Hispanic Evangelicals See Major Flaw in Each Candidate

I am not Hispanic. I am Irish/German white. I am Christian.

Rev. Rodriquez writes:

"Or do we (Hispanics) support Sen. Obama who stands on the polar opposite end with Hispanic Christians on issues as sanctity of life (v. abortion) and traditional marriage advocacy, yet resonates with us on health care, education, poverty alleviation, immigration and other justice concerns?"

The issues of health care, immigration, education, poverty etc. are all noble, valid concerns.

However, they are all trumped by life issues especially abortion. Life begins at conception thereafter to be respected, defended and protected.

Abortion is the pre-eminent *INTRINSIC* evil of our day. The other issues, though important, pale in comparison to abortion.

The above is one of many reasons why I will be voting for Sen. McCain and not Sen. Obama this Nov.

How long will "On Faith" continue to confuse news/opinion with religious faith? Why not use your space more appropriately, stop making us "nauseous".

Barrack is a disgusting sick man. He did not vote against "induced labor abortion" in where a mother is given medication to have pre mature labor and the child is actually born alive and left to die. Obama opposed the born alive infant protection act and was the only democrat to do so.

95% of black people that vote for him will do so only because he is black and for entitlements.

95% of whites that for for him will do so because they don't want to be thought of as racists. There also cowards, cause when the going gets tough the whites start a running.

95% of Hispanics that vote for him will do so because they don't know any better, they think the white man stole there land and is trying to keep them down.

Silly hippies!

As a white person who lived in an immigrant community for 10 years out of compassion and tolerance for the "other", I can tell you all that the non-white immigrants are the most racist people I have ever seen in my entire life. They openly admitted to me many times that they were here to conquer the whites and steal their wealth.

But oh, I am not supposed to say stuff like that because even though it is true, I will be called xenophobic.

There were quite a few xenophobic democrats rearing their heads in the primaries, especially in Pennsylvania and West Virginia... I don't think xenophobia or racism can be confined to a single party. McCain, and (of all people) Bush, the de facto leader of the Republican Party, were advocates of the immigration legislation that would have brought many otherwise law-abiding Hispanics out from hiding.

Can someone tell me where Obama met Malcom X? He died in 1965 and Obama was born in 1961. How did they meet?
So how can he be "close" to him?
And to Farrakhan? Is he close to him because he lived in the same city?
Nice logic, "Pedro"

The Bible has been the basis of many real life decisions for a host of people all over the world. The many versions of Christianity that claim to have the support of this book are presently beyond me. What I do know is that many of the acts committed in the name of "God and the king" can only be described as injurious to human beings. I am therefore challenged to understand how anyone can justify taking what is a personal ethical value such as whether or not to have an abortion and holding it above issues that are associated with a much higher rate of adversity and death in human beings. Unemployment, education and healthcare are a few that come to mind. I have never met anyone who, after having had an abortion regarded it with glee. Much like war, the only people who enjoy it are those whose lives are not at risk. Using the Bible as a basis of an attack upon this procedure is much like using the Bible to justify slavery and its successors. It would be wonderful if there were no need for abortions. The preoccupation with this ethical issue while children are undereducated, adults are harassed and healthcare is becoming more of a privilege than a right seems to have things backwards. Abortion is an issue, yes, but it is an issue that is being used, sometimes inadvertently, to distract from other more important matters which exist within the so called christian community as well as the secular. There are issues of race, gender, employment, education and healthcare,foreign and domestic policy that need to be addressed in detail before we get locked into eternally contentious issues that are so much less important.

Maybe Hispanics realize, as most people do, that turning immigration and citizenship into entitlement programs for Hispanics is utter nonsense.

Some folks are bleating about Latino's somehow being "racist" when they are banding together to protect their common interests. Here's a clue for you all - it's been the Republican party that has been demonizing Latinos for nearly 2 decades. You try to pass state laws to punish people for being Latino and somehow are shocked when they turn away from Republicans and get organized?

Pedro - odd that you chose a forum on faith to lie. Guess you are the biggest athiest I've ever seen. Oh, and that racist you see = you're confusing your TV set for a mirror. Racists like you have no place in this country. Better practice saying "President Obama", cause yer gonna be using it a lot over the next 9 years!

MHR - you write like a racist. Black folks can think for themselves (pretty clear you avoid them in your life or you'd know better) and they prefer the Democratic party because the Democratic party doesn't use campaign tactics that appeal to white racists (like you?).

