Why Huckabee Scares Me: A Christian Perspective

The latest statement from Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee sums up the fear of a President who actively promotes Christianity within law. To the evangelical, literal, or faithful Christian this may seem like a great thing. I would like to outline, from my Christian perspective, why a President like this could, and most likely will, be harmful. As non-believers may agree, not everything labeled Christian is right, just, or positive. I believe Huckabee intends to attach himself to the positive symbol of personal faith in order to gain power within our society, for himself and his beliefs.

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."
--excerpt from The Raw Story

1. Christians are supposed to spread the message of God, not legally force people to accept Him and His ways.

God gave us free will so that we could choose our own path, He did not make everyone love Him. To amend the constitution or to create punishable laws would legally force non-Christians to follow a teaching they don't believe. This is part of the reason some people are decidedly anti-Christian. In the past we preached of hell, and used fear to instill belief in others. If the founding document of our society is changed to reflect and impose religious belief, or to punish others for not following it, it will only push non believers away or inspire fear through God.

2. America was supposed to be a beacon of religious tolerance and freedom.

Persecuted Christians came to this country to practice their beliefs when they were unable to at home. To say that we should limit this tolerance and impose religious belief legally makes it seem like early religious tolerance was an excuse for "If you let me practice what I believe, I will force myself to temporarily not care what you choose to do.... that is until I gain enough power to promote my correct belief over all of your false beliefs." Changing law to reflect Christian ideals will discriminate against those who don't believe, and have every right not to.

3. He speaks to Christians to receive their vote and ordains his campaign as God's work .

Of course he appeals to Christians but I always get the feeling that he seeks to take advantage of that belief from us. I will not allow someone to manipulate me through my faith, and for a Christian to do it is even worse. Huckabee speaks of his campaign as though it were written in scripture and is now being fulfilled. He is using the abstract sense of Biblical wonder and supernatural to surround his push for the White House.

"There's only one explanation for it, and it's not a human one. It's the same power that helped a little boy with two fish and five loaves feed a crowd of 5,000 people and that's the only way that our campaign could be doing what it's doing."

"And I'm not being facetious nor am I trying to be trite. There literally are thousands of people across who are praying that a little will become much and it has, and it defies all explanation." -- Mike Huckabee, Liberty U. Speech

I believe that God works through us and is the creator of everything. That means that every action and moment of time is inspired by God, and allowed to exist, whether it is deemed good or bad. To say that the explanation for his rise is not human (people voting for him and attending events) is intended to apply a sense of divinity. I could use the same 'explanation' for the rise and fall of any political figure in history. His direct use of the statements is an attempt to manipulate the Christian voter to his cause.

4. We are at war with a 'Muslim enemy'

Ok, I know as Christians we aren't supposed to deny God or our beliefs in the face of an enemy. The problem I see is that Huckabee is very vocal about his stance, to the extent that others are inferior to his beliefs. President Bush created an outrage when he told the terrorists to "bring it on." For Huckabee to say...

"Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you see will be the gates of Hell, because that is exactly what you will see after that." -- Mike Huckabee, SC Debate

Hey, try to attack us and God will override Allah and send you to hell. Huckabee is a pro-war Christian, and that can be a problem. Muslims are not my enemy because I could care less what other people believe, everyone should be free to do as they please. Huckabee does not feel this way about other religions and ideas. I for one do not want another crusade (a stretch, i know) against the Muslims. I'm not saying Huckabee is going to up the ante to crusade level, but he may generally view it in those terms as Christian against Muslim. The personal belief of our President plays a large part in his policy. Look at Bush, he was successful in almost reversing the definition of Republicans. I know Presidents aren't supposed to act on personal conviction, but these men are just as human as you and I. Huckabee's feelings about religion will undoubtedly affect his policy and military decisions. This is the same impartial viewpoint that brought Christianity to America, and Huckabee threatens to begin the cycle again.

Think for yourself, not what you're told.