Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

 

By Britt Nelson

Politics or religion — take your pick – both can boil your oil faster than anything else, bursting gaskets, and causing humanity to come apart at the seams.

Both have been the basis for unending wars throughout the world like conflicts in the Middle East, for border conflicts like in North and South Korea, and for political upheaval throughout Central and South America that never seem to end.

Politics and religion are all over the latest Mexican border controversy, and all the problems associated with it.

It’s always about politics and or religion — including Campaign 2016 for president of the United States. Politics is leading the way right now with both major-party candidates, but in the end religion will win the presidency and here’s why:

Across the USA some 71 percent of the adult population currently identifies as Christian, with 6 percent identifying as non-Christian, including Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish. That leaves 23 percent with no religious affiliation, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

The key to winning the U.S. presidency lies within these numbers. Dating back to President Thomas Jefferson, his winning the presidency was due to his openly voiced tolerance of religious freedom in America. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which guarantees religious freedom, free speech and a free press has led to the USA being the most religiously diverse and outspoken country in the world.

Many of those with a faith in their god will be propelled and compelled this year to get out and vote their conscience be it for Democrat Hillary Clinton, Republican Donald Trump, Libertarian Gary Johnson, or the Green Party’s Dr. Jill Stein.

Who can best lead the free world and deal with the world today? Conservative Christians will vote Trump, liberal Christians will vote Clinton. Some Democrats will vote for Trump and vice versa for Republicans. Independents, many of whom are Christian, are leaning toward Trump, and they are the largest voting group outnumbering Democrats or Republicans, according to nationwide polls.

Unfortunately, this year both major-party candidates have large negatives associated with them, while Johnson and Stein are relatively uncontroversial in comparison.

Clinton is not known for being a church goer, and rarely speaks about her religious beliefs. She’s known mostly for her decades of controversy, lies and ongoing investigations. After all her years in public service you’d think she would have more to offer voters.

For Trump, it’s much the same, but having never held public office, his negatives are related to business dealings and his boisterous personality. He has repeatedly spoken about being Christian, also on supporting religious freedom for all, and has been photographed praying with others. Who are we to question that? His desire to limit Muslim and other immigration is not religiously based, but rather national security interests pushes his desire to examine people closely before allowing them in.

New York billionaire Trump claims not to drink alcohol, smoke or do drugs. He has had several wives over the years, but so what. Look at his children and how they have conducted themselves in helping their father on the campaign trail. They have acted better than their dad.

But it’s not fair to compare the Clintons to the Trumps. That’s like comparing apples to oranges. But what we do see is our personal political perceptions of them. When it comes time to go behind that private curtain and exercise your constitutional right to vote, everything you think about them will come into play, including your religious beliefs or lack thereof.

Many voting demographic groups have already made up their minds, but other minds will change during the closing weeks of Campaign 2016 when we see the candidates answer direct questions.

We will all have time to think about how they conducted themselves during the upcoming debates. The media frenzy will center on every word they say, how they say it and what they don’t say. Not to mention the barrage of negative TV ads that will spring out of the debates.

Christians throughout the world are praying for the USA to make the right choice, but so are the other major religions. Many throughout the world fear Trump, but the same goes for Clinton. Many say politics and religion don’t mix, but this year they must.

 

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.