The best way
to alienate one’s audience would be to write about politics yet oddly, this is
what I am doing. I thought it would be interesting to consider what it would be
like if Abraham Lincoln was running, after all, he did face one of the greatest
moral dilemmas. It is curious to ponder whether he would be elected now as the
debates over spending, abortion and same-sex marriage continue.
Interestingly,
Lincoln was elected because he had not publicly taken extreme views even though
he clearly delineated his beliefs for the audience. He did not defend slavery
but understood that taking on the issue at the wrong time would likely
exacerbate the problem. Earlier in his career he had been defeated because as a
Whig, he championed spending projects on roads and infrastructure that came
crashing down when the nation subsequently faced recession.
As if that
were not enough, he did not express an interest in any religion and his wife
Mary very often consulted with “spiritists,” especially after the deaths of
their two sons. It is said that the Lincolns did not believe in an afterlife
although my personal opinion is that he came to understand the existence of God
through great trial.
Many love to
quote Lincoln because truly, his character was so stellar. He was the savior to
the union not because he defended or fought against slavery or because he
subscribed to any type of faith whatsoever. Conservatives tend to overlook this
factor while some liberals wish to pretend that personal values play no part in
government. Lincoln understood that they do and this is why he had so much
compassion for the South. Old customs die hard.
Acknowledging
my own bias, I believe that Lincoln saved the Union because God used him to do
so no matter what belief system he held. In my estimation, God chooses the
candidate who will best refine the nation’s character and to me, His choice is
never merely Democrat or Republican.
