Voting Advice

 

One of the great questions that I have wrestled with in my adult life is the relationship Christians are to have with politics. I think politics hold a danger for followers of Jesus that isn’t widely talked about or even acknowledged. It is just assumed, at least in the United States, that Christians should be politically active and vote.

To merely suggest that there might be a different way to look at things invites comebacks such as, “Elections have consequences.” 

It is true that elections have consequences, but that doesn’t answer the question about the proper role politics is to play in the lives of Christians. 

Remember, what we think most about naturally becomes the most important thing to us. Thinking too much about politics allows it to become the most important thing about life (which it has, because we live in a culture where every things is political). This just one of the real dangers Christians face when getting involved in politics.

When thinking through these questions I find it useful to go back and discover what earlier Christians thought and taught. Recently I came across the above advice from John Wesley and thought it was worth considering.

What can we apply to our lives from this advice from John Wesley?

First, our vote must be a principled vote and not given because of what a candidate has promised. Government in the United States is based on constitutions. There are the individual state constitutions and there is the federal constitution. Rather than voting for the person who promises to do the most stuff (which I would consider voting for a reward), we should cast our vote for the person who promises to remain true to the Constitution.

Second, we judge a person's worthiness for political office by two factors. The first factor is whether or not they follow the constitutions that are to be the restraints placed on the government. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God." I believe that in a Constitutional Republic, the governing authorities are the constitutions. This is why a person's worthiness to represent you should be based on their willingness to uphold and defend the constitution. The second factor is their integrity. A person's character is an important factor to consider when determining whether or not they should represent you.

Third, it is crucial to remember that everyone is created in the image of God and therefore deserves our respect. You may not agree with the other side, but that does not give you the right to talk evil about them. In the long run, it is far more influential to provide a reasonable defense for your ideas then it is to declare the other side's candidate as evil.

Fourth (which I think is the most crucial piece of advice on the list), guard your heart. There is a danger that is lurking in politics for us who follow Jesus. We have to be very intentional to not dehumanize people or see people who disagree with us as the enemy. This happens all the time on Facebook, people who follow Jesus, yet when it comes to politics, they call people who disagree with them politically idiots, mentally ill, and even demonic. This is wrong. Christians need to do what we can to avoid falling into the trap of making enemies out of our political opponents. Not only does it damage our ability to demonstrate God’s character in this world, it also opens our hearts and minds to the corrupting influence of Satan.

Politics, like all things of this world, needs to be approached carefully. Followers of Jesus need to remember that there is a danger in putting an emphasis on voting and politics, because when they are mishandled they end up warring against our soul. This is why it is important for each of us to think through the role politics has in our lives.

John Wesley provided good insight for how we should vote, may we have the ears to hear what he has to say.

Not Voting is a Legitimate Option

In the United States voting is viewed as a patriotic duty and a sacred right. We are taught about the importance of voting starting in elementary school. The lesson we are to learn is that voting is the way have a voice in government.

Therefore it is not surprising that many of us have equated voting with freedom. 

"A free people are able to able to elect their leaders," we believe.

With this being a fundamental belief, for someone to even suggest that is is okay not to vote is viewed as heresy. 

The counter arguments are: "Don't you know people died to give you the right to vote!?" and "There is so much at stake in this election. You have to vote!"

With that being said, let me offer a dissenting view. It is okay not to vote. 

Our God -given rights are not protected through the process of voting.

In fact, I would argue that voting has been the process that has enabled our rights to be taken away. 

As Ron Paul wrote in his book Liberty Defined: "American political culture unfortunately, has come to worship at the altar of democratic majoritariansim." (p. 67)

What happens is that whatever party wins the majority, they believe they have a mandate from the American people to run the country. Rather than protecting the individual rights of citizens and upholding the Constitution, they embark on a mission to do what is "best for the nation." 

Usually this leads to unintended consequences (foreign policy blowback and crushing debt) and a larger and more intrusive government.

I believe that it is through the protection of personal liberty, following constitutions (state constitutions and the federal constitution), and adherence to free markets that create the best society this world can offer. In fact, there is a connection between freedom and prosperity .

By saying it is okay not to vote, I am not advocating laziness or disengagement from the political process, rather, I am saying "don't compromise your beliefs." 

Voting will not protect freedom and a vote for the "lesser of two evils" is still a vote for evil.

