According to Pew Research, more than half of Texans consider religion to be very important. As the upcoming election approaches, many will look toward their religious values when picking candidates.
Intisar Gamalele, a NE student from Sudan who identifies as Muslim said abortion is “haram,” which means it is impermissible in Islam. However, she agrees that in some cases it should be allowed.
“If you’re sick or you aren’t able to [give birth], you have a right to go to the doctor and get an abortion,” Gamalele said.
NE student Jonathan Humphrey said he originally wasn’t going to vote but was convinced to vote for former President Donald Trump due to his stance on abortion.
“I was talking to a friend about it, and he’s like, ‘Look, at the very least I could be happy with Trump because he’s going to have less abortion under him,’ he said. “That’s the primary reason why [I’m voting for him]. Everything else is secondary.”
Tarrant County Bishop Mark D. Kirkland, a non-denominational member of the Muslim and Hebrew-Israelite faith, said he is pro-life. However, he understands some prochoice arguments.
“I don’t think rich white men should be sitting in a room deciding what women should do with their bodies,” he said.
Kirkland emphasized the importance of voting to make sure your voice is heard, especially in local elections.
“I plan to be more active for local electives than I plan to be for the national election,” he said.
“What happens at the bottom affects us more than what happens at the top.”
Faith plays a big role in Kirkland’s life. He said he doesn’t align with the Democratic or Republican party due to his beliefs and wishes to see a new candidate all together. He said he wants to see the younger population make way for a new candidate.
“I want to personally challenge [the youth] to get involved in the electoral process this time and over the next three or four years, if their candidate wins, I want them to evaluate their decision to vote, to determine their future plans of voting,” he said.
Sean Foushee, a NE graphic design instructor and an evangelical Christian, said his ideal candidate is someone who brings people together.
“We have too many candidates that meddle in that concept of either you agree with us or you’re the enemy,” he said. “And if you don’t fully agree with us then we’re going to tear you down negatively.”
Foushee said many people put their faith into fleeting things, including politicians.
“People get really wrapped up in the politics of things without stepping back and realizing that we’re talking about people that we’re voting for, and people are flawed,” he said.
“Everybody, including Christians, every walk of faith, we’re all flawed. “
He said people forget about core religious teachings such as loving all people despite their political leanings.
“If you don’t vote for my person and the other person wins, there’s going to be catastrophe upon catastrophe,” he said.
“There’ll be a world war. Borders will be flung wide open, and the entire country will be turned upside down. It doesn’t matter which side of the political spectrum you’re talking about. They both are talking Armageddon over a single person.”
Foushee said he is able to look beyond the divisive political climate due to his strong belief system and ability to give evidence of why he believes in what he does from a faithbased perspective.
“Be ready to give a defense for what you believe with gentleness and kindness,” he said. “I feel that’s something that’s missing in today’s society.”
