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2008 Voter Guide
Dear Missouri Baptist Brothers and Sisters,
As I am sure you are aware, November 4th will be a critical time for the direction of our state and our nation. Although our recent attention has been focused on the health of our economy, a number of other issues also beg for our attention. While many of these issues have obvious implications for the Christian voter, others may not be so clear. Please let me share with you some thoughts on a few critical issues that we are facing.
The Sanctity of Human Life: In every election, my prayer is that the Lord would see fit to place in office those who have expressed a commitment to protecting the value and dignity of every human life. I trust that you will maintain your highest priorities first for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and second for the protection of the image of God in every human life. In recent years, we have seen an increase across party lines in the number of individuals who support the sanctity of life, and I would ask that your votes and your political efforts be accompanied by your prayers that members of both parties would recognize that the brutality of abortion needs to be brought to an end. We are no longer ignorant about the nature and development of unborn human life, and there is no reason to continue to support the intentional destruction of the most vulnerable among us. As we look to 2010 to close the loophole under which Missouri currently provides constitutional protection for the creation and destruction of cloned human embryos, we should keep in mind our candidates’ views on human cloning.
Preservation of the Institution of Marriage: While Missouri has enacted constitutional protection of the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman, we must maintain vigilant protection of our freedom to speak biblical truth as it relates to sexual and social morality. Marriage can only be defined by God, and can only accurately describe "what God hath joined together." Anything else trivializes the nature and value of marriage. Our leaders must have the fortitude to resist attempts to eliminate the recognition of the unique union between a man and wife.
The Economy: Contrary to everything you have heard in the media, President Bush did not single-handedly cause our recent economic troubles. Rather, what we are facing is the inevitable results of men and women using our financial institutions for political and personal gain. This is not a partisan concern, it is a character concern. Across the nation, we have elected people to office who cannot distinguish between honest and dishonest gain, who do not fear God, and who are comfortable twisting the truth to fit their own agendas. Like Moses, we should seek to elect from among us "able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain" (Exodus 18:21).
Gambling: Finally, "Proposition A" on your ballot will ask whether you would like to support a law that increases the tax rate on casino revenues, creates a new fund for education, and limits the number of casinos operating in the state to the current level, among other things. Some Christians are in favor of this proposition out of a short-sighted illusion that it would prevent additional casinos from opening and that it would help education. The Christian Life Commission is strongly opposed because it would eliminate the $500 loss limit that currently protects the families of gamblers by limiting the amount of money that can be lost in the heat of the moment. The gambling industry has been fighting the loss limit for years, and this Proposition is their current strategy for eliminating it. Do not be deceived about their ultimate desires and remember that any increased tax revenue or economic "stimulation" brought by legalized gambling is always offset several times over by gambling-related social and economic damages.
Please learn more! You can find additional information on moral issues facing our state and nation at www.moclc.org and from voter guides from the organizations listed below.
Phil Gloyer, Ph.D.
Chairman, MBC Christian Life Commission
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC: www.ivotevalues.com
Focus on the Family: www.focusvoter.com
American Family Association: www.afa.net
AFA’s Presidential Voter Guide: http://www.afa.net/08VG/index.html or print version - http://www.afa.net/pdfs/08VG_print.pdf
Missouri General Election Information - http://afanet.capwiz.com/election/guide/mo
Last Date to Apply for Absentee Ballot by Mail: October 29, 2008
General Election: Monday, November 4, 2008
Additional Election Information from the Missouri Secretary of State: http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=voter
Absentee Ballot Information From The Missouri Secretary of State - http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default.asp?id=absentee
Find Your Polling Place - https://mcvr.mo.gov/PollingPlaceLookup/
Political and Legislative Guidelines for Pastors and Churches - http://www.afa.net/pdfs/pastorchurchguide.pdf
Christianity Today party platform comparison: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/augustweb-only/135-31.0.html
Priests for Life party platform comparison: http://priestsforlife.org/elections/comparison_side1_printer.pdf and http://priestsforlife.org/elections/comparison_side2.pdf
Pastors, Churches and Politics – What may Pastors and Churches do? - http://www.afa.net/pdfs/pastorsandpolitics.pdf
Missouri Right to Life: www.missourilife.org
Where do the Candidates For Governor Stand on Life Issues?
Kenny Hulshof
Kenny Hulshof
• Kenny Hulshof opposes abortion and supports protection for unborn children.
• Kenny Hulshof voted to ban partial-birth abortion.
• Kenny Hulshof voted against taxpayer funding of abortion.
• Kenny Hulshof voted to require an abortionist to notify at least one parent before performing an abortion on a minor girl from another state.
• Kenny Hulshof opposes human cloning and voted against federal funding for the destruction of embryos through research.
Jay Nixon
• Jay Nixon supports a policy of abortion on demand allowing abortion for any reason.
• Jay Nixon flip-flopped from being pro-life to being pro-abortion and now \"supports the law of the land.\"
• Jay Nixon supports public funding of abortion labeled as family planning.
• Jay Nixon has been endorsed by the radical pro-abortion group NARAL.
• Jay Nixon ended the state’s efforts to save Christine Busalacchi, who was in a condition like Terri Schiavo.
• Jay Nixon approved the Amendment 2 ballot summary on human cloning that confused voters in 2006.
• Jay Nixon supports SCNT (cloning) and destruction of embryos through research.
Missouri Right to Life Political Action Committee, P.O. Box 651, Jefferson City, MO 65102, 573-635-5110. Chelsea Zimmerman Treasurer. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
Missourians Against Human Cloning: www.nocloning.org
2008 Candidate Survey Results
To help you prepare to vote wisely on November 4th, MAHC asked candidates three straightforward questions to determine their support for a true and complete ban on human cloning. We have posted the results on our website www.nocloning.org. Click here to view the results.
