The Christian Candidates and the Question of Evil

The language spoken at the Civil Forum at Saddleback was not the loaded tongue of Evangelical churches across America sometimes referred to as "Christianese." Aside from one inquiry about the candidate's personal faith in Jesus Christ, the values based political questions could have been delivered by Gwen Ifill as easily as Pastor Rick Warren.  The result of this surprisingly clear canvas is that it offered something of a Rorschach test for those seeking to identity the more Christian candidate.

John McCain did better than expected and most likely solidified support among Evangelicals with his funny direct style, and his pointed anecdotes including a moving testimony about sharing a Christian moment with one of his guards during his time as a POW. Offsetting some potentially disturbing news of a pro-choice VP candidate McCain offered absolutist anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage answers in contrast to Barack Obama's stated support for Roe v. Wade and more nuanced approach to the gay marriage issues.

Barack Obama maintained his advantage among mainline and progressive Christians with his sincere manner and studied approach to the issues.  He may have attracted some new Evangelical voters with his opposition to the war in Iraq, his concern about climate change and his more sane response when asked to give a number for who is rich.  Obama gave a slightly wonkish response citing his economic plan which identifies those making over 250,000 as being defined as rich.  McCain, in a bizarrely but intentionally naïve response, said that he wanted everyone to be rich and when pressed to offer a figure gave an out of touch number of $5,000,000.

The most telling theological difference between the candidates was in response to the question of evil - does it exist and, if so, how do we confront it?  John McCain said it existed and that we must defeat it.  He immediately went on to identify evil as radical Islam and spoke of fighting it around the world until it has been vanquished.  This brought to mind the last eight years of the George Bush presidency, the clarity with which he identified the Axis of Evil, and his divinely inspired call to combat it which led to the Iraq war.

Barack Obama also allowed that evil existed and that we had to fight against it every day. However, Obama went on to caution that we must be careful not to fall in the trap of failing to recognize that we can, if we are not vigilant, do evil in the name of doing good.  This perspective is undoubtedly influenced by his familiarity with the work of the great cold war theologian Reinhold Niebuhr who wrote: "The Christian faith ought to persuade us that political controversies are always conflicts between sinners; and not between righteous men and sinners.  It ought to mitigate the self-righteousness which is an inevitable part of all human conflicts." 

The question of how evil and sin work shows a profound difference in the candidates and the Christians who support them.  The Evangelicals in the crowd Saturday night who applauded so heartily for McCain's definitive answer believe that they are in a spiritual battle against evil and are sure that righteousness is on their side.  Others believe our Christian faith teaches that each is capable of sin and each of us can receive and participate in redemption.  This is true on the personal level as well as in our families, nationally and internationally.  It was the humility, compassion, and determination evident in Barack Obama's answer to this question of evil that I found most compelling in tonight's forum and most reassuring for someone seeking the most powerful position in the world.