Mock Election Reveals Problem for Christians

Warning: The following essay contains descriptive language that may not be suitable for all ages.

In a survey last week, 122 students at a Christian high school took part in a mock election. Since Christians in this western state tend toward conservative political views, it’s no surprise that 80 percent of the students chose John McCain while 13 percent preferred Barack Obama. (The remaining 7 percent did not support either candidate.) What is surprising is the fact that almost one-third of those selecting McCain wrote that they did so either “because he’s white” or because Obama is black. One ballot came back with the n-word. Three more were returned with notes in favor of assassinating the Democratic nominee.

Of course, many of these students would most likely claim (if asked) that they were just joking. After all, Americans are famous for their sense of humor, and teens are notorious for their inability to judge what is and what is not socially appropriate. Take, for instance, a series of jokes involving dead babies (of which I have heard dozens) that are particularly popular among adolescents in my community:

Q. What’s worse than six dead babies in a dumpster?
A. One dead baby in six dumpsters.

Q. What’s the difference between a trunk full of bowling balls and a trunk full of dead babies?
A. You can’t unload the bowling balls with a pitchfork.

Q. Why should you always put a baby in the blender feet first?
A. Otherwise, you can’t see its facial expressions.

The problem here, however, is not one of poor judgment or even one of abominably poor judgment. Too many adults, when told about these ballots, respond with “How could they say that?” or “How could they write that?”

For the record, both responses fall short. What we should be asking, instead, is “How could they think that?”

So why don’t we ask that question?

Maybe it’s because we already know. After all, student values often reflect community values.

That leaves us with this: If we, as Christians, are to be known for our love, then we have to learn how.

It is not enough for us to say that we love God.

We must also learn to love our neighbors.