We're all exposed daily to messages of all types from personal friends, the media, reading materials, conferences, discourses, teachings of all kinds, but something special happens during election seasons.

 

What is this something special? It is that some people want to be at the helm of a position of power; he/she will do and say most anything to convince the majority of the voting population that they are the right person for the job. Of course this happens at every level, wherever there is a public servant position to be determined by a popular vote. Every position in civil government is important and should not be taken lightly.

 

There are men and women in politics who have personal interests and want a certain segment of society to approve their ideas and their goals, which may be very different from what the majority wants. When this is the case, the politician must use his or her convincing abilities to the degree of even attracting people of opposing views and convince them that they are the right person for that position.

 

When a candidate with a charismatic personality has ideals contrary to those of the majority of voters in a society, this is a very real danger. This politician has worked hard to develop his or her extremely powerful weapon which is a magnetic personality; they possess a powerfully sophisticated ability of persuasion.  

 

He or she may demonstrate clearly defined leadership skills, ability to inspire and influence people. In addition, people respond with great admiration because they feel they can project themselves through this person. History shows a strong dosage of these powerfully charismatic leaders, especially in the 20th century.

 

Let us consider the most obvious of all in the 20^th Century, Adolf Hitler, even though there were others of his era that superseded him. Adolf Hitler used great dynamics, charisma and impressive oratory. His enormous ability to touch the inherent appetites, passions and desires of people in order to manipulate them was uncanny. The extremely trying times of the German society, their defeat in the First World War, the severe economical and social problems, and their tremendous disillusionment with the political system were all in Hitler's favor because people wanted change. Conditions were ripe for a society to accept a Hitler; he offered them a millennial paradise, which lasted 12 years and three months.

 

The lessons to be learned from this are that nominal Christians, Protestants, evangelicals, Catholics and other forms of Christianity as well as Jews were captivated by all this. The first to notice this were the Jews; others followed later but it was too late.

 

We are obligated to look beyond those words replete with empty promises opening up hope for a new world and a better life. The best filters to spot danger are the words of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John records the following:

 “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).

 

We must be aware of the downfalls of human nature and not justhear what they are saying or what we want to hear. We must look beyond their inspiring messages whose only goal is to win us over with political campaign tactics.

 

If the candidate has a political background, examine his career as a public servant, how has he/she served? What legislation have they supported that affect or benefit society? Since we are living in times of resurging leftist ideology, ask yourself what is the position of the candidate? What philosophies, associations and influences have mentored them throughout their life? Is he or she in favor of murdering babies in the mother’s womb or are they adamant against such practices? Does he or she consider that same-sex “marriage” is the new form of interpreting family contrary to thousands of years that prove just the opposite? Does they know how to respect the importance of liberty, the right to private property or do they want to use government to control liberty and steal the productivity of industrious people to give it to someone else who feels entitled to it?   

 

Citizens have the right and the responsibility to question the background, character and proposals of any candidate who wants a position of power in this nation no matter what the level.

 

It is common knowledge that the media, for the most part, has a liberal leftist bias and will always favor those who represent their interests without revealing the true socialist ideology of the candidate they favor.

 

This is where the work, discipline, and responsibility of every Christian citizen comes in, those who want to see the nation restored to godliness.   

 

This work includes destroying any myth that is generated around a candidate. We must go beyond the rhetoric, proposals and empty promises of candidates and see what is really hidden behind these tantalizing offers.