Op-Ed: The Christian Vote – Analyzing The Turnout and The Issues
By Bob Shillingstad • November 10, 2022This past election was called by many as, “the most important election of our lifetime.” We’ve heard that before and maybe it is true. There is no doubt that if you are a Christian you have felt the insanity in our government and our culture. If this election was about voting for sanity perhaps it was the most important of our lifetime. About 80% of Republican registered voters according to Pew Research say they are Christians, compared with about half of Democratic voters. In turn, Democratic voters are much more likely than GOP voters to identify as religiously unaffiliated (38% vs 15%).
Why do we bring this up after the election? I believe we are in not only a political battle, but a spiritual battle. We are facing demonic forces that are in our face and the events of the past few years have ripped the mask off of the enemy and in many ways as Pogo said, “He is us.” Voting results on Tuesday told us that California, Michigan, and Vermont voters decided to enshrine the killing of babies in their respective constitutions. A proposed vote in Kansas earlier that would have removed the right to baby killing was defeated and now more states are gearing up for ballot initiatives in 2024 to protect this gruesome procedure. My Faith Votes says one in three Christians do not vote consistently.
The political battle extends to our schools and what is being taught and how that affects our young people. We know that for decades our children have been in these government indoctrination centers learning that all of creation came about through billions of years of evolution. A lie from the pit of hell and yet we not only accept the lie, but do little in our homes to counteract it. A recent book by Eric Metaxas called Is Atheism Dead takes this subject head-on and destroys every argument. A recommended read and a great gift to children and grandchildren.
Now of course the intellectual ruling class has, along with corporate media, told us that we might not be the sex we were created with. We can transgender through drugs and surgery. The libraries and schools have reinforced this with books and curriculum for children as you young as preschoolers. Drag queen performances are to be lauded and encouraged for the entire family. North Idaho libraries and schools are not exempt from this onslaught.
Parents are to keep quiet and mind their own business. We saw this during the Chinese Covid flu pandemic. Hundreds of parents in 2020-21 pleaded with the school district to not require masks, shots, and disruption to education. The scientific studies showed that there was no reason for these measures, young people were neither vectors or victims of this outbreak. They were treated like terrorists and troublemakers. In fact, the National School Board Association sent a letter to President Biden that asked for the full power of the Federal Government to be used against anyone with an alternate opinion. Citing an increase in “acts of malice, violence, and threats against public school officials,” the letter stated that “the classification of these heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.” It pleaded for help from a variety of federal agencies, including the FBI Counterterrorism Division. The CDA district lost 10% of their students during the 2020-21 school year!
The battle against people of faith won’t stop there. This past week the Coeur d’Alene School Supt. Shon Hocker has taken it upon himself to tell the CDA schools that they will be halting the use of Skate Plaza for fundraising in the future until an investigation is completed. Dr. Hocker has not brought up his boycott against Skate Plaza to the board in a public setting. Candlelight Church owns and operates Skate Plaza for the community use and Pastor Paul VanNoy has been outspoken on political issues including school funding levies. Dr. Hocker’s objection, however, according to his statement was that they “played Christian music.”
I talked to Pastor Van Noy about the objection and he told me that, “Yes, we play Christian music and other instrumental music without lyrics, much like the Kroc Center.” He then said he called Dr. Hocker when he heard about his objection and told him that if groups rent the facility, they are welcome to bring their own instrumental music. He then invited Dr. Hocker to meet for lunch and they set a date. At a subsequent board meeting Dr. Hocker reiterated his boycott and mentioned nothing about Pastor Van Noy’s invitation. Another example of animus towards Christians.
That is why during the “pandemic” they closed churches, but not liquor stores. I guess people would have stormed the liquor stores! Only if we had that same boldness. Christians, if possible, need to put their children in a Christian or charter school or best of all, home-schooling. Now that the election is over, encourage your legislator to adopt a voucher program similar to Arizona and other states.
Educate yourself about the North Idaho College trustee board issues. We have some brave people on that board. The Hagadone newspaper and other corporate entities dumped tens of thousands of dollars to mimic and trick voters into voting for a slate of liberals who have no use for truth or Christian principles in education or life. Become educated and don’t let them do this again. Stand for truth, the spiritual fight isn’t over.
