In February of this year, I voted for Hillary Clinton in the Texas presidential primary.
"But wait!" some of my more worldly-minded brothers and sisters in Christ might say, "you're a Christian! Why didn't you vote for the white Republican? Or the black Republican?"
My answer was thus: my political beliefs are based on Wilsonianism (a brief description of which can be found via a "trusty" Wikipedia article). I felt Mrs. Clinton best fit that mold. But just as importantly, I felt (and still feel) she's the most qualified out of the candidates to be our next President. However, she and I don't see eye to eye on everything - for example, Mrs. Clinton supports abortion, a practice I despise to no end. But, I reasoned, despite the evil of abortion, I know it will never be abolished in this fallen world. And that's what I'm voting in - a fallen world. I'm not voting for the next president of the Southern Baptist Convention - I'm voting for which fallen human being, fallen men and women like me, can best run a fallen country in a fallen world.
So, with my answers and talking points memorized, I proceeded with confidence. But, my friend Jalee, never one to hide her light under a bushel, asked me why I'd voted for Hillary Clinton. She didn't ask out of some idolatrous allegiance to any party, nor to compare it to some view she held wherein her mind was already made up. She was genuinely curious, and sought the views of others to broaden or examine her own - if those views she heard weren't butt-over-tea-kettle wrong. I explained my reasons to Jalee, in the form of a long-winded, high-minded blog I'd written about this very subject earlier this year.
My talking point was, again: I'm not voting for a new pastor, I'm voting for which ambitious person with a killer instinct can best run a country in a fallen world.
But weeks later, during casual conversation on politics, Jalee completely PWNED me with words that I, in my vain attempt at intellectual political philosophy, had forgotten - as Christians, we are not of this world. The Bible calls us to be in the world, but not of the world; God calls us to be holy, which does not necessarily mean perfect and sinless, but rather "set apart," "distinct."
The Scripture asks through the apostle Paul, "For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
Jalee's reminder was used by the Holy Spirit as a gentle rebuke that hit me like a bullet between the eyes - in a good way.
"I'm voting for which fallen human being can best run a country in a fallen world."
But the book of Hebrews makes it clear that this fallen world is not our Home. Our Home is a city not made by human hands, but prepared for those who believe by a holy - and perfect - God. Our road to it was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. And His sacrifice was witnessed in an empire built not on a two-party democracy, but on the policy "opposition to Cesar and his orgies, rampant assassinations, incestuous relationships, and pedophilia will be met with torture and death." (President Obama, the man so many Christians hate with un-Christlike frothing at the mouth, doesn't sound so bad now, does he?)
Many Christians preach that voting in civic elections is among every believer's duties. It's not. Our duty is to glorify Christ and spread His gospel as evangelists - not to be confused with "evangelicals," a now-useless term meaning "white people who consider themselves religious and vote Republican." The apostles and believers of the Early Church had no right to vote, but their mission was not civic - it was celestial.
If they declared Jesus as God over Caesar, their skulls were turned into ash trays. In fact, most of the apostles, and countless other Christians under the grip of Rome, and today in many countries around the world, were indeed martyred, murdered for proclaiming Christ - and they didn't have Senator Combover (R-North Carolina) to call upon for legislation restricting the Romans' persecutions.
(I hope you don't still think of Kim Davis as a "martyr" after absorbing those facts.)
None of this is to say voting as a Christian is wrong. If God leads you to vote, by all means, heed His voice. After all, Scripture also makes it clear that anyone in governing power is put there by His will, and in a democracy's case, He uses voters as the instrument through which to do just that (unless you're Gerald Ford). But don't be misled into thinking you're failing at a Christian's duty by choosing not to take part in a practice where you vote for evil ("lesser" or otherwise), as part of an evil world.
We mustn't turn America into an idol, nor must we hold the Constitution in higher regard than, or on equal footing with, the Word of God. We must leave Old Glory at the cross. We must pray for our country, for other countries, we must desire what is best for our country - but as the apostle John exhorted, "little children, keep yourselves from idols."
