Is There a Christian Vote?

The Christian vote, what is the Christian vote?  What does it mean to vote as a Christian or to vote Christian values?

Christians do NOT agree on many things, even with respect to Christian doctrine and theology Christians disagree—this is why there are literally thousands of Christian Denominations.

So why should we expect Christians to agree when it comes to politics?

Christians are to be found across the full political spectrum.  There are left leaning and right leaning Christians and independent Christians.  There are radical conservative Christians and there are traditional liberal Christians, as well as left of center and right of center Christians.  There is no united Christian voting block!

Therefore: No Christian has the right to assert that his or her political position is authorized by God and sanctioned by Christ.  Christians are to bear in mind that Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world.  That is, the kingdom of God is separate, distinctly different than any earthly kingdom, nation, or rule (including Christ’s values, principles, and laws).

That being said, of course Christians should vote their conscience.  But that’s the point: as it turns out, each person’s conscience is individual and therefore has somewhat of a unique voice.  I may be convinced that such and such behavior is acceptable (NT example: eating meat sacrificed to idols), while my sensitive and conscientious Christian Brother may be convinced of its wrongness.  In many cases, we probably won’t know who is right or wrong until we meet God face to face.

Christians disagreed over right and wrong behavior even in the New Testament times, even while they still had with them such great teachers as the Apostle Paul to turn to for answers—even so, apparently Paul’s answers were not good enough to keep a church from dividing.   Don’t believe me?  Read Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians!  Then read the fourteenth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans.

So Christians are treading on dangerous ground when they start assuming that their particular way of voting, or their particular candidate, or their particular political bent, position, or leaning, is the only right and good one, solely approved by God.  To invoke God’s name in support of one’s political view or position is, in my opinion, in danger of breaking the command that says, “Thou shalt not take God’s name in vain.”  The sin of taking God’s name in vain is to invoke God’s name in behalf of one’s own advantage, gain, or empowerment, thereby belittling the Holiness of God.  For God is above all human political engagement and interaction.

Another point that is often overlooked, or deliberately ignored, is that God is as concerned with HOW we hold our position (when we think that we are in the right) as much as He is concerned with the rightness or wrongness of the position we hold.  (See for example Proverbs 24:17-18.)  God gives very little credit to one who, believing he/she is in the right, assumes such self-perceived rightfulness with hate and mean-spiritedness or contempt for the one he/she believes is in the wrong.  Christianity has come to call such a person, “Pharisaical.”  Note: Jesus condemned very few people; but He didn’t hesitate to speak against the Pharisees.  (Carefully read the twenty-third chapter of Matthew’s gospel to see what I mean.)

So, when it comes to the “Christian” vote, yes, of course, as a Christian you may vote and should vote your conscience: Support your candidate.  Persuade as many as you can that your particular political position and platform is the best one to go with, if that is what you believe.

But think again before declaring that your particular political position and persuasion is the same as God’s, or is sanctioned by Christ Himself.  It is not.  God is God.  You and I are mere humans, with very natural human thoughts, feelings, leanings, and wants.  Hence, let us not belittle God by assuming that we have God all figured out and know that God is on our particular political side.  It dishonors God and it turns politics into something that is inaccessible and non-negotiable between believers, let-alone non-believers, reflecting simplistic black and white thinking and accompanied by good-against-evil posturing, resulting in absolute polarities and irreparable division.