Not surprisingly, most candidates who support human cloning didn’t respond. However, there are also candidates who don’t want to take a stand on this important issue. Please contact those candidates who are seeking to represent you and have not responded to our survey. Let them know human cloning is important to you and urge them to complete the survey. Oh, and let those candidates who do support a true ban on human cloning that you appreciate their ethics and commitment. We will continue to update the results as we receive surveys.
We hope you will find this information helpful as you prepare to vote on November 4th. I’ve said this before, but the stakes are very high and the contrasts are stark this election. We have a great opportunity and responsibility to protect the dignity of human life!
To help you prepare to vote wisely on November 4th, MAHC asked candidates three straightforward questions to determine their support for a true and complete ban on human cloning. We have posted the results on our website www.nocloning.org. Click here to view the results.
Not surprisingly, most candidates who support human cloning didn’t respond. However, there are also candidates who don’t want to take a stand on this important issue. Please contact those candidates who are seeking to represent you and have not responded to our survey. Let them know human cloning is important to you and urge them to complete the survey. Oh, and let those candidates who do support a true ban on human cloning that you appreciate their ethics and commitment. We will continue to update the results as we receive surveys.
We hope you will find this information helpful as you prepare to vote on November 4th. I’ve said this before, but the stakes are very high and the contrasts are stark this election. We have a great opportunity and responsibility to protect the dignity of human life!
Casino Watch: www.NoOnA.com
How unusual is this? Both candidates for governor of Missouri and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch are all in agreement ... that Proposition A is bad for Missouri!
They join us on OPPOSING PROP A!
Prop A's multi-million dollar deceptive ad campaign is being paid for by casinos.
Remember the admonition of Scripture: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:11)
If Proposition A is passed on November 4th, it ...
*removes the $500-per-two-hour, $6,000 per-24-hour casino loss limits in Missouri;
*increases estimated gambling losses to MO casinos an additional $500,000,000 (probably more) per year...each year;
*allows casinos to deceitfully hide behind schools and children by titling their removal of casino loss limits efforts "The Schools First Elementary and Secondary Education Funding Initiative";
*is self-serving to the existing casinos (who are paying for the misleading ad campaign) in that locks out any additional MO casinos;
*eliminates casino customers from being identified (as they are currently), increasing the difficulty in catching casino criminals (who are now caught more than 90% of the time);
*increases the opportunity for criminals to launder cash (criminals would be able to make large cash purchases for gambling chips, return a bit later to the cashier, cash in the chips, and get a new set of "clean" or unmarked cash);
*provides multiple opportunities for the casinos to exploit the thousands of problem gamblers (which they helped to create), who can then lose much more money faster to the casinos, thus speeding up the ruin of themselves and their families;
*means that not one additional dollar is guaranteed for children and education, for legislators can simply continue their practice of reducing the approximate amount of Missouri General Fund money going to education by the amount that comes in from additional gambling losses;
*has yet a longer list of negatives, but enough for now.
Concerned about churches and ministries "getting into politics?"
501 (c) (3) restrictions affecting ministry endorsements of candidates DO NOT APPLY TO ISSUES, such as Proposition A.
In our prophetic role, in the spirit of John the Baptist, churches and ministries must find ways NOT BE SILENT ON MORAL ISSUES ... issues concerning wickedness.
The web address for seeing the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial against Proposition A is as follows: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/published-editorials/2008/10/sunday-editorial-no-on-proposition-a/
MOCAGE (Missouri Clergy Against Gambling Expansion): www.mocage.org
MO Prop A: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Don't be deceived about statewide Proposition A. The slick ads on billboards and radio/TV commercials are not the product of public school interests. Pinnacle Entertainment (Lumiere, President, and upcoming River City) and Ameristar have almost totally underwritten the entire Prop A campaign. The billboards tell the tale. Question: What happened to all these casino billboards along our roadways? Answer: They are covered up with "Yes on Prop A" advertisements. Yes, Prop A is a cover up. It is reported that the casino industry has committed $11 million for this campaign (Official disclosures of more than $8.4 million as of Oct. 1). That is chump change when it's all over and done. Even the purported $130 million for schools does not begin to compare to what the casinos stand to rake in if the $500 loss limit is removed. They will even give up an additional 1% tax increase in exchange for the anticipated windfall when the loss limit is removed. Prop A is NOT about our kids, it's about gambling expansion in MO! The loss limit process is a safeguard for Missourians. It aids law enforcement, it supports recovering problem gamblers, and it slows down gambling losses to help avoid financial devastation. The loss limit helps preserve families and our local economy as well. Casinos have tried for 14 years to get rid of the loss limit (the very limit they originally initiated to get casinos in MO). Prop A is NOT good for our taxpayers and kids like the commercials say! Don't be deceived by the sheep-like appearance of teachers and grandfathers asking you to vote for Prop A – it is the wolf at the door.
Daniel Hite, Chairman
Daniel Hite is President of Christian Civic Foundation, a subsidiary of FreeWay Foundation in St. Louis, MO. He is an ordained minister and also chairs the Missouri Clergy Against Gambling Expansion (MOCAGE).
Daniel Hite is President of Christian Civic Foundation, a subsidiary of FreeWay Foundation in St. Louis, MO. He is an ordained minister and also chairs the Missouri Clergy Against Gambling Expansion (MOCAGE).
Copyright © 2006 Missouri Baptist Christian Life Commission. All rights reserved.