One thing I don't understand is why anyone honestly believes that voting for X equals a vote for Y.

Pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion. Just because I support a woman's right to choose does not mean that I support the death of so many unborn babies. Likewise, neither Obama nor McCain support abortion.

What Obama supports is the kind of education and health care reform that would make abortions seem less like the "only way out" for so many women. No woman wants to abort a baby. But some feel that they have to do so.

Answer me this: what do you expect McCain to do about abortion if he makes it to the White House? Do you think he'll make it illegal? Do you think anyone in their right mind would take the risk of illegalizing something like that? All that illegalization would do is increase the death rate as more and more women turn to back-alley butchers and wire hangers to perform a procedure they *could* have gotten done in a sterile, regulated environment. What McCain will do (if anything) is hopefully employ the same strategy that Obama would: better sex ed classes, health care reform, et cetera.

I agree with Marc Edward. Anyone who votes Republican based on abortion issues is kidding him/herself. As far as I'm concerned, abortion is a moot point in politics.

Why does God seem to condone the unlawful behavior of millions of Hispanics who are here by reason of breaking the laws of this country. In the days of the Bible, the tribes of Abraham had laws for the good of the people and punishment for those who didn't obey. Did God draw a ring around the United States and make it a "no law zone" for the benefit of Hispanics who forced their way into this country ?

Why would any other American vote for Obama ? He's had the attitude it's all about Latinos so white and blacks should give their vote to somebody who needs it. Apparently Obama doesn't. He's all about amnesty and the destruction of the American culture hidden under the guise of "change". That change is nothing but a Trojan horse. Read that story. You'll see the outcome parallels the U.S.

If Hispanics want to let the Catholic faith dictate their lives fine, but some of us just don't want the "no birth control" dogma turn this country like the Latin American countries who over populated themselves into third world countries. That's not about God. It's about the church collection plates.

In response to Rodriguez's point about "traditional marriage advocacy," I emphasize that the legality of gay marriage is a justice concern. The "xenophobic and nativist strategy" that he rightly condemns has its counterpart in the homophobic strategy of the religious right - both promote fear of a diabolical Other. I suspect Rodriguez can appreciate that similarity, whatever his personal beliefss about homosexuality.

Unfortunately the Latin evangelical vote is not AT ALL like the latin catholic vote. Catholics vote on compassion as Jesus lived, love of thy brother, and caring for the least member of society, and being good stweards of the earth God gave us.

The majority of latin evangelicals will vote for the white guy out of fear, out of obedience to the 'big man is mainstream' concept, and out of overt racism. Why?

That's what evangelical radio and many
evangelical leaders spout.

They should take a lesson from Rick Warren, perhaps.

They will vote the republican line on abortion.

They will vote AGAINST their own best societal interests.

...And then will continue to argue for and support illegal immigration.

Let me just say anyone who votes for or against someone largely based on race, is an absolute disgrace and should have to forfeit the privilege of voting. Having a minority win an election certainly sends a message to the world about the abundant opportunities in America and that's nice, but it's no substititue for competence. And you're really lacking even an average IQ if you think having a black president fundamentally changes race relations in America.

The only racism in this society is the anti-white racism that is widespread in the black, Hispanic and Asian communities. Barak Obama attended an anti-white racist church that whorshiped Africa and African Americans. Hispanic groups are openly racist, like National Council of the Race, League of United Latin Americans (just who are they united against? Whites of course.), Mecha, who worship Azatlan, which never existed, Chinese for Affirmative Action, etc. Non-whites are the most racist groups in the U.S. Affirmative action is anti-white discrimination. Electing Obama will only heighten the inherent racism in the non-white community in the U.S. When searching for racism to defeat, you should look to yourself and your community first. Where in Christianity do you find the right to discriminate against whites?

first of all, to support obama is to support abortion and to support abortion is to not be a Christian...Hispanics who are Christians cannot let this slide...
second, Hispanics and blacks have issues in terms of power regardless of the fact that Hispanics outnumber blacks in this country and after comprehensive immigration is passed, they will double or triple the number of Hispanics in this country.
third, you inserted your hate rehtoric of the Republicans in your article...how sad, whose butt are you trying to kiss?

I don't know why Christians have a hard time figuring out who to vote for. I'm a Catholic and it's easy. Jesus spoke all the time about justice for the poor. So it seems to me, if you vote your Christian conscious, you have to vote for the man who was against and illegal war from the beginning and who wants to help achieve justice for the poor. Case Closed!

