Participating in Governance

[quodlibet]

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Between the Jamaican elections last year and the upcoming elections for the POTUS and Orange NJ (go Witchy!) -- there is a lot of talk about elections, voting, etc.

I wanted to get a feel about how do people of faith (or their religious affiliated body) view actually going out to vote and/or participating in representational politics as candidates.</span>

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Participating in Governance

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quodlibet</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-size: 14pt">
Between the Jamaican elections last year and the upcoming elections for the POTUS and Orange NJ (go Witchy!) -- there is a lot of talk about elections, voting, etc.

I wanted to get a feel about how do people of faith (or their religious affiliated body) view actually going out to vote and/or participating in representational politics as candidates.</span> </div></div>
DWL Thanks for the plug.

I can speak as a candidate. Here in Orange, our municipal elections are bipartisan; this means that party affiliations play NO part in our municipal politics. It's totally irrelevant what party you are registered with. You don't run under a party; you run on your own platform. Similarly, you make affiliations (or not) the same way - utterly without regard to others' registered party(ies).

Most of us - if not all of us - are religious and belong to some House of God... largely Protestant, a Catholic here and there, and one of our current Councilmen is Muslim. Most of us mention our religious affiliation on our literature, but that's about it.

The running of our city really doesn't have much to do with religious views. For example, I personally am pro-life, but that wouldn't come up in the passing of any municipal statutes. Now if I were in <span style="font-style: italic">state</span> government, it would be a different story, of course. And I would have to consider the needs and wishes of those whom I represented, in such a case, before voting on legislation, or crafting legislation. If I couldn't reconcile my personal views with the views of my constituents, somehow, I'd have to step down from the position (or not run for it in the first place)... or perhaps abstain from certain votes.

I prayed a lot about things before deciding to run for City Council. I prayed for discernment, for guidance, to know if God intended for me to serve my city in this manner. I also had a lot of other people praying for me, for the same prayer intentions. I still do.

I was especially upset when this thing (seen in the news piece and written about in the newspapers) came up. I wanted to run a clean campaign and win. I had no notion that anything this was going to happen, or that I would have anything to do with something like this. I guess politics really is 'a dirty game'. Like I told Brenda Flanagan, and John Zucal, when I first heard the rumors, I just shook it off as that - rumor, and nothing more. But the more I kept hearing the rumors, the more I started to wonder if there was any truth to them. You know, when you hear something often enough, you start to wonder if there's anything to it. I finally decided that I had to try to find out for myself if there was any truth to the rumor, both to satisfy my own curiosity, and for the sake of my constituents (who kept asking me). I filed the OPRA request.

I spoke to my confessor, and there was nothing to confess; I had done no wrong.But I took prayerful consideration of every move I made (and continue to make).

[quodlibet]

Re: Participating in Governance

Much respect WO

[Diplomat]

Re: Participating in Governance

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quodlibet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Between the Jamaican elections last year and the upcoming elections for the POTUS and Orange NJ (go Witchy!) -- there is a lot of talk about elections, voting, etc.

I wanted to get a feel about how do people of faith (or their religious affiliated body) view actually going out to vote and/or participating in representational politics as candidates. </div></div>
DWL Thanks for the plug.

I can speak as a candidate. Here in Orange, our municipal elections are bipartisan; this means that party affiliations play NO part in our municipal politics. It's totally irrelevant what party you are registered with. You don't run under a party; you run on your own platform. Similarly, you make affiliations (or not) the same way - utterly without regard to others' registered party(ies).

Most of us - if not all of us - are religious and belong to some House of God... largely Protestant, a Catholic here and there, and one of our current Councilmen is Muslim. Most of us mention our religious affiliation on our literature, but that's about it.

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #000099">The running of our city really doesn't have much to do with religious views. For example, I personally am pro-life, but that wouldn't come up in the passing of any municipal statutes. Now if I were in <span style="font-style: italic">state</span> government, it would be a different story, of course. And I would have to consider the needs and wishes of those whom I represented, in such a case, before voting on legislation, or crafting legislation. If I couldn't reconcile my personal views with the views of my constituents, somehow, I'd have to step down from the position (or not run for it in the first place)... or perhaps abstain from certain votes.</span></span>I prayed a lot about things before deciding to run for City Council. I prayed for discernment, for guidance, to know if God intended for me to serve my city in this manner. I also had a lot of other people praying for me, for the same prayer intentions. I still do.

...
</div></div>
Kudos to you for taking the step. The protion of your response highilighted shows the dilemma for people of faith at a certain level of politics. I do agree that we should take an active part in governance; however, it can be very challenging when the values that one stands for run counter to that of one's constitutents, all of whom expect (and rightly so) to be represented by their elected official.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Participating in Governance

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChurchDude</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="color: #000099">The running of our city really doesn't have much to do with religious views. For example, I personally am pro-life, but that wouldn't come up in the passing of any municipal statutes. Now if I were in <span style="font-style: italic">state</span> government, it would be a different story, of course. And I would have to consider the needs and wishes of those whom I represented, in such a case, before voting on legislation, or crafting legislation. If I couldn't reconcile my personal views with the views of my constituents, somehow, I'd have to step down from the position (or not run for it in the first place)... or perhaps abstain from certain votes.</span></span>I prayed a lot about things before deciding to run for City Council. I prayed for discernment, for guidance, to know if God intended for me to serve my city in this manner. I also had a lot of other people praying for me, for the same prayer intentions. I still do.
...</div></div>Kudos to you for taking the step. The protion of your response highilighted shows the dilemma for people of faith at a certain level of politics. I do agree that we should take an active part in governance; however, it can be very challenging when the values that one stands for run counter to that of one's constitutents, all of whom expect (and rightly so) to be represented by their elected official. </div></div>Yes, this can be quite challenging; I agree. Basically, I believe that one should state their personal views and vote on legislation accordingly. Unfortunately, all too often, that's not what happens. Politicians' records speak for themselves. It's up to the public to dig up those records - which are free and available by law - and vote accordingly.

[quodlibet]

Re: Participating in Governance

Can your political stance diverge from your faith?

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Participating in Governance

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quodlibet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Can your political stance diverge from your faith? </div></div>
Me, personally? Or just a general 'is it possible'?

Plenty of allegedly observant Catholic politicians vote pro-choice on legislation, for one example.

I don't have to worry about such an instance. Like I said, it doesn't really come up in municipal government... at least, it doesn't here. I can't see any particular instances - as City Council Member - in which there would be a conflict between my being Catholic and a City Council Member. Lord knows that there have been plenty of Catholic City Council Members in Orange in the past, including the recent past. If there somehow were such a conflict, I'd have to prayerfully decide whether to change my religious views or do what's best for my city as a whole, or step down from my Council seat.

[quodlibet]

Re: Participating in Governance

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quodlibet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Can your political stance diverge from your faith? </div></div>
Me, personally? Or just a general 'is it possible'?

Plenty of allegedly observant Catholic politicians vote pro-choice on legislation, for one example.

I don't have to worry about such an instance. Like I said, it doesn't really come up in municipal government... at least, it doesn't here. I can't see any particular instances - as City Council Member - in which there would be a conflict between my being Catholic and a City Council Member. Lord knows that there have been plenty of Catholic City Council Members in Orange in the past, including the recent past. If there somehow were such a conflict, I'd have to prayerfully decide whether to change my religious views or do what's best for my city as a whole, or step down from my Council seat. </div></div>

thanks for the feedback WO very illuminating.