We Endorse John McCain

It will surprise no one that Charisma is endorsing John McCain for president of the United States. The actual endorsement will appear in our October issue, in the mail on Sept. 15. You are getting an advance copy here.

But what may surprise you is why we chose him over the other candidate.

We understand why some like Barack Obama. He is young and personable, and his call for change is something that resonates with many Americans. He has reached out to the evangelical community as has no other Democrat since Jimmy Carter. And he is clear when he articulates his Christian faith, even though he has stated publicly that

Christianity is not the only road to heaven.

We applaud the fact that Obama is the first African-American to be nominated by a major party. We believe it's time America elected a person of color as president.

But otherwise we can't support him. One reason is his lack of experience. He does not have one major accomplishment to his name in his life as a public servant. Another reason is his view on the sanctity of life. Even though he told me in a meeting with Christian leaders in June that he does not believe in abortion, he says the first thing he'll do as president is pass the Freedom of Choice Act, a law which would annihilate every state law limiting or regulating abortion, including the federal ban on partial birth abortion.

This nation is greatly divided on the issue of abortion. But most evangelicals agree that abortion is wrong. I believe this issue alone will cause many Americans who would otherwise vote for a likeable candidate such as Obama to vote against him.

The third reason we cannot support Obama is his sympathy toward those who are attempting to legitimize homosexuality. Since the beginning of recorded history, marriage has been defined as a union between one man and one woman, an institution designed by God for the primary purpose of bringing children into the world and raising them in a family. But radicals in our country now want to change the definition to include unions between two people of the same sex.

Many of them are also pushing for the passage of legislation that would give homosexuals special legal rights and that would protect them from "hate speech," loosely defined as language that criticizes them in any way, even if it is based on biblical beliefs. We must not elect a leader who will support this legislation or aid the homosexual agenda in any way—because if same-sex marriage is ever legalized or protected on a national level, there will be no turning back.

But the argument against Obama and for McCain goes beyond their levels of experience and their stands on abortion and homosexuality. There is a basic difference in their philosophies of government. McCain is for limited government, and Obama sees government as the solution to all major problems in society.

As Marc Nuttle says in his book Moment of Truth, the Democrats would take us down a dark path toward big government. Such a government would limit our freedoms and increase oppressive control. Picture France and Germany—and then contrast this image with that of the America McCain would lead. Below, I give you an opportunity to get a copy of this important book. Click Here

In an interview with Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in August, McCain and Obama gave answers that were polar opposites. When asked about evil, Obama mentioned Darfur and child abuse—both standard liberal answers. But McCain didn't hedge about evil in the world. He said he'd stop at nothing to get Osama bin Laden. He wants to bring our troops home from Iraq, but only "in victory and with honor," while Obama has said he'd be willing to negotiate with terrorist governments such as Iran. View Interview Here

McCain would allow offshore drilling to solve the dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Obama would oppose it. And they would each support very different candidates for the Supreme Court.

In the Saddleback interview, McCain was strong, decisive and honest about himself in a way that caught everyone by surprise. (If you missed the interview, you can click here to watch it.)

McCain is a true American hero who has served this country well in Congress for nearly 25 years. He has a history of bipartisanship, yet he is definitely his own man—something that comes through in his interview with me that will also appear in the October issue of Charisma.

Now there is an extra reason to vote for John McCain—his choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. I applaud him for this wise choice. As you probably know, Palin's record as a strong conservative on issues such as anti-abortion, pro-family and a supporter of gun rights have rallied the Republican Party's conservative base and at the same time sent the liberal left into a frenzy. Later I'll write about Gov. Palin, but first I want a chance to interview her personally and to research her background.

Interestingly for a magazine that has served the Pentecostal/charismatic community for more than three decades, Sarah Palin has an Assemblies of God background. That's not reason alone to vote for her—just as John McCain's record as a war hero alone doesn't make him qualified to be president. But it does tell me something about her values and belief system. I'll opine more about this later.

To me, the choice is clear: Obama's presidency would be a disaster in many ways; McCain's would move our country in the right direction. We urge you to encourage everyone you know to back John McCain and vote for him on November 4.