Who should I vote for?
A friend forwarded this
story to me about a church’s reasoning for collectively agreeing to not vote in
a particular election. It seems the members actually came to agree as a whole
that it was against God’s will to vote. Not that they determined voting, or
democracy are evil, but that the political process has become so corrupt that
it is now an abomination and lacks the potential to produce the fruit of God’s
will. So, as a congregation they all agreed to not vote.
This ought to sound extreme,
because it is. But I think most of us can relate to the concerns of these
church members, even if we cannot agree with their resolution. After all, isn’t
politics known more for its corruption, divisiveness and deceit than anything
else? As Christians, are we not called to reject all that defies the will of
God? My father is a perfect example. He hasn’t voted in decades. When I
challenge him on this his answer is always the same, “Why vote? We can’t trust
any of them to do what they promise.” Personally, I think answers like this are
a cop out. But, as a Christian we are called to defend our actions with a bit
more than just knee jerk reactions, even when it seems we are overwhelmingly
correct. These days, I think Christians need to grapple with the question about
why it is God’s will that we vote.
We are not just citizens of
the United States. We are Christian citizens.
We are living in a time like
no other in America’s history when it comes to matters of faith and religion.
According to a survey conducted this year by the PEW Research Group, the number
of those who claim no religious affiliation has climbed to 16% of Americans.
That’s the highest it has ever been, and it is trending upward. This number has
doubled just since the time when the people surveyed today were children.
Meaning, the primary reason for the rise in this number is due to people being
raised by people claiming to be Christian, but now their children are not
following in their parent’s faith. Among Americans between the ages 18-29, the
number of those who claim no religious affiliation is 25%. That is a staggering
statistic, when considering the Christian roots of our particular democracy in
this country. Meanwhile, the number of those who claim Christianity as their
religion continues to decline, with mainline Protestants, like us, slipping to
18%, an all time low. Clearly the “mainline” in American Christianity has
become more of the “sideline” today.
This is precisely why it is
important for us to not merely vote as citizens, but to vote as Christian citizens.
Our particular voice needs to become relevant again. There is no other time
when it is easier for our voice to be made relevant than when we are given the
opportunity to vote for a president.
What does it mean to vote as
a Christian citizen?
It means we take seriously a
few things that an increasing number of others do not. First, that God is
sovereign to our politics. No matter what others may say, God is still
in charge. We are still able to claim to be one nation, but only so long as we
are able to claim in the same breath the source of that unity. We are one
nation under God. All authority belongs to God. This means we are never
truly independent. We are always dependent upon God for guidance, support and
mercy. The candidate who recognizes this will demonstrate it by “walking
humbly” as the prophet Micah explains. We should expect an element of elitism,
and entitlement in candidates who are running for the highest office in our
nation. It would be foolish to think that a person could rise to such a station
in life without being surrounded by such an element. With forgiveness, then, we
should look deeper into the character of the candidates. We should look for
humility. When faced with opposition or set back, which candidate is humble
enough to admit their flaws and mistakes. Or, which candidate draws upon
child-like patterns of behavior that are more arrogant, such as blaming others,
finger-pointing, back-pedaling, and denial. As Christians, we believe in God
who does not expect us to be perfect. We are only expected to do our best, and
walk humbly with God. We ought look for humility like this in the candidate we
choose.
Second, it means we take
seriously that Christian values contribute positively to society as a whole.
Jesus gave us the mandate to love others as he has loved us. The value of
service to others, generosity, and personal sacrifice are values that we should
look for in a candidate, and in that candidate’s decision making practices.
Jesus’ love is also one that places the value of righteousness over that of success,
justice over that of fairness. Doing what is right is not necessarily always
going to be what is considered successful. We recognize when a candidate
chooses the pursuit of success because it is often at expense of doing what is
right. For instance, making choices that conserve and promote renewable sources
of energy, reducing our dependence on foreign nations is fundamentally right.
