In just a couple of days, Americans will be going to the polls to elect a new president. While I greatly appreciate the division of power that our governmental system employs with executive, legislative and judicial branches, the reality is that the president is our country’s leader. While the president does not possess sole authority, the president does wield more influence in the operation of this land than anyone else. Therefore, it is vitally important that the president be an effective leader. There are a number of qualities that are important in making a leader a good leader. It is beneficial if a leader is a good communicator. Those being led want to know why they are following. A person without good communications skills will have great difficulty in inspiring people to follow them. Certainly, integrity of character is important. A good communicator that will tell you one thing and live another will not make a good leader. Experience also is a desirable quality. However, every good leader was once completely inexperienced as a leader. In that same line, academic understanding of all the issues facing our existence as a nation is helpful, but not one person on earth understands everything about everything. More important than one’s ability to quote facts is one’s reliance on the counsel of others who may know “everything” about a particular issue.
All of these qualities are greatly desirable in a president, but none of these qualities are the most important quality in a leader. The most important quality in a leader is their view of the destination they are leading to, and then, the means of arriving at that destination. No matter how much integrity a leader may possess and no matter how great their ability is to communicate and inspire people to follow them, if they are going to a place that is not desirable, or following a path that will not get you to the desired destination, they are a leader who should not be followed. Conversely, a leader lacking these other personal/moral/ethical qualities can still effectively lead to a desired goal. History is filled with such examples.
Both Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton (as well as every politician) will tell you that their goal (destination) is to make life the greatest it possibly can be for each person in the nation. The question then, is how will they get you to that destination. What policies will they support that will enable our country to be great? As with the issue of the qualities of leadership, there are many important issues that will determine whether we reach our destination. But the most important issue is the issue of life, particularly the issue of abortion. The reason that this is the most important issue is that it reflects attitudes concerning a whole host of other issues.
The abortion issue declares one’s understanding of the value of life. Those advocating that it is just to kill the child in the womb in order to protect their “right” to do whatever they want without consequence, will have little or no problem with the taking of lives whenever other “rights” are in danger.
The abortion issue declares one’s understanding of justice. The child in the womb is innocent of any transgression against anyone, yet the abortionist will allow this miscarriage of justice. If they will miscarry justice in this, the most simple of instances, how much more will justice be forsaken in more difficult issues?
The abortion issue declares one’s ability to reason. As I have argued in other writings, the common argument for abortion is that a woman should have the right to determine what she will do with her own body. But the baby in the womb is not her body. If it was her body, then once birth takes place it would still be her body and therefore she should have every right to kill it then. There simply is no valid logic that can conclude that the child in the womb is not a living, human being, whose life is to be protected.
Finally, and most importantly, the abortion issue declares one’s understanding of the importance of the sovereignty of God in our nation’s affairs. Scripture states that ultimately a nation is blessed when it recognizes God’s right of ultimate rule (Psalm 33:12). When Israel sacrificed their children in an abominable heathen practice, they incurred the wrath of God which ultimately led to the Babylonian captivity. God was gracious in giving the nation time to repent of their sins, but when they wouldn’t, especially when the sins were being promoted by their king, the nation was dissolved. I’m afraid our time is running out as a nation and the clock will tick even faster if we continue to elect leaders who will allow and even promote the murder of the unborn.
Each of the four major candidates for president possesses some qualities of good leadership and each, in some areas, fails miserably. But only one candidate will go in the direction of protecting the life of the unborn from murder. While I do not appreciate some of the personal qualities of Donald Trump, he is the only candidate that is going in the right direction on this issue and therefore, the only candidate that I wish to follow.
Just to be perfectly clear, this article is appearing on my personal Facebook page. It reflects my personal opinion. The church that I am privileged to pastor, The Salina Bible Church, does not endorse any political candidate or party.