Should a Christian Vote?
Nov 2nd, 2006 by admin
Well, it’s that time of the year again, voting. I have been flooded with mail from all sides. I had a person come to my door during dinner to try to explain to me why I should vote for the Democratic candidate in my Congressional district. Every time I turn on the radio, the commercials are cluttered with voice overs and a preface point that says, “My name is … and I authorize this message.” Regardless of what political persuasion you are, we all have one thing in common, we being inundated with the messages to vote for a particular message or proposition. This leads me to the question, “Should I as a Christian vote at all?” The answer seems to be yes. [I have changed the word "must" to "should" as a result of Tim K's right observation of what I am trying to convey].
I say, “Seems to be,” because I don’t think voting is on par with caring for my family, sharing the Gospel to the unreached, helping the poor, etc. But as a person who is in a society where voting is a submission to a government laws and ways, it would seem that the Christian should participate. Paul writes in that grand common grace text on government, Romans 13:
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (Romans 13:1-5)
For the sake of conscience as one under the subjection of the state, we vote. Of course, when the state attempts to trumps the Gospel and God’s moral law, than we are freed from this subjection (for example, if the state, such as Nazi Germany, ordered the mass execution of Jews, as a Christian, I am bound to follow God’s moral law over the state’s law and must disobey that order). Obviously, voting does lead me to reject God’s law in any way. Therefore, it is a responsibility of subjection, you might say, of the Christian to take part in elections.
Now as to who the Christian should vote for, that is a whole different issue.
- Wayne Grudem’s Vote Is for Mitt Romney
- Voting on Cali Election
- Americanianity
- Good Friday Reflection
- The Apostle Paul Repents for His Missionary Zeal
Sam, I don’t follow your logic here. Voting is not mandatory. One could use your argument and say Christians should join the military or run for office. If voting was a mandatory action like paying taxes or obeying traffic limits, then I could see your point. But …
It is much like we should return a shopping cart to those shopping cart storage areas as a Christian. This is our way to show love to the person whose job it is to gather those carts. There is no law to require us to do so. But again, love reigns. So in the same way we should vote to show respect and submission to a privilege that our government gives to us.
Sam, thanks for your response. So should Christians join the military or run for public office “to show respect and submission to a privilege that our government gives to us”? Heh heh, we should be doing this over a cup of Starbucks …
Tim, I put that word “privilege” in there intentionally to stem your very question. Voting is a right granted to us by our government. But in a sense that right is a privilege the government afforded us on the basis of the system of democracy it adheres to. Joining the military or running for office is not a right nor a privilege. I woudl argue.
Ohhhhhh , “Joining the military or running for office is not a right nor a privilege” ??? Sam, say it ain’t so …