However, this is not likely to be popular or very successful, at first, due to the
dramatic changes required in the industry and infrastructure, as well as the
risk of trial and error inherent in testing new ideas and technology.
Likewise, making decisions that promote justice may not always be considered fair. Making choices that aim at justice in matters of
health care, education, and immigration are not going to be decisions that all
people believe are fair. Some will be asked to give so that others may receive.
As Lutheran Christians, we teach that the blessings we receive are the result of God's grace. In the economy of God's kingdom, the grace He gives to us
promotes justice and peace, but it is certainly not fair. If God's will was to
promote fairness, then all of we sinners would receive the punishment we very
fairly deserve. Thankfully, God isn't interested in being fair, His will is to
produce justice through us by His grace. And, from a Christian perspective, the work of justice in this world is never going to be understood as fair to all people involved. With the
economy playing such a significant role in this election, Christians ought to
look for the candidate whose choices demonstrate a willingness to take the risks that
promote justice.
And my final point here is
really the simplest. We need to take seriously what St. Paul says in Romans
chapter 13, where he exhorts the church to obey government leaders because all
authority comes from God. Here’s the catch for us here in America. We are the
leaders! We need to remember that. This means we have a responsibility to be
good stewards of our nation, our laws, resources and government. What is our
task as Christian citizens? To see that it is run in a way that gives honor to
God, and to raise up leaders from among us who will judge and decide what is
right for our nation according to God’s will. We need to raise up people who
make Godly choices in politics, and pray for, encourage and applaud those who
do so. We publicly demonstrate our faith in God by exercising our rights and
privileges in an honorable way as citizens. That means, among many other things,
voting. God has granted us authority here in this nation to be good stewards of
the gifts we have been given.
So, then, who does the Christian
citizen vote for?
We vote for the one who best
exemplifies our faith and values. In this election this is a little harder to
get at. In a recent Gallup poll, only 34% of Americans correctly answered that
President Obama is a Christian, and 11% incorrectly answered that he was a
Muslim. Why are we so confused about our President’s religion? It could be
because his actions have adequately left Americans guessing. In 2008 we heard
from his infamous UCC pastor, who offended many people with his rantings about
race. Obama, possibly trying to distance himself, has attended many different
religious institutions for worship since entering the White House. Four years
later and his personal religious affiliation seems generic at best. On the
other hand, Mitt Romney, who once held the high ranking office of Bishop, has
brought Mormonism to the foreground more than ever before.
So, who do we vote for when
one’s Christianity is generic, and the other is a Mormon?
Well, I don’t propose by
this writing to be offering a foolproof plan to choosing a president. That
would be ludicrous. I am proposing, however, that we at least lift up and
consider a few things to do with the faith we share prior to making our
decision. Choosing a president is a purely secular event, even for Christians,
but that does not mean it should be uninformed by our personal faith. In short,
Christian voters act appropriately when they evaluate candidates for
public office based on anything that is relevant to how Christian values are
used to inform the candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the office.
This means we can vote for a president based upon our best guess of how the
candidate’s values and abilities line up with our Christian values, regardless
of whether or not the candidate is actually faithful or religious at all.
Good citizenship sets an
example for generations to come. But, responsible Christian citizenship passes
down blessings upon blessings to those who come after us. It seems
frighteningly clear that secularism and humanism are going to continue to erode
the values that we Christians hold dear. Yet, when we have an opportunity to
vote, how many of us do so with our Christian values at the foreground of our
decision making process? Too many of us make the choice of a candidate based
solely upon what we hear our favorite news channel supporting. Christian
values, as well as our nation's integrity, become like sheep led to the
slaughter when we do this. Remember, we are the leaders of this great nation.
We need to turn off the auto-pilot, which is CNN and FOX, and take the wheel
again. I believe that as we trust in God with prayer and obedience in each of
our elections, and act as good stewards of our nation's politics, laws, and
government we begin to pave the way for generations of blessing.
May God bless the USA with
the fruits of our election this November.
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