Should Christians Vote?

24 August 2004

            Several years ago there was an outright movement that even reached into some pulpits proclaiming Christians should not speak out on political or public issues. I think by now a great many believers in the Lord Jesus Christ understand that this idea came neither from any legitimate reading of the Scripture, nor did it come from the history of the faithful church. Rather it was an idea spawned in the bowels of hell and embraced by the liberal and the gutless among professional clergy. Such a policy of nonintervention gives evil free reign among men and increases the persecution experienced by faithful Christians everywhere. It is still true the surest way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

            A new idea, which is neither new or a good idea is Christians should not vote, and they certainly should not go further, heaven forbid, and participate in the political process. This movement was probably begun by the same conference of demons that initiated the Christian nonintervention movement of past decades. The argument, I would not call it reasoning, for this idea is the failings and shortcoming of people running for public office. Since we are caught in a situation of having to vote for the lesser of two evils the argument is we should abstain all together from supporting any. Any vote cast represents a compromise on the Christian’s part.

            There is a simple answer to that. Look in the mirror. What do you see? A fallible human being. No one on this earth is possessed of the purity of heart and mind we wish to find in those running for office any more than the person looking back at you from the mirror possesses perfect qualities. We are stuck with an imperfect world laboring under the curse of sin and imperfect people like ourselves who are running for office in it. Truth is, if we do not support the best choices and pray by the grace of God they will rise above themselves, we ensure this world will further deteriorate from where it now is. The Bible tells us the mystery of iniquity is at work and Christians should not abet it by abstention.