To Vote Or Not to Vote That Is the Question

Early voting in the upcoming national election in the United States has already begun in some states. I believe that the nonpartisan, universal biblical principles I present here are applicable to any election, anywhere in the world elections are held.

The United States of America was birthed out of a prophecy in Revelation 12:6-17.  The dragon used the Roman church as the instrument to persecute the woman (church). The Pilgrims who came to America were largely fleeing political and religious persecution and sought to form a nation free from a king and a church free from a pope. While the British Empire had hoped that America would become another of their colonies, the first in the “New World,” their hopes would be shattered as the colonists fought  against them to free themselves from being ruled by an oppressive power.

One of the founding fathers  of the U.S.A., Benjamin Franklin, was leaving Independence Hall in Philadelphia in September 1787, after meeting with the Continental Congress to form a new type of government in America.

Elizabeth Willing Powel approached Benjamin Franklin after the signing of the Constitution and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” Franklin famously answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.”¹

“The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health…If there is a lesson in all of this it is that our Constitution is neither a self-actuating nor a self-correcting document. It requires the constant attention and devotion of all citizens.”  Dr. Richard Beeman, is  professor of history and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.²

To preserve a republican type of governance requires three key ingredients;

1) An informed populace, via an honest and unbiased free press. Do we have that? Hardly! Too many people vote out of ignorance, not being accurately informed of the issues by a media that is beholden to party politics instead of “fair and balanced” reporting. Many people are “brainwashed” and distracted by the media from the issues into voting based upon identity politics, gender, ethnicity, party, or personality of the candidate.

2) A moral populace. The late radio commenter, Paul Harvey used to say, “self-government will not work without self-discipline.” He was spot on. To Christians it is no surprise that the moral fabric of our society has become tattered and stained. It has been prophesied to be this way in the last days. 2 Timothy 3:2  describes our world today.

(3) Participation by morally upright and properly informed citizens. The disengagement of Christians to be “salt and light” in society is partially responsible for the moral decay of society. When the light of the Gospel, doesn’t shine out from our “stained glass windows,” society grows darkened. When “the salt of the earth” stays in the “shaker,” we lose our ability to preserve society from decay.

“The prosperity of a nation is dependent upon the virtue and intelligence of its citizens. To secure these blessings, habits of strict temperance are indispensable. The history of ancient kingdoms is replete with lessons of warning for us. Luxury, self-indulgence, and dissipation prepare the way for their downfall. It remains to be seen whether our own republic will be admonished by their example, and avoid their fate.” (Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p.388.)

Might this be why we are perilously close to losing our republic? You commonly hear American politicians speak about “threats to our democracy,” as if “democracy” were the US form of government. However that is a misleading term, as the United States of America was founded as a constitutional democratic republic, not a pure democracy. A pure democracy is government by majority, which does not safeguard the rights of the minority and can easily degrade into a “mobocracy, ” where the mob rules and persecutes the minority that resists or disagrees with it.

Should Christians Vote?

This is a pertinent question beyond America, it’s for all countries that allow for citizen participation in voting. Read Mark 12:13-17. When Jesus was asked if it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Rome, he asked for a coin and then inquired whose likeness was upon it. When the people responded, “Caesar’s”, he responded, “give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The things belonging to “Caesar” (government) represent our obligations to our ruling government. I believe this includes voting. It’s been called our “civic duty.” I realize that not every Christian will share my views, but I suggest some thoughts to ponder.

 “He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” Luke 19:12,13

In the parable Jesus encourages His “servants”  to “occupy until I come.” What does that mean? Does it mean to sit around and watch society decay while we wait for Jesus to return? Hardly!  I believe that it means to be busy using and improving our talents, time, and treasure to reach more people for God’s Kingdom. We are called to be salt and light in our dark and decaying world, but how can we be that, if we refuse to leave the shaker, or don’t let our let our light shine? We can’t! The salt becomes worthless and the light becomes hidden. As Edmund Burke wrote;

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ³

I understand that too many people, consider the word “politics” to be derived from two words, “poly,” meaning many, and “tics”, little blood sucking insects. LOL! Actually according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word politics simply means; “The art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy.”

Think about it, if the “good” or godly” people aren’t involved in politics, then, by default, who will fill the void? That’s right, the “bad” and “ungodly” people will run and order things according to their worldview. Could this also be why society is crumbling?

I recently heard someone speaking on the radio regarding the Christian’s potential to influence positive societal change through political involvement in America. He stated that of all the voting-age professing Christians in the United States (approx. 93 million), only half (approx. 46.5 million) are registered to vote. Of that number less than half approx. 23 million) exercise their privilege and fulfill their civic duty to vote. In other countries I suspect the percentages may be similar.

In keeping with the mandate that Jesus gave us “to occupy”, we could and should be agents of positive change in society. The political process is one avenue to accomplish that mandate and positively influence society. To the unbeliever, the government becomes like their “God”. The political process becomes their “religion”. Are we as a nation, worshipping government over God and His principles?

“There is a cause for the moral paralysis upon society. Our laws sustain an evil which is sapping their very foundations. Many deplore the wrongs which they know exist, but consider themselves free from all responsibility in the matter. This cannot be. Every individual exerts an influence in society. In our favored land, every voter has some voice in determining what laws shall control the nation. Should not that influence and that vote be cast on the side of temperance and virtue?” Review and Herald, Oct. 15, 1914. (Italics supplied.)

