My newest literary undertaking: God's Politics. Recommended to me by both a staunch conservative and a donor to the Democratic party, I figured it must be worth checking out. So far I am finding it fascinating, although it is mostly about the 2004 US elections (I'm on page 50 or so). Since I'm on my way out of the country, that isn't the top item on my mind right now.

Nonetheless, I appreciate the reminder that the "moral values" Americans claim to hold so dear go beyond issues of same-sex marriage and abortion. Let's not be single issue voters. "Religious issues" include poverty, the environment, war, the integrity of our elected officials, human rights, our response to terrorism, and a consistent ethic of human life.

Specific to that last idea, I am both challenged and encouraged by Jim Wallis' conviction that "a consistent ethic of human life" encompasses yes, abortion issues, but also capital punishment, euthanasia, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS, other pandemics (can we get some press for clean water around the world?), and genocide. What would it look like for American voters to embrace a consistent ethic of human life? What would it mean for me personally? What difference can I make anyway? How can I march forward as a Christian and a responsible citizen?

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