And, don't be misled into thinking you're unpatriotic, spitting on the Iwo Jima monument, by not exercising the right to vote.
May God bless America - no sardonic cynicism is meant in that statement. May we never forget to praise Him for the abundant freedom and privileges we enjoy in the States.
God bless America indeed.
"But wait!" some of my more worldly-minded brothers and sisters in Christ might say, "you're a Christian! Why didn't you vote for the white Republican? Or the black Republican?"
So, with my answers and talking points memorized, I proceeded with confidence. But, my friend Jalee, never one to hide her light under a bushel, asked me why I'd voted for Hillary Clinton. She didn't ask out of some idolatrous allegiance to any party, nor to compare it to some view she held wherein her mind was already made up. She was genuinely curious, and sought the views of others to broaden or examine her own - if those views she heard weren't butt-over-tea-kettle wrong. I explained my reasons to Jalee, in the form of a long-winded, high-minded blog I'd written about this very subject earlier this year.
My talking point was, again: I'm not voting for a new pastor, I'm voting for which ambitious person with a killer instinct can best run a country in a fallen world.
But weeks later, during casual conversation on politics, Jalee completely PWNED me with words that I, in my vain attempt at intellectual political philosophy, had forgotten - as Christians, we are not of this world. The Bible calls us to be in the world, but not of the world; God calls us to be holy, which does not necessarily mean perfect and sinless, but rather "set apart," "distinct."
The Scripture asks through the apostle Paul, "For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
Jalee's reminder was used by the Holy Spirit as a gentle rebuke that hit me like a bullet between the eyes - in a good way.
"I'm voting for which fallen human being can best run a country in a fallen world."
But the book of Hebrews makes it clear that this fallen world is not our Home. Our Home is a city not made by human hands, but prepared for those who believe by a holy - and perfect - God. Our road to it was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. And His sacrifice was witnessed in an empire built not on a two-party democracy, but on the policy "opposition to Cesar and his orgies, rampant assassinations, incestuous relationships, and pedophilia will be met with torture and death." (President Obama, the man so many Christians hate with un-Christlike frothing at the mouth, doesn't sound so bad now, does he?)
Many Christians preach that voting in civic elections is among every believer's duties. It's not. Our duty is to glorify Christ and spread His gospel as evangelists - not to be confused with "evangelicals," a now-useless term meaning "white people who consider themselves religious and vote Republican." The apostles and believers of the Early Church had no right to vote, but their mission was not civic - it was celestial.
If they declared Jesus as God over Caesar, their skulls were turned into ash trays. In fact, most of the apostles, and countless other Christians under the grip of Rome, and today in many countries around the world, were indeed martyred, murdered for proclaiming Christ - and they didn't have Senator Combover (R-North Carolina) to call upon for legislation restricting the Romans' persecutions.
(I hope you don't still think of Kim Davis as a "martyr" after absorbing those facts.)
None of this is to say voting as a Christian is wrong. If God leads you to vote, by all means, heed His voice. After all, Scripture also makes it clear that anyone in governing power is put there by His will, and in a democracy's case, He uses voters as the instrument through which to do just that (unless you're Gerald Ford). But don't be misled into thinking you're failing at a Christian's duty by choosing not to take part in a practice where you vote for evil ("lesser" or otherwise), as part of an evil world.
We mustn't turn America into an idol, nor must we hold the Constitution in higher regard than, or on equal footing with, the Word of God. We must leave Old Glory at the cross. We must pray for our country, for other countries, we must desire what is best for our country - but as the apostle John exhorted, "little children, keep yourselves from idols."
And, don't be misled into thinking you're unpatriotic, spitting on the Iwo Jima monument, by not exercising the right to vote.
May God bless America - no sardonic cynicism is meant in that statement. May we never forget to praise Him for the abundant freedom and privileges we enjoy in the States.
God bless America indeed.
