Is There a "Christian" Vote?

    This campaign season is getting old, isn’t it? Could you imagine if we lived in one of the swing states? Here in Illinois, the state is so overwhelmingly democratic that republican presidential candidates hardly have a chance. We see some commercials that are nationally televised, but not like places such as Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Iowa, or even Wisconsin. In some of the more contested counties of those states, campaign commercials are constant...and those communities just want it to be over.
    As Christians, what should our attitude about the political process be? Should we stay out of it altogether and leave it up to the world? Should we be hosting forums and debates, or maybe even endorsing candidates for office who best promote Christian values?
    Well, first of all, as a church, our mission is to connect people with God. Political involvement would only get in the way of that mission. While I have my own political views, I only share them publicly when Biblical imperatives and modern politics converge. I don’t focus on even those things during a political season as much as I merely teach on these subjects as they come up in the Scriptures we are studying. Here at The Bridge, it is our mission to connect anyone and everyone with God, regardless of their political persuasion. So I’d like to preach to democrats, republicans, libertarians, and independents indiscriminately. We are not going to limit ourselves to one political ideology when it comes to reaching out with the Gospel. Everyone needs Jesus, no matter who they are voting for.
    But as Christians, how should our understanding of Scripture guide us during election time?
    For starters, bear in mind that we do not live in a theocracy. This is not Old Testament Israel, and while most politicians, for the sake of votes, play lip-service to some kind of religious faith, we are not attempting to “vote into power” a representative of the Church. We are not voting to ordain elders, install a pastor, or even to make Jesus Lord over the country. We are voting to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. As followers of Jesus we would not expect those in this unbelieving world to mirror our beliefs and values.
    But should not our beliefs impact how we vote? Of course! Jesus has called us to be salt and light and we should work for the common good in our culture.
    So then, how do we do that when we vote? Of course I’m not going to tell you who to vote for...far from that. But I’d like to offer some help in how we can best represent Jesus in this fallen world in the act of voting.
    First, ask yourself what Biblical principles are at stake and what does the Bible say about these things. Be honest here. It’s easy for us to first identify the things that are important to us and then read into the Bible what we want it to say. With some of the issues at stake, there are apparent conflicting passages that could support either side of an argument. All Scripture needs to be considered in regards to any issue, not just "pet" passages that lend support to our opinions.
    For example, we can take from Jesus’ instructions to care for the poor and needy that government welfare spending should be a priority. But then we learn from 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that we should not feed those who are not willing to work. So what is the issue at stake, what does the Bible say about it, and does that even fit within what the Bible says the role of government should be? (Romans 13 indicates that the chief role of government is to protect the innocent from evil-doers).
    Once we understand what Biblical principles are at stake, from God’s perspective, what takes priority? I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago here. Just about everything being debated in the political arena is important on some level. But there are moral and religious freedom issues that ought to take precedent in the mind of Christians, as everything else tends to flow from those values.
    Something else to consider...are we wise in our political discourse? The Book of Proverbs teaches us that the difference between foolish people and wise people is that the foolish person is close-minded and you cannot tell him anything. The wise person is always listening and learning. Which are you? Do you have a blind loyalty to a political party or ideological persuasion and any discussion for you is simply aimed at convincing the person you are talking to? Is your mind so made up that you are unwilling to consider the other viewpoint?
    A good way to test this is by monitoring your attitude when in a discussion with someone who disagrees with you. Foolish people refuse to weigh the arguments of the other side (according to Proverbs). Foolish people will get angry and even spew judgmental and hateful comments against the candidate they oppose. Wise people will listen and are willing to admit it when their reasoning is questionable or even wrong. If nothing else, we as followers of Jesus ought to be taking the lead in civility, thoughtful discussion, and fair-minded debate.
    In a couple of weeks it will be over...for a couple of years––hahaha. As Christians, let’s strive to please and honor our God in everything. Let’s do that in the voting booth as well!