Here are some reasons that justify not voting:

1. I don’t want to endorse the actions of another person. One of  my fundamental beliefs is that everything is spiritual. When I vote for some one I am giving that person authority, both politically and spiritually, to act on my behalf. When the candidate I voted for supports an illegal war then I am supporting that illegal war. When the President I helped get into office uses drones that kill innocent people, even accidentally, that blood is on my hands. Too often, I see people justify the unconstitutional and immoral actions of their elected officials rather than condemn them. There are also the unintended consequences of government action that lead to real life tragedy. This is seen in economy policy, for example how the housing policy promoted by the government was responsible for the housing crash of 2008. Too often politicians, and thus government, act as if they have the answers to all the world’s problems, and those actions lead to more hurt and suffering.
2. All governments are under the corrupting influence of Satan. As Americans it is easy to think that God has uniquely blessed our country and that our system of government is insulated from corruption. To think this way is to be deceived. C. S. Lewis in his essay Screwtape Proposes a Toast has the older devil, Screwtape, addressing the newest graduating class of devils, and this is what he told them about using the word democracy; “You are to use the word purely as an incantation; if you like, purely for its selling power. It is a name they venerate” (The World’s Last Night and Other Essays; p. 60). As a nation we do venerate the word democracy. Since we find our form of government superior we don’t  even consider that the very process of our political system could be under the influence of Satan. This isn’t about electing the right candidates, rather it is about a worldly and corrupt system. Electing the right people to office won’t change that reality. In Revelation 20:2-3 we discover that Satan is the deceiver of nations. Is it not possible to think that he has deceived us a nation? In John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11 Jesus identified Satan as the ruler of this world. Isn’t it possible that Satan uses our politics and our government to prevent us from doing what God has really called us to do? Maybe we should rephrase what Jesus told the man who wanted go home and bury his father before following him: “Let the dead govern the dead.” We don’t need politics to bring God’s Kingdom into this world.
3. Jesus consistently rejected the way of politics. In Luke 4:5-7 we read that Satan tempted Jesus; Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me” (NLT). Satan declared that the kingdoms and the nations of the world are his and he uses them any way he wants to use them. Jesus did not challenge his declaration, rather Jesus rejected the way of earthly kingdoms, the way of politics, as the way to usher in God’s Kingdom. Again in John 6:15 Jesus slipped away from the crowds when they came to make him king. Later on in the chapter Jesus told the crowd that only in him would they find satisfaction. The satisfaction they longed for, the satisfaction that we long for, cannot be found through a form of government or the policies of government. Instead of the path of political power Jesus chose the path marked out for him by his Father. That path was the path of sacrificial love. It is seen in the lion who became a lamb and who was slain (Revelation 5:5-6). I would suggest that the way of the Kingdom is ultimately found when we reject political power as the way to change the world.
4. Politics are of this world. Politics rely on two things: propaganda and force. We know that politicians and governments never tell us the whole truth. They always put their own spin on reality. Spin and propaganda are meant to deceive people so we will continue to support what politicians do through the government. Force is felt through the consequences of not obeying what the government says is right or wrong. Yes, God has allowed the government to carry the sword, but often government goes to extremes. Because the government carries the sword it can force you to do anything it wants. The apostle Paul taught that we should take a different approach; We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NLT). What are those mighty weapons? They are things like unconditional love and uncompromised truth. In short it is following the way of Jesus and it is the way the early Church brought change to the world. For a detailed account of this you can look at Rodney Stark’s book The Rise of Christianity. The way of Jesus certainly changes the world.
5. Politics distract us from our true calling. Paul told Timothy; Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them (2 Timothy 2:4; NLT). The task I have been called to do is to make disciples and I cannot do that effectively if I am concerned about the politics of the nation. One reason is because my attention and time is divided between following Jesus and promoting a political cause. A second reason, and one that I know all too well, is that politics divide. One of the goals of the Kingdom of God is to bring people together, and time and time again we see that politics causes division. I don’t want anyone to remain outside of the Kingdom because of a political stand I took. I like what Alexander Campbell wrote; “To compel men destitute of faith to observe any Christian institution…is commanding duty to be performed without faith in God and therefore ‘anti-evangelical’ or contrary to the Gospel” (The Political Ethics of Alexander Campbell; p. 46). If we are to please our commanding officer and be true to the Gospel, then our main responsibility is not getting the government to support a certain standard of morality, but to invite people into God’s Kingdom. As people mature in faith and learn how to be led by the Spirit, they are led to do the right thing, regardless of what the laws of the land might be (Galatians 5:22-23).

I am not saying voting is evil, nor am I asking you not to vote.

What I am saying is that there is no reason for a Christian to support a party or a candidate that doesn't adequately represent them.

It is also important to note that an informed non-vote is still a vote. When I don't vote I am saying, "You don't deserve to represent me."

If you feel that you should vote, go ahead and vote, but don't belittle those who have made the choice not to vote. After all, that is their vote.