Why I am an evangelical for Harris

When fellow evangelical Christians and other conservatives hear the name Evangelicals For Harris, some are perplexed, others angry and still others overjoyed to find us.

Can one be both an evangelical and for Vice President Kamala Harris? The answer is yes, since we exist. Over 250,000 self-identified evangelicals are connected to our campaign so far, and we are continuing to grow.

Some think we must not really be evangelicals, because we are not supporting the Republican candidate for president. For them, the partisan connection is deep, because for decades GOP presidential candidates and the Republican party platform have been anti-abortion.

Yet there is no anti-abortion candidate in this race. Trump has been quite clear, including in his debate with Harris, that he wants abortion left up to the states, and he made sure his new position was reflected in major changes to the party platform. The states can allow abortion, or not.

So the anti-abortion test is ruled out, because neither of the candidates or parties pass.

So what other criteria should an evangelical Christian consider when voting for president this year?

For us, character still counts. When push comes to shove, which candidate will put the interests of the country first, even ahead of his or her own? Harris’s life has been about public service. We believe she will do what is best for the country.

Who is the pro-family candidate? Harris will continue to protect and expand healthcare while making it affordable. She will continue to enhance child wellbeing by improving gun safety, helping those in poverty and reducing pollution that harms both born and unborn children. She will work to make childcare more affordable and pre-K free. As a former prosecutor, Harris will continue to keep families safe by reducing crime. Finally, Harris will continue to help the economy create good paying jobs, keep wages up and inflation down and help first-time home buyers with $25,000 for the down-payment.

Who is the candidate who will defend democracy and the rule of law? As a former prosecutor and California attorney general, Harris’s career has been about upholding the rule of law. Win or lose, she will respect the will of the people and accept the outcome of the election.

One of our chief criteria for evaluating and choosing our leaders are the teachings of Jesus calling us to help the vulnerable. In a recent op-ed in The Hill, Merrill Matthews criticized us on this score. He recognized that Jesus said we should help the vulnerable. But, he says, “that responsibility was on his followers as individuals; it can’t be offloaded to the government.”

For us, personal charity is commendable, but it is no substitute for biblical justice, which is rooted both in God’s love for everyone and the biblical assertion that we are all made in the image of God. These ideas undergird our belief as citizens that we are all created equal.

In a representative democracy like ours, it is the people who are ultimately sovereign. We are, effectively, like the ancient kings of Israel and Judah. The prophets called them and all those in power to establish justice, to see that everyone had what they need to live the lives God intended for them — because God loves them.

That’s why there is a special concern for the vulnerable and powerless in society — the widow, the orphan, the stranger. In Matthew 25, Jesus so completely identifies with them that he says that what we do — or don’t do — for them, we do or don’t do for him. Furthermore, Jesus expressly says that it is what we do unto the “least of these” — the hungry, thirsty, foreigner, sick, prisoner and those so poor they can’t afford clothes — that will determine how we are judged.

Vice President Harris has said that the parable of the Good Samaritan inspires and guides her public service, that it is about loving others. Matthew 25 lets us in on a little secret: We are to see the vulnerable man in the ditch that the Samaritan helped as Jesus himself.

Given this biblical understanding, we dare not separate love from justice; indeed, we cannot, because justice comes from love.

This biblical call for justice, based upon love, is why we are so grateful for Harris’s call to renew and expand the child tax credit — one of the most effective public policies in American history at reducing child poverty. Harris has proposed a $6,000 tax cut for families with newborn children.

Justice is a key reason why we are for climate action, because an adverse climate hits those with the least resources the hardest. Harris will continue to fight for climate change solutions.

We believe our call as Christians to help the vulnerable and those in need includes efforts as both individuals and as citizens to advocate for policies and vote for politicians that will do the same — to help lift them up and give them a shot at the American Dream.

At Evangelicals For Harris, we are a big tent and a diverse lot. The only thing you need to be to join us is a self-identified evangelical Christian who is for Harris. That’s it.

So if you are concerned about any of the criteria I’ve outlined — character, family, democracy and the rule of law, helping the vulnerable — then join us.

The Rev. Jim Ball, Ph.D., is founder and chair of Evangelicals For Harris.