Occasionally I am asked what candidates I like or who I am thinking of voting for. “Is there a “Christian” way to vote?”
I know believers with strong faith who have different political views; Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, and everything in-between. There are many faith related reasons people vote one way or another; protection of our freedoms, right to life issues, candidates’ statements of faith and religious background, issues of the treatment of the poor and children, fair wages, healthcare access. All of these are good “Christian” reasons to vote for one candidate or another.
In this presidential election campaign race, age and gender play into discussion of political issues as well. We have young, old, white, black, men and women candidates running for office. And despite our best attempts to be unbiased, we all have human biases and stereotypes that influence our thinking. The best we can do is educate ourselves on the facts of each candidate, judging not on their race, age or gender, but on their leadership qualities, their character, and their decision making abilities.
Not only do Christians differ on which party or candidate to vote for; there are also differing opinions on how involved we are to be in the government. There are Christians on both the Right and the Left that believe we should be heavily involved in politics, as we are called to be a nation with Christian values. We are to be represented and involved in government making decisions based on the tenets of our faith. There are also Christians who say we are to keep the separation of church and state protected, and work on building our society through our churches and our witness to the world. For example, think of the Amish, who by their lifestyle and values witness faith to their neighbors.
My point of writing this newsletter article is this: don’t let someone else tell you what is the “Christian” way to vote or way to respond to the politics of our nation. (even your pastor!) Don’t believe every e-mail forward, or newspaper columnist, or rumor that you hear about candidates. There may be things that are true in these, but most likely the truth is mixed with speculation.
Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t say much about politics, the ancient people did not vote; they were appointed rulers. In fact it wasn’t so long ago in world history that democracy was considered un-Christian. (The king and queen were considered divinely appointed, to think otherwise was blaspheme.)
The Scriptures do say that we are to be men and women of integrity of character, of truth, of love and mercy, we are to have compassion on the poor, the orphan, the widow, we are to uphold justice and be obedient to those who run our governments. How we vote is just as important as how we relate to one another in political discussions, even those who differ from us in opinions.
We do know that God will work his purposes out in the world as he sees fit, he does not need our democracy or government to get his work done. He can and will use us as we are willing to be part of his kingdom, but we must remember his greatest work in the world was done through a carpenter born in a stable.
In Christ,
Pastor Denise.
