I AM A DEMOCRAT BECAUSE I AM A CHRISTIAN
OpEd/Letter to the Editor from the Democratic Nominee for Governor
JACKSON – The following is an OpEd/Letter to the Editor from the Democratic nominee for Governor of Mississippi, John Eaves. Yesterday, Eaves won the nomination of his party to face Governor Haley Barbour in November’s general election.
I AM A DEMOCRAT BECAUSE I AM A CHRISTIAN
As I talk with people from across the great state of Mississippi, everywhere I go folks ask me, “How are you a Christian and a Democrat?” I answer that I am a Democrat because I am a Christian.
Political parties are worldly creations, and so they will never be perfect. But I believe the Democratic Party understands that we are at our best when we work together for the common good. We are a party that has always invested in people. As Jesus teaches in Matthew 25:45 we must care for the least among us, for “when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”
I believe that every life is sacred, and that being pro-life means protecting children before and after they’re born. I will work to bring an end to abortions in this state, but this past year Mississippi became the state with the highest infant mortality rate in the nation. As a pro-life candidate, that is simply unacceptable to me.
I believe we should provide health care for all of God’s people. I have a plan called KidCare that will start by providing health care coverage for every child in Mississippi. It’s affordable, and would save the state money in the long run.
And when Jesus threw the moneychangers out of the temple, I believe he set an example we should follow today. It is the moneychangers of big oil, big tobacco, and big insurance that have held our state back for far too long. As Governor I’ll serve none but my Creator and the people, not the special interests.
It is hubris for any party to claim to be God’s party, and none ever will be. We must all walk together as Democrats, Republicans, and independents to truly create a new day for Mississippi.
But for me, I am a Democrat because I am a Christian.
John Arthur Eaves Campaign Release
8/8/7
Magnolia Tribune