In the early 20th Century,  the biggest moral issue facing society and the church was the prohibition of alcohol, which resulted in the Christian temperance movement. Today the moral issues are multitudinous, ranging from abortion, human trafficking, drug trafficking , open borders, and senseless wars. And the list goes on. To stem the tide, we can and should pray. It is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal, and yet we have another weapon which many Christians fail to use – the power of our vote.

Rules of Engagement If You Decide to Vote

1. Vote on the issues: Do not vote on the party, personality, gender, or ethnicity of the candidates.  Issues are the things that directly affect society more than any other factors. In fact  other factors are often used to distract from the issues. Winston Churchill wasn’t the most eloquent or likeable politician in England during World War II, but he helped to save England from the Nazis. As a Christian I am most concerned about the lives of the vulnerable, the unborn, and the elderly. Because of Creation, all human life has intrinsic value.

Other issues that will directly affect society are taxes, law and order, religious liberty, immigration, fiscal policy, foreign aid, et cetera. “Charity begins at home,” and our tax monies should first go to improve our country, not others, especially those that don’t appreciate freedom of conscience. What does it profit a country to save the world, but lose their own nation?

Voter guides are available which compare where the candidates and political parties stand on the issues. The following websites are very helpful  in that regard, with many informative resources, videos, and articles on the subject. (There are probably similar websites in foreign countries)   https://www.christianvoterguide.com/      https://www.myfaithvotes.org/

2. Be informed: If you’re not thinking for yourself, then someone else is thinking for you. The serpent was eloquent in the Garden of Eden, but it was used as a medium of Satan to distort and misrepresent the facts. The media today are not much different.

Do your own research, verify the things you are told. Fact check, the “fact checkers”. Truth is often distorted or suppressed under the guise of “fact checking”. For a republic to survive, it requires an informed and educated populace. This is a growing problem in America today with dishonest and biased journalists and media organizations,  and the degradation of the educational system. Be a modern day “Berean”.

3. Know the track record of the candidates: In the world of investing there is a disclaimer often used when evaluating an investment prospectus, “past performance doesn’t guarantee future results”. A politician’s voting record, and/or activity, or lack thereof while in office, is a strong indicator of their future performance. A candidate who changes positions to match the current of popular opinion on the issues is not to be trusted. They will say what the people want to hear in order to get elected, then revert to their own agenda after getting elected. Actions speak louder than words.

4. Pray: Pray for wisdom to know the right candidate and platform to vote for. Vote on biblical principles and values, not societal ones. Vote for policies  that will benefit and bless society, knowing that we will be held accountable for the evils that our vote causes or allows to continue in society.

 “Christians in the first century didn’t have the privilege of voting; Caesar was a dictator, not elected by popular vote. But those early believers were commanded to do the one thing they could do to make the world a better place: They were told to pray. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)…Our world will never be perfect—not until Christ returns. But in the meantime, God wants to use us to overcome sin and establish a more just world for His glory…Pray for our nation, especially as we look forward to elections. . .
Pray especially that God will raise up leaders who will stand for justice and morality, and will seek God’s will in all they do…Pray too that our nation will turn to God, and that we may experience true spiritual revival. Increasingly we seem to be pushing God out of our lives as a nation—and this will have tragic consequences. Don’t let this happen to you, but make sure of your commitment to Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. The Bible’s standard is still true: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).   Billy Graham ⁴

As Christians we know that this world is not our home. Therefore we shouldn’t become absorbed in politics because we know that our hope is not in “man”.  However I don’t believe that means that we should surrender our ability to influence society through political participation. Through exercising our privilege to vote, we have an opportunity to shape society for good and possibly “hold off the winds of strife”, until more people have had the opportunity to hear and accept the Gospel.

We are not to pledge our allegiance to political parties as our hope to reform our nation. If we are to vote we should do so prayerfully, and intelligently, not emotionally, following biblical principles for the governance and welfare of society. We want our children and grandchildren to inherit a better country than we grew up in, should the return of Jesus not be in our lifetimes.

“Men of intemperance have been in the office today in a flattering manner expressing their approbation of the course of the sabbathkeepers not voting and expressed hopes that they will stick to their course and like the quakers, not cast their vote. Satan and his evil angels are busy at this time, and he has workers upon the earth. May Satan be disappointed, is my prayer.”   —
E.G. White diary, Sunday, March 6, 1859.⁵

Satan seems to know better than the Christian church that he is running out of time, as there is a nearly global drift or push towards communism. It’s been said that “you can vote yourself into communism, but you will have to fight yourself out of it”.  Vote wisely to prevent this from happening to your country. Elections can carry serious consequences.

We know that there are no perfect candidates.  Jesus isn’t on the ballot, though His principles may be. Neither is Jesus voting, except by proxy through His people.  One day, He will take His rightful place as Sovereign over all creation, with no elections required. In the meantime, I believe we should follow His command to occupy until He comes.

Ultimately our hope isn’t in the “Elephant” (Republicans) or the “Donkey” (Democrats), but in the Lamb (the Lord).

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