I was recently profiled for an upcoming book entitled,
We the Purple: Faith, Politics, and the Independent Voter by Marcia Ford (Tyndale House, 2008). I want to share it with you for a couple of reasons. First, it offers a look into my personal political mindset, which may surprise some of you. Second, I think it offers a great opportunity for conversation. Take a look at the excerpt, and then check out the questions below.
"Jonathan Merritt is a self-described conservative independent who is disgusted with both parties and has an inexplicable affinity for Libertarians. To understand how radical that political perspective is for him, you’d have to know a bit about his background—starting with his heritage. His father is Dr. James Merritt, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Jerry Falwell was a family friend. “You never had to ask how we voted. Our family voted a straight Republican ticket,” says Merritt, who is completing his master of divinity degree at Southeastern Seminary in North Carolina. His father’s political views were no secret to anyone. “We were invited to political dinners, and some of the most active members of our large church were congressmen and politicians,” he says.
When he reached voting age, Jonathan Merritt followed suit, voting a straight Republican ticket—and believing that a person couldn’t be a Christian and a Democrat; the two were mutually exclusive. In his last year of college—not surprisingly, at Falwell’s Liberty University—he was elected GOP precinct chairman for the 1st precinct in the state of Georgia. “I resigned shortly after,” he says. “I had ventured into the belly of the partisan beast, and I almost didn't return intact. It is an ugly place to exist.”
Even though all office-holders face pressure from contributors, independents, he believes, have the advantage of “pressureless voting” from a partisan standpoint. They’re free to vote their conscience, which Merritt believes is more trustworthy than a “party's ever-changing disposition.”
A writer and the senior editor of PastorsEdge.com, Merritt remembers attending church during his college years and often asking a friend, "What exactly was the sermon about today anyway?" Much of the service had been devoted to endorsing candidates and other political talk, with little or no room for the Word of God. Democrats were mocked from the pulpit. “When a church publicly draws a political line, it can begin to overshadow the real reason the church exists,” he says. “My experience was not uncommon. It was actually normative. Over the years, scores of progressive college grads left Liberty University and found themselves disillusioned with the politico-religious culture found in so many places.”
Merritt’s major political concerns today are the war in Iraq, particularly achieving victory so the government can focus on other foreign policy issues, and consistent environmental regulations. Global warming, he says, is stealing the stage right now, but other environmental concerns need to be discussed as well.
Though his conservative Protestant faith greatly influences his political perspective, he is open to voting for a Catholic or Mormon candidate. He considers a candidate’s voting record to be more helpful than a claim of faith that may not be authentic. His ’08 presidential pick as of the summer of 2007 was Fred Thompson—though he secretly wishes Stephen Colbert would run."
Here are a couple of questions I want to throw out there. Please share your opinion:
1. Is it just me or are you nauseated by both parties right now?
2. Would you consider voting for someone of another faith?
3. Who is your presidential pick as of right now?
