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Comparison of Political Party Platforms and The United Methodist Church

As United Methodists, we are called to transform the world. Part of that transformation is made through faithful advocacy, community involvement and holding our leaders accountable.

This guide is intended as a discernment tool for you, your church and your community to evaluate potential leaders and political agendas of the two major parties as they relate to the Social Principles and Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church.

As you read through the guide, ask yourself: How do these party platforms align with Church priorities for addressing human need and the integrity of God's creation? What action might that call us to? What confession must we make about our own priorities?

A more complete guide and bulletin insert election guides are available at the board's Web site at www.umc-gbcs.org .

Abortion

The United Methodist Church says...

We must creatively explore all sustainable energy options available to us. ... We believe that the economic, environmental, and social implications of each energy source should be fully assessed. ... We must chart a new course rooted in our shared principles of justice and sustainability. Energy Policy Statement 2008 General Conference

The democratic Party supports...

• Domestic production of clean and renewable energy through incentives;
• Investing in research and development of new renewable technologies (including solar, wind and geothermal);
• Increase automobile fuel efficiency;
• Reduce oil consumption by 35% by 2030.

Energy

The Republican Party supports...

• Increased drilling for new oil fields (offshore and onshore);
• Open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling;
• Increase use of nuclear power;
• Energy tax credits;
• Continued coal production and utilization.

The United Methodist Church says...

We hold governments responsible for ... the guarantee of the rights to adequate food, clothing, shelter, education and health care. ¶164.A, Social Principles We petition the President and Congress to reapportion dollars, saved by reduced military spending and base closings, for domestic programs that will enable the financial support for an increase in quality educational offerings in the public school systems of the country, adequate health care, affordable housing, the creation of sufficient employment opportunities and a new comprehensive employment training act. Enabling Financial Support for Domestic Programs, Book of Resolutions

The democratic Party supports...

• Eliminating government waste and programs that aren't working;
• Devoting $50 billion to economic growth;
• Assisting states with funding services like education, health care and infrastructure.

Budget/Government Spending

The Republican Party supports...

• Eliminating wasteful spending;
• Adopting the Balanced Budget Amendment;
• Implementing a one-year pause on non-defense, non-veterans discretionary spending;
• Funding new programs through reductions in existing programs.

The United Methodist Church says...

Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child. ... We recognize tragic conflicts of life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures. We support parental, guardian, or other responsible adult notification and consent before abortions can be performed on girls who have not yet reached the age of legal adulthood. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection. ¶161.J, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

• Roe v. Wade and the women's right to choose a safe and legal abortion;
• Health care and education to reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions.

Faith through

Abortion

Democracy

Adventure

The Republican Party supports...

• Dignity and sanctity of all human life;
• A human life amendment to the Constitution to overturn Roe v. Wade;
• Opposing public funding of organizations that advocate abortion;
• Appointing judges who respect traditional family values;
• Rejecting international treaties (like UN Convection on Women's Rights and UN Convention on Right of the Child) related to family planning and education.

The democratic Party supports...

• Implementing the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to cut extreme poverty by 50% by 2015;
• Increasing investments by $50 billion by 2012;
• Partnering with the private sector to invest in development and poverty reduction.

Global Poverty

As United Methodists, we are called to transform the world. Part of that transformation is made through faithful advocacy, community involvement and holding our leaders accountable.

This guide is intended as a discernment tool for you, your church and your community to evaluate potential leaders and political agendas of the two major parties as they relate to the Social Principles and Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church.

As you read through the guide, ask yourself: How do these party platforms align with Church priorities for addressing human need and the integrity of God's creation? What action might that call us to? What confession must we make about our own priorities?

A more complete guide and bulletin insert election guides are available at the board's Web site at www.umc-gbcs.org.

Comparison of Political Party Platforms and The United Methodist Church

Prepared by the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church says...

Health is a condition of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being, and we view it as a responsibility - public and private. Health care is a basic human right. ¶162.T, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

• Access to affordable comprehensive, health care for all;
• Sharing the costs for care;
• Decisions being made by patients and health care providers.

Health Care

The Republican Party supports...

• Privatization;
• Utilizing health care savings accounts;
• Lowering costs through a free market system;
• Decisions being made by patients and health care providers.

The United Methodist Church says...

