Last Tuesday Democrat Vice-President nominee Senator Tim  Kaine debated Republican Vice-President nominee Governor Mike Pence.  It turned out more combative than the pundits led us to believe.  Pence won hands-down and should be the presidential nominee.

Senator Kaine showed up as Hillary Clinton’s attack dog.  It wasn’t his irritating 70 interruptions of Governor Pence that got to me though.  What bothered me most was his abortion position.  He claims to hold to the traditional Roman Catholic position of the sanctity of life.  Privately he’s “pro-life”, claiming to be “personally opposed” to abortion.

Yet when it comes to politics and public policy he is ardently “pro-choice”.  “I strongly support the right of women to make their own health and reproductive decisions and, for that reason, will oppose efforts to weaken or subvert the basic holding of Roe v. Wade.”  Kaine has “a 100% pro-choice voting record for his time in the Senate from both NARAL and Planned Parenthood.”  He argues he doesn’t want to “mandate” his personal faith on anyone.

Agreed that the Senator must uphold the laws of the land.  But, if his faith is central to everything he does (as he claims), why not vote against pro-choice positions?  Why stand so ardently for pro-choice?  If he truly believes in “life” for the unborn, why not work within the system for “life”?  The only answer is:  politics takes precedence over the sanctity of life.  The argument that women have the right to make their own reproductive decisions is like saying humans have the right to murder.  Both result in the death of an “innocent”.

I’m reminded of the apostle James’ jolting question:  What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him (James 2:14)?

James expects the answers “no good” and “no”.  Faith that doesn’t evidence itself in works is worthless.  It cannot save.  Private faith—faith that does not inform one’s living and show itself in one’s actions—is not true faith at all.

Senator Kaine is not alone.  Who doesn’t struggle to translate his faith into action?  Such a battle is part-and-parcel of the Christian life.  But when one argues that he can hold to faith while insisting outward action isn’t necessary—indeed contrary action is permissible—that man is deceiving himself.

Lord, give us leaders who believe the truth as you have revealed it in your Word and who devote themselves to obeying that truth even when politically unpopular!