To Vote or Not to Vote

To vote or not to vote, that is the question which has been plaguing me these last few weeks. Many Christians feel that voting is something which we must do and others feel that it is something which we must not do. A friend of mine writes in his blog, (ttp://inhabitatiodei.wordpress.com) that he has ceased to vote because he thinks it doesn't make a difference and that whoever has the most power gets in anyways. Another friend sent me a web page which compares voting to treason against God (http://www.ekklesiaproject.org/content/view/135/9/). While recently on the Focus on the Family radio program, there was a person who made the statement, that the most spiritual thing a Christian can do is vote. While Dobson did not agree completely with this statement he did agree that voting was important for Christians. I personally have voted in every election possible since I registered to vote when I turned 18. However I have now had to reconsider whether or not I should be joining in this democratic ritual.

The conclusion I have now come to is that I will continue to vote. However I do not feel that voting is the most spiritual thing I can do, it is a political thing I do, not spiritual. While my spirituality may influence how I vote, it is a political act more than anything else. For pastors to pressure their congregates to vote is a down right atrocity. Voting is something I am free to do because I live in a democratic society which allows me to do so, it is also something which I am free to not do if I so feel inclined. To claim that one must vote because the Bible calls us to do so, is just down right ignorant and foolish.

So why is it that I will continue to vote? I will continue to vote because it is a way to be redeeming in this country. While my friend Halden (Inhabitatio Dei) does make a valid argument that any one persons vote is meaningless, I am not yet giving up on the very small hope that each person's vote is counted and counts. I can attempt to use my vote as one of many ways to extend the love of Christ. Although this must be done carefully. The way Christians vote for their morals can at times be more hate filled than loving. An example of this might be the homosexual marriage issue. While I believe that marriage should only be between one man an one woman, Christians voting on this issue has spoken hatred not love to the homosexual community. If you don't agree with me go ask one of your homosexual friends or go watch a movie like "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry." When Christians vote "on the behalf of God" they are in dangerous territory.

When I vote, I do so as an American who happens to be a Christian not as a Christian who happens to be an American. Before you get upset that I am putting America before God let me explain. I am first and foremost a Christian before anything else. However when I am voting I am not "doing God's work." Think about this possible situation: Many Christians would agree that it is God who puts people in positions of power. In 2008 it is possible that Hillary Clinton will be elected president of the United States of America. If this happens, those many Christians would have to agree that God has put her into this office. For many of those Christians this will put them in a difficult situation, for they would not have voted for her. Have they voted against God and God's anointed? I am sure that in past real elections many Christians have voted in a way to support who they believe God would have wanted in office and have found someone else filling the position. If voting is doing the work of God, God sucks at politics. When I vote I do it as an American. Yes, me being a Christian is going to influence how I vote but it is not an act of "doing the work of God." When I vote I am doing the work of an American citizen. This is not something which is done against my citizenship in heaven.

Now I must explain how voting can be redeeming, if it is not the work of God. When I vote I need to vote in the most loving way. This may mean not voting for a particular race or measure. This may mean voting against how most other Christians are voting. This cannot be explained in a neat and clean way, but it must be done. When Christians choose to vote, as I have done, our votes must show our love for neighbor as much as our love for God.