We recognize, embrace and affirm all persons, regardless of country of origin, as members of the family of God. We urge the Church and society to recognize the gifts, contributions and struggles of those who are immigrants and to advocate for justice for all. ¶162.G, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

• Comprehensive immigration reform that allows undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship;
• Penalizing businesses for hiring undocumented immigrants;
• Increasing the number of visas for families and workers.

Immigration

The Republican Party supports...

• Securing borders through physical and virtual barriers;
• Enrollment of undocumented aliens into verification program for citizenship or deportation.

The United Methodist Church says...

We support measures that would reduce the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few. We further support efforts to revise tax structures and to eliminate governmental support programs that now benefit the wealthy at the expense of other persons. ¶163, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

• Eliminating corporate tax loopholes and tax havens;
• Providing tax cuts to the middle class;
• Increaseing tax on families making over $250,000 to support programs, including health care.

Taxes

The Republican Party supports...

• Requiring a super majority in Congress to guard against tax increases;
• Government taxes only to raise money for essential functions;
• Making 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent.

The United Methodist Church says...

The majority of persons in the world live in poverty. In order to provide basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, education, health care and other necessities, ways must be found to share more equitably the resources of the world. ¶163.E, Social Principles

The Republican Party supports...

• Emphasizing literacy and learning;
• Improving economic development, clean water and agriculture;
• Increasing micro-credit funding.

Death Penalty

The United Methodist Church says...

We believe the death penalty denies the power to redeem, restore, and transform all human beings. ... We oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes. ¶164.G, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

• Providing conviction review processes for all death row cases.

Death Penalty

The Republican Party supports...

• Ensuring courts have the option to impose the death penalty on cases of capital murder and other heinous crimes;
• Streamline review process for claims of innocence and prevent delays by defense attorneys.

The United Methodist Church says...

We believe ... the production, possession or use of nuclear weapons to be condemned. ¶165.C, Social Principles

The democratic Party supports...

Nuclear Weaspons

• Eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide;
• Negotiating a global ban;
• Strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Nuclear Weapons

The Republican Party supports...

• A comprehensive strategy to reduce nuclear weapons worldwide;
• Developing a national defense system.

Cast a vote for character

By Rabbi Joshua Martin Siegel

In the coming weeks each of us will be making a final decision about who we will support for president of the United States.

Our decisions will probably be based on our understanding of the candidates' positions on the many crucial political issues facing our country.

Yet we know that too often, because of circumstances or choice, political figures act differently once they get into office.

Are there more reliable criteria we can use to judge who we should support for president? I suggest there is.

There are spiritual, non-political criteria - elements of essential character - which will always guide a person regardless of circumstance. If we can gain insights into these qualities of a particular candidate we have a more reliable window into how they will react, particularly to the crucial, unexpected things to which every president must respond.

What are the spiritual qualities we should be seeking in a president?

1. Respect for others. This quality, at the heart of every religious teaching, says that we should recognize that each person, in his or her own way, is potentially of ultimate value. There are, of course, evil actions. But we are asked to look for the potential good in all people.

Does a presidential candidate appear to truly respect his opponents, even though he may disagree with them? As I heard Senator Robert Dole say once during his presidential campaign, "My opponent is my rival, he is not my enemy."

Does the candidate for president seem to truly respect his opponent? Can he overcome his own self-righteousness and ambition to see the humanity of those who oppose him? If he can, he is more likely to rule with respect for opponents, foreign and domestic. Isn't this what we want, and the world wants, for an American president?

2. Integrity. The Bible says that God searches the heart. Does the candidate for president seem to truly believe what he is saying, or is he taking positions that are to his political advantage? If elected, will he act in the way he says he will? Can we trust that what he says he's likely to do when it is not popular?

3. Compassion. At the heart of the teachings of all religions is the quality of compassion, particularly for the weak or needy. Do we feel that a presidential candidate genuinely feels for the weakest and most vulnerable among us? Spiritually oriented people must look for this quality.

4. Humility. At the heart of any truly spiritual life is humility. Think of Jesus or Moses. Does the candidate seem to be only for himself or can he be truly humble, not weak or passive, just able to look beyond himself, listen to and care about others more than himself. This is crucial for a person who wields great power.

So there it is - spiritual criteria for judging who should be the most powerful person on earth: Respect, compassion, humility, integrity.

People can disagree as to which candidate they see as more qualified. But in the end, our surest guide to who we should entrust to be our president are these eternal spiritual
qualities by which we are all ultimately judged.