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PHILADELPHIA --- An evangelist with the Philadelphia-based ministry Repent America (RA) is rebuking a number of evangelical leaders and organizations for being purposely deceptive about Mitt Romney's positions on abortion and homosexuality. As Tuesday marks Election Day, the ministry continues to urge Christians to adhere to the Biblical standards for law and government rather than their own personal philosophies.
While Repent America endorses neither Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, over the past several months, RA ministry director Michael Marcavage has become increasingly troubled by the number of prominent evangelicals that have been making false claims that Romney is "pro-life" and "pro-family."
Organizations such as Evangelicals for Mitt, Family Research Council, Campaign for American Values, Christian Broadcasting Network and others have been actively promoting the presidential candidate, claiming that a Republican presidency would foster moral uprightness in the White House, Congress and the courts. Family Research Council, Christian Coalition and National Right to Life have been similarly distributing voter guides that portray Romney as being pro-life and pro-family, while conveniently leaving out concerning positions that the candidate espouses. Mat Staver's Liberty Counsel, the legal organization affiliated with the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, also recently released a document comparing the platforms of both the Republican and Democratic parties in order to give the impression that to vote Republican is to usher in morality.
While Evangelicals for Mitt has been advising Americans, "Governor Romney is for the sanctity of human life and he has proven it," and National Right to Life stated, "Mitt Romney has taken a strong pro-life position and is committed to implementing policies to protect the unborn," Romney has demonstrated the exact opposite. Out of all the candidates in the 2012 presidential race, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama were the only two that refused to sign the Personhood USA pledge, which affirms the belief that all life should be protected from conception. Romney instead released his own statement, outlining that he advocates the exceptions of "rape, incest and to save the life of the mother," which is not a pro-life position. Romney has also advised that he has no litmus test for appointing judges to the bench, and espouses a states' rights view of abortion, explaining, "I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate." He announced recently as well that "[t]here's no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda," and that he supports Obamacare's abortion pill coverage requirement because "I don't believe employers should tell someone whether they can have contraceptive care or not." Additionally, although Gary Bauer's organization, Campaign for American Values, is running pro-Romney television advertisements in swing states regarding homosexual "marriage," Romney has clearly outlined that he does not oppose homosexuality. In May, Romney reiterated his support for homosexual adoption, stating, "[I]f two people of the same gender want to live together, want to have a loving relationship, or even to adopt a child, in my state, individuals of the same sex were able to adopt children. In my view, that's something that people have a right to do. But, to call that 'marriage' is something that in my view is a departure from the real meaning of that word." He also announced in August that he disagreed with the policy of the Boy Scouts of America, which prohibits homosexual scout leaders and members, and has advised that if elected, as commander-in-chief, he would not work to reinstate "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but is approving of open homosexuality in the military. Marcavage is grieved that when confronted with these truths, evangelicals continue to make excuses in an attempt to their justify their actions. They claim that "we are not electing a pastor-in-chief," as if the president doesn't have a moral obligation to God to rule in accordance to His Law, while at the same time requiring him to follow God's standards when elected. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, originally spoke against voting for a Mormon candidate, advising, "Evangelical Christians should not vote for Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon, therefore not a real Christian," but later denied that he made the statement and came out in support of Romney. Despite Romney's support for abortion and homosexuality, Jeffress now states, "I think we have to choose the lesser of two evils," while asserting that Romney "embraces Biblical values." "Giving approval to doing a 'lesser evil' because it seems like the 'best choice' at the time, whether it is choosing rulers or having an abortion due to rape, is never acceptable and always sinful," Marcavage admonished. "Such thinking and practice is disobedience to our moral duty and obligation to God."
 | | Michael Marcavage |
"Mitt Romney is neither pro-life nor pro-family, and evangelical leaders have been lying about his positions in order to rationalize their substitution of God's standards for their own. While abortion and homosexuality are abominations to God, so is a lying tongue. The Scriptures chastise those who speak falsehoods in His name, asking, 'Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for Him?" he said. "It is astounding how evangelicals, who had once demonized Mitt Romney, have now canonized him as a saint. Much to their shame, they have demonstrated their commitment to the Republican Party over their allegiance to Christ." "Out of the 20 of 39 years that we have had Republican presidents in the White House since Roe v. Wade, none of them have ended abortion," he continued. "Furthermore, Republican-appointed judges gave us Roe in the first place and authorized the holocaust of the unborn. It was the Republicans that 'legalized' sodomy in Lawrence v. Texas, and loosened the restrictions on pornography in Miller v. California. Let us not also forget that it was the conservative darling John Roberts who authored the opinion for the nation's highest court in favor of Obamacare."
Marcavage continues to urge Christians to vote Biblically.
"The guidelines for choosing rulers are not based on man's subjective opinions, but rather on an absolute standard given by Divine authority," Marcavage declared. "It is foolish to think that Christians can 'turn America back to God' when they turn their backs on God's standards for voting. We must vote in the fear of God, not in the fear of man, and trust in His sovereignty. If we fail to do so, we will continue to reap what we have sown, and God will be just in giving us what we deserve."
"They have set up kings, but not by Me ... Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." - Hosea 8:4; Exodus 18:21 |