Tags: 2022 Election, Candlelight Church, CDA SD, Christians, Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene School District, Pastor Paul VanNoy, Shon Hocker
21 thoughts on “Op-Ed: The Christian Vote – Analyzing The Turnout and The Issues”
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Stand with God.
Stand with Faith.
Stand with the Constitution.
Stand with Idaho’s Constitution.
One needs to look no further than those who supported, lead Idaho’s House and Senate, voted for, or signed into law this summer’s RS299902 to see those that violated their Oath to our Constitution and their disregard for God’s Truth in action.
Idaho has a full deck of Democrats and RINO Republicans that must be voted out of office or removed from office for violating Our Constitution.
AMEN!
How can we remove those who violate our Constitution?
Because of other nearby states having voting/ ballot issues, do you think that Idaho ppl might have been buffaloed thinking that are system is on the straight and narrow?
Agree with all you’ve said.
Our nation is in a deep slide. Good people had better wake up and DO SOMETHING before it’s too late.
Good op-ed true to it’s title. I looked at the Skate Plaza’s reviews and the majority of negative comments were about the music. One could question if this is a religious indoctrination center? Does a venue like that have a place in the public schools fundraising system? Could the music be changed to a less religious beat making it a more “neutral” venue for school fundraising?
Nobody’s voting for these things. These elections are taking place on voting machines where it has been demonstrated many times that the results can be edited before submission.
http://Www.inthebible.life
The church offered Hocker the option of the school bringing and playing their own music yet we know this story is not about music choices. Neither were the lockdowns and masking about containing a virus. The public education system (talk about “indoctrination centers!) abhors an active church and will garner all possible forces to shut them up. This is truly a spiritual battle.
Spot on.
After this last election I am convinced that the American Citizens are happy with the status quo. Lock downs, government control, large government dictating what the citizen can and can not do, anti church, on and on.
Idaho is not a red state, not even close. Again Idaho has elected democrats in all but one state executive office. democrats hide in the Republican party because they know they can’t get elected as their true color. Idaho had the chance to set the path to freedom, instead they chose the status quo.
You’re almost right. Idaho was a purple state before RINO Little was re-elected. Now it’s blue. You elected him folks, now suffer for a few more years, then elect another liberal democrat just like you did this year. Shame is that conservatives have to suffer too. He bought himself another election with his tax rebate because he wasn’t finished with the purple to blue scenario……. And you drank his cool-aid.
Sounds like time for a change of Superintendent.
Time for change is past. Idaho has turned liberal, and it’s full of RINO’s. So now it’s too late.
I fear that you’re right.
That’s a good thing
So lets all call and demand that they get rid of all voting machines in ID. Hand count.
Keep fighting these monsters at every turn.
Go ahead and call. RINO Little won’t listen BUT it may let you feel better for trying.
We reelected some that shouldn’t have been reelected.
If we believe the fraud and cheating stops at our border…we are fooling ourselves. Even when caught cheating red-handed (should be changed to BLUE now) with irrefutable proof, they still win. Why? Because it works and they win. The end justifies the means.
Will I still vote? Yes. I am not giving up, but support peaceful change and decertifying any elections where cheating is allowed to dictate the outcomes.
I was with you up to, “…encourage your legislator to adopt a voucher program similar to Arizona and other states.” I know everyone thinks this is a great idea, but the school voucher program is part of the school choice initiative, which is a rebranded form of socialized education that has roots in UNESCO.
I would encourage anyone to consider carefully the lie that school choice tries to sell. SC suggests that we need the government to give us money so we have a choice of what to do with it. If that happens, the only choices we have will be government-backed “private” schools no better than what we have now because they will not be able to discriminate between aptitudes. Furthermore, one should ask, why he needs the government to give him money that they took from him in the first place.
Choice is the opportunity to do what is right no matter the cost. We have that now. And unless you want the government looking over your homeschool shoulder, stop pushing school choice.
Preach, brother Shillingstad!