A Christian's Voting Philosophy
1. Stop thinking about the lesser of two evils.
The Bible admonishes us to have nothing to do with evil, lesser or otherwise. (Psalm 26, Psalm 34, Psalm 37, Psalm 97, Psalm 141, Proverbs 3, Proverbs 8, Romans 12, 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonian's 5, and I could go on and on and on)
So when we vote for an evil, even if it a lesser evil than the other guy, I think we have done something as Christians, that Christ has told us specifically not to do. This doesn't mean that we have to agree with everything a candidate believes, but it does mean that we have a responsibility before God to vote for those people who will do their best to glorify the Lord. God receiving Glory is (or should be) our main concern.
Also, thinking purely pragmatically here, voting for the lesser of two evils has gotten us literally NOWHERE for the past 50 or so years. It's said that insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
2. Stop thinking that you have to vote, or have to vote in every race.
Sometimes, their is no one to vote for that will not do evil. If your choices are a communistic democrat, or a socialistic republican, that's not really much of a choice. We should not be forced to deny our Lord and vote for evil simply because we feel compelled to cast a vote.
3. Understand the purpose of government.
God has a LOT to say about Government's purpose and place on this earth. I think it boils down to this. Government is a tool of dominion over people for the purposes of protecting innocent lives, punishing evil doers, and establishing civil justice. That is it's purpose. It's not to make sure your seat belt is buckled, or that you are educating your children correctly.
Why is this important? Well think of it like this, it's like using a wrench to turn a screw. Government is a tool, and like any tool, it must be used properly. When we make decisions for people to execute the offices of government, we must choose those who understand it's purpose. Those who don't understand Government's purpose will misuse it and chaos ensues.
4. Develop a test to evaluate candidates.
Being in government lends itself to a lust for power and prestige. I like to look for humble candidates that understand that their role is to give glory to God within their position of power. Jesus wears a crown as king of creation, and with that crown come certain rights. He has a right to rule over this nation. Our rulers and candidates to be rulers should remember that. (Read Romans 13)
Also, I make it my personal policy to never vote for any candidate anywhere that is not 100% pro-life with no exceptions or compromises. Why? Because if a candidate doesn't understand that a child is the most innocent among us, and in most need of our protection, then they fail to grasp the idea that their role is to use the power of their office to protect that innocent life, seek justice for the wrong done to him/her, and punish those who have committed the evil.
If, instead, the candidate sees the pre-born child as something instead of someone, or someone who's death is tolerable under certain circumstances; the consequences of such a stance have literally no end. At what point is the life worth defending? What is more evil than baby murder that deserves punishment? If the most innocent among us are refused justice, who shall receive justice, and on what merits?
From there, you can go on to other issues the Bible speaks about, namely Liberty and Property. These issues tend to be a bit nuanced, so I can't necessarily give you a "litmus test", but I encourage you to ask the questions on almost every "non-life" policy. "Does that stance unnecessarily impede on my liberty, or my rights to property?"
5. Don't expect to be happy the day after election day.
This world is full of evil and evil men will ultimately rule it. The society gets rulers that reflect it. The way to change your rulers is to change your people, not to vote for the lesser of two evils. If you want Christ glorified in your capitals, glorify Him at home and in your life. Preach His word to all who will listen, and to some who will not. A revival that only God can bring will do more to change this nation than a compromising political party or candidate.
The Bible admonishes us to have nothing to do with evil, lesser or otherwise. (Psalm 26, Psalm 34, Psalm 37, Psalm 97, Psalm 141, Proverbs 3, Proverbs 8, Romans 12, 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonian's 5, and I could go on and on and on)
So when we vote for an evil, even if it a lesser evil than the other guy, I think we have done something as Christians, that Christ has told us specifically not to do. This doesn't mean that we have to agree with everything a candidate believes, but it does mean that we have a responsibility before God to vote for those people who will do their best to glorify the Lord. God receiving Glory is (or should be) our main concern.
