Okay, so here's an issue that I have been wrestling with for some time. As a Christian living in the USA, where I'm given the freedom to vote, am I under obligation to vote? Or to put it another way, is it a sin to abstain from voting in political elections?
So where did this come from? When I was in high school I was a very outspoken Republican. In fact, when I recently reconnected with an old high school "sparing" mate on Facebook, she asked if I still listened to Rush Limbaugh. As a Christian who doesn't want anything to hinder my testimony about the good news of Jesus, my response was ouch! You see in college I realized that not only aren't political issues black and white but they also unnecessarily take away from my Christian testimony. So I went from politically conservative to apathetic.
As I have thought about this issue over the years I have come to the conclusion that being a Christian isn't about being a Republican, Democrat or any other political party for that matter. Being a Christian is about having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ by grace through faith. However, this doesn't help me address the issue of how to vote.
Voting seems to come down to moral issues and the obvious number one being abortion. Should Christians be one issue voters? Aren't there other political issues that are also moral? If there are, how should these affect a Christian's vote? Is there one that trumps all the rest? If not, how do you decide when none of the few political options available uphold all the issues?
Another related question is, should you decide the same way for all elections? Should I think about my vote for president the same way as for local city council? Does it matter what views the local city council have on abortion or war?
And for that matter, should a Christian vote at all? (Now I know I am going to ruffle some feathers) If there is no candidate that completely upholds all relevant moral issues then wouldn't a vote for any candidate be sinful in that you'd be supporting some immorality?
It seems there are two Christian camps these days. On the one hand you have the pro-life camp which votes based solely on the abortion issue. On the other hand you have those who argue that there are other moral issues to consider (e.g. war, poverty and the environment).
Maybe the whole voting issue for Christian falls under the category of Christian freedom. That if it's a sin for you to vote one way or the other (or at all) then it's a sin to you (Rom 14:23).
What are you thoughts? I am eager to hear biblical wisdom on this issue. Also, if you know of resources that address these concerns I'd be interested in those as well. Thanks.
By God's Grace, Jeff
2 comments:
Jeff, it's funny you mention this, I've probably been on a similar trajectory as you have. Just this week I mailed in my voter registration here in PA and plan to vote for the first time, and a month or so ago some of the guys from my small group spent an evening discussing the civic and political obligations of Christians.
While not directly about the issue of whether or not to vote, I will confess that one resource that has been shifting me away from "apathy" and towards "voting, done responsibly, is a good thing" has been reading Albert Mohler's blog at www.albertmohler.com. He writes often about issues in culture and the church and is pretty persuasive about the importance of Christians taking a stand on important issues within the culture, for God's glory even if the prospect of actually changing minds seems slim.
Right now I think I'd lean toward voting locally more than voting nationally, but perhaps that's just my latent cynicism about there being any difference between the major parties (other than rhetorical) coming out.
I'll let you know in November if I decide to check the box next to McCain, or leave that one blank.
Adam
Hey Jeff. I'm not sure if I can offer direct Biblical advice. One position is that God appoints all government leaders, so do we reallly need to vote? Another is that it is our responsibility to do what we can to steer this nation on a path that is honorable and Godly.
After all, our founding fathers received most of their thoughts on the founding documents of this country from the Bible. So, it would see that, even though I don't know an exact reference, that we should vote.
All that said, this election was tough because we had a devil and a liar on the ticket. So, for whom do we vote? One view is that we vote for the liar over the devil since the liar is sometimes truthful and is not on the same level as the devil. But, it becomes a tough choice. If we vote for no one, then evil can easily win. But, what if both candidates are evil in some right? Do we then vote for the lesser of two evils?
I voted as I did. Unfortunately, the devil won...so, we shall see what God has planned with such a devil in office.
Sorry, I realize I provided more questions than answers. But, unfortunately, I know more about computers than Christian politics. I do my best with my knowledge of Scripture, that's all I can for now.
Post a Comment