A recent e-mail exchange on the subject of this fall’s election prompted these thoughts on Romans 12 and how Christians should vote. While the Bible says nothing about voting, it does guide us on how we should live. Its advice for living applies everywhere, including the voting booth.
I wrote the following in an e-mail to SG.
“Hillary, Obama, and McCain are all cut from the same cloth. Oh sure, they talk a little bit differently. However, they are ALL for endless socialism, endless war, UN membership and the surrender of our independence, open borders, a full-blown police state and abortion on demand of 1 million babies per year. THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!!! Don't vote for ANY of them!!!”
To which, SG replied:
“Agreed...I wish we could have a vote to elect new candidates if we don't like the ones chosen...what do you think about the mudslinging with Obama and his religious background?...Hillary will do anything to win...she is a scary person...I guess it comes down to which is the best of the worst...lol..."
To which, I say:
Romans 12 is a great resource for a Christian asking how to vote. I refer specifically to verses 2 and 9.
Romans 12:9 instructs us to “abhor that which is evil." There is no exclusion for voting. Christians are supposed to abhor evil. Period. “The lesser of two evils” is still evil, and we Christians are not to put our stamp of approval on it.
Don’t vote for evil just because everyone else does. Our current form of government (OCFOG), which Hillary, Obama and McCain all fully intend to make larger, costlier and more intrusive than ever, is evil. There is nothing sacred about it. No, this is not Kim Jong-Il’s North Korea. Yet millions will vote away what is left of our freedom for no better reason than that they want to vote for a winning candidate.
As an old friend once said, I don't mind losing elections, but I do mind losing my freedom. I am no holier than anyone, but I am NOT going to vote for a continuation of OCFOG.
This brings me to Romans 12:2, which tells us to “be not conformed to the world.” It does not go on to say “except when voting.” What the majority does should be irrelevant to Christians. If 98 percent of the people cast a stupid vote, it is still a stupid vote.
I graduated from high school in 1979. It has been a while. I do not do things just because everyone else does.
Christians should not support OCFOG. That so many Christians are so desperate to win elections -- even if this means voting for all kinds of evil -- or to keep certain candidates from being elected, shows that they have become worldly in a very bad way. Our citizenship is in Heaven, not on earth. (Philippians 3:20) Our King has a Kingdom that is not of this world. (John 18:36)
So you write in Ron Paul – which I plan to do -- or you vote for a candidate from a third – or should I say a non-privileged? – party and you wind up losing. Big friggin' deal. Your duty as a Christian is to do what is righteous, not what is fashionable in the world’s eyes. You will be able to sleep at night knowing that you did not aid and abet the criminal class that has ruled this country since at least 1913.
I give you two quotes. The first is from the always quotable Vin Suprynowicz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Pretend with me that you’re an old German on your deathbed today. Would you rather tell your grandchildren, ‘I voted for the Nazis because they seemed better than the Communists and no other party could win’?
"Wouldn’t you rather be able to rise up and say, ‘I publicly denounced the Nazis and the Communists. We were a minority – 1 or 2 percent – but we stood up for the truth and we were right! We proved not all Germans were mindless torchbearers for tyranny! We were ridiculed, we were beaten and jailed, but we saved this nation’s soul. Now children, go and live your lives in a way to make me proud.’?”
The second comes from Donna Marsh O’Connor, whose daughter died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. She does not buy the official lies and she calls for another investigation.
“God blessed America. And look what we did with it.”
I believe that America’s Founding documents, while not explicitly Christian, have God’s Fingerprints all over them. God blessed America richly. And look how we Christians vote these blessings away, just because everyone else does.
If you would like to post this, please e-mail me and include this URL.
Far more profound and eloquent thoughts on this subject from Al Cronkrite.