PS. McCain is divorced too

Brown Evange-poilticos Righteous Club

The Reverend Samuel Rodriguez makes it: That Might Makes
Right .. when it is welded to swing elections. The Reverend
arrives at the use of the political club, if the main politico
parties in this country exercise any kind of a platform to bar Brown Hispanic People who are here illegally.

The Reverend sees such a bar - as aggressive racism against people who are Brown. Mexico a country of over 100 million, for
example, can't seem to match the energy of Ireland and China. The politico will of Mexico is transferred to the United States; and now the Reverend states that those numbers will be used to sever the legs of the new racism that that would threaten Brown immigration to this country.

Jesus Christ was not a militarist evangelical. and he observed that laws were to be observed.

author wrote: "As members of the fast-growing brown evangelical community..."

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So while screaming racism ... to quote you "the behemoth of racism in our nation", you don't seem to have a problem with segregating people by the color of their skin into political groups.

In other words, if we do not believe your political views, then we're racist? Wow, no wonder you see a racist everywhere.

Racist ... boy has that word lost it's meaning.

How can Hispanic evangelicals voice a commitment to ending racism while simeltaneously committing themselves to destroying equal rights for women in this country? Maybe your confusion in due, in large part, to the fact that while you loathe descrimination against "brown" men, you salvate at the idea of discriminating legally against women of all colors.

Exactly what does this group's hispanicity add to discussions of public policy? Why is it assumed that an Hispanic views issues different from any other American? People do not think with their skin color or with their ethnicity- they do that with their brains and metaphorically with their hearts. Blacks do vote in overwhelming majorities for left wing candidates and for black candidates
but more Americanized Hispanics are not as circumscribed by ethnicity. 43% of Hispanics voted for Bush in 2004 and well illustrates the fact that Hispanics prefer thinking for themselves and as individuals. Group-think is fine for sheep.

Why should the Republicans get any credibility on the issue of abortion? Certainly the Democratic Party has upheld the Roe decision consistantly. The Republicans have opposed Roe, calling abortion "murder" and the years since Roe "a holocaust". However the Republicans have never DONE anything about abortion. When they have held both houses of congress, a massive Republican majority on the SCOTUS, and the White House they have done nothing. Why is this? Could it be because if Republicans started passing laws against abortion they might lose the rest of the country? Could it be that by doing nothing beyond proclaiming their "support for life" they are keeping the support (money and votes) of well meaning pro-life folks?
When are the pro-life folks going to wake up? The Republicans have been pimping you folks to the polls every 2-4 years and otherwise ignoring your cause. It was under Democratic policies that the number of abortions dropped for 8 years.
Oddly once Dubya took office the federal government stopped tracking numbers of abortions - why is that? Why wouldn't they want people to know if the rate of abortion went up once a Republican took office?

I ask these questions a lot, and the usual response from pro-life people is silence. I expect the same here.

"So what do we do? On one hand, do we support the candidate who invested,...in supporting
and immigration."

"comprehensive immigration reform and deterring the deportation of 12 million of our brethren?"

"Or do we support Obama who stands on the polar opposite end ...yet resonates with us on health care, education, poverty alleviation, immigration and other justice concerns?"

"Immigration reform"

"McCain's commitment to immigration reform alone should prompt all Hispanics to make him the candidate of choice..."

"research presented by Dr. Gaston Espinosa from Claremont McKenna College, immigration does not even appear in the top 5 concerns for Hispanic voters"

"capture a constituency that voted 68% for George W. Bush in 2004." (Because of his support for immigrant amnesty)

"Will abortion trump immigration?"

I don't especially mind that none of this has anything whatsoever to do with religious beliefs-

But out of 11 paragraphs- 8 are about immigration.

It is ok- we know it is all about immigration.

Maybe you could link the study and its parameters-

Many Hispanics understand that racism is racism and it is wrong, whether from whites towards blacks or blacks towards whites.
Obama has come accross as representing black racism. His closeness to Rev wright, Farrakan, Malcom X, etc. When people look at Obama (and Michelle Obama as well), they see the racist black person that we have seen on TV, movies, and everyday in society, where they express rudeness, bad language, demanding special treatment, and hatred for America and white people. Hispanics voters hate racism, so they feel right voting for McCain. What about the mayority of white voters? Obama is not going to win, is probably the best prediction we can make.