Jesus asking us to be dishonest?  Is He asking us to lower ourselves to the level of the children of this world?  Of course not.  But, as the children of this world are so dang astute and cunning, Jesus is telling us to use our wits for cryin out loud!  We can't be so naive or presumptuous in thinking that just because we are on the side of right, we cannot help but win.  Every army needs a strategy to out-think and out maneuver his opponent.

One should not feel that endorsing a candidate with a rape/incest exception is a compromise of one's values, or a betrayal of the pro-life cause.  Babies are dying, while we scrupulize over the perfection of a candidate, who, though he may not be able to make the touch down, can certainly gain us more yard lines, getting us closer to our ultimate goal.     In a chess game, if the knight can't make the move, move the pawn.  And that's what it's all about.