WWJD?

He'd vote Republican, according to James Dobson and his minister friends.

Yes, I know, this isn't news. It annoys me, though, to see people taking something as personal and meaningful as religion and turning it into a political tool. The Religious Right discourages good Christians from voting for a Democrat even when the Democratic candidate might be the one who most closely matches that individual's values, and they discourage good thinking people from voting for a Republican even when the Republican candidate might be the better choice, because who in their right mind wants to be associated with the Religious Right?

I respect the LDS church for refraining from endorsing specific candidates or parties--I've never heard anyone cross that line over the pulpit, and I've had some pretty politically-biased bishops. I'm perplexed by Mormons who align themselves with the Religious Right, ignoring the fact that James Dobson, George W., and their ilk would no sooner sit down to dinner with a Mormon than with a homosexual.

I'm embarrassed to say that the first time I voted was in 2004, and even more embarrassed to admit that I didn't do my research before hitting the polls--in many cases, I didn't know anything about the candidates, so I blindly voted for the Democrat, which makes me no better than the BYU student who was quoted in the New York Times as saying that she only voted for Bush because he seemed like a good, religious person, not because she knew anything about the issues. Foxy and I sent in our voter registration forms earlier this week, and I've vowed to repent of my lazy ways. I don't know if my vote will make a difference, but at least if I read up on all the people and things I'm voting on, I can feel morally superior to those who don't.