Also, thinking purely pragmatically here, voting for the lesser of two evils has gotten us literally NOWHERE for the past 50 or so years. It's said that insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
2. Stop thinking that you have to vote, or have to vote in every race.
Sometimes, their is no one to vote for that will not do evil. If your choices are a communistic democrat, or a socialistic republican, that's not really much of a choice. We should not be forced to deny our Lord and vote for evil simply because we feel compelled to cast a vote.
3. Understand the purpose of government.
God has a LOT to say about Government's purpose and place on this earth. I think it boils down to this. Government is a tool of dominion over people for the purposes of protecting innocent lives, punishing evil doers, and establishing civil justice. That is it's purpose. It's not to make sure your seat belt is buckled, or that you are educating your children correctly.
Why is this important? Well think of it like this, it's like using a wrench to turn a screw. Government is a tool, and like any tool, it must be used properly. When we make decisions for people to execute the offices of government, we must choose those who understand it's purpose. Those who don't understand Government's purpose will misuse it and chaos ensues.
4. Develop a test to evaluate candidates.
Being in government lends itself to a lust for power and prestige. I like to look for humble candidates that understand that their role is to give glory to God within their position of power. Jesus wears a crown as king of creation, and with that crown come certain rights. He has a right to rule over this nation. Our rulers and candidates to be rulers should remember that. (Read Romans 13)
Also, I make it my personal policy to never vote for any candidate anywhere that is not 100% pro-life with no exceptions or compromises. Why? Because if a candidate doesn't understand that a child is the most innocent among us, and in most need of our protection, then they fail to grasp the idea that their role is to use the power of their office to protect that innocent life, seek justice for the wrong done to him/her, and punish those who have committed the evil.
If, instead, the candidate sees the pre-born child as something instead of someone, or someone who's death is tolerable under certain circumstances; the consequences of such a stance have literally no end. At what point is the life worth defending? What is more evil than baby murder that deserves punishment? If the most innocent among us are refused justice, who shall receive justice, and on what merits?
From there, you can go on to other issues the Bible speaks about, namely Liberty and Property. These issues tend to be a bit nuanced, so I can't necessarily give you a "litmus test", but I encourage you to ask the questions on almost every "non-life" policy. "Does that stance unnecessarily impede on my liberty, or my rights to property?"
5. Don't expect to be happy the day after election day.
This world is full of evil and evil men will ultimately rule it. The society gets rulers that reflect it. The way to change your rulers is to change your people, not to vote for the lesser of two evils. If you want Christ glorified in your capitals, glorify Him at home and in your life. Preach His word to all who will listen, and to some who will not. A revival that only God can bring will do more to change this nation than a compromising political party or candidate.
posted by jmarinara at 8:41 PM
3 Comments:
Amen!
I plan on not voting in the 1st District Assembly race because I don't like either candidate.
as someone who is a pro-life democrat, I would like to ask you a question.
What do you think of the belief that, as described in the Jewish religion, and alluded to in the OT, a human being does not become a "living soul" until after they are born? For example, the law given to the Israelites in Exodus 21:22,23 it indicates that if a pregnant woman is harmed due to a struggle between two others, and the baby dies, but she does not, the penalty is monetary damages. But if the wife dies, then the "eye for an eye" rule applies. This would seem to indicate that the fetus is not afforded the full rights of a born person.
Thanks Pete, I kinda forgot to respond. :-P
Realism:
Peter answered your question in about the same way as I would have.
I would also encourage you to look to scripture as your answer for what God thinks before looking to tradition. God has repeated his passion and regard for life from conception repeatedly throughout scripture. I only bring that up because man's traditions on this issue are widely varied and typically radically different from plain teaching of scripture. It can be confusing unless you prioritize God's word over man's.
Feel free to ask further questions or e-mail me privately if you wish. Oh, and sorry I didn't get to you right away. :-)
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