{"id":5533,"date":"2017-12-31T12:52:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T18:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=5533"},"modified":"2017-12-31T12:52:34","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T18:52:34","slug":"voting-as-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2017\/12\/31\/voting-as-christians\/","title":{"rendered":"Voting as Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chad Stafko<\/strong>
\nIn a matter of weeks, the citizens of this country will cast their ballots to determine who wins a number of state\u00a0and national political races.\u00a0This year, of course, the presidency of the United States is up for grabs, pitting the incumbent Barack Obama, against the Republican challenger Mitt Romney.\u00a0Voter turnout is expected to be high in many parts of the country.\u00a0The media attention given towards these races continues to escalate as we near Election Day on November 6, as many of us have seen and heard a barrage of political commercials\u00a0and will continue to do so.\u00a0<\/span>
\nBut what about the Christian?\u00a0Does he or she have an obligation to vote\u00a0in this and other elections\u00a0and, if so, are there\u00a0guidelines a Christian should use or issues that a Christian ought to consider critical in determining for whom the Christian will cast\u00a0his\u00a0vote?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nYes, a Christian should vote and there are several issues that might underlie our decisions in who represents us in government.\u00a0<\/span>
\nBut, consider why we should\u00a0vote? Aside from the implied duty to vote that we Christians have since we are\u00a0citizens of the United States, Christians should vote because those who are elected to public office can make an enormous impact on the moral fabric of our society.\u00a0This, of course, can be done in a positive or negative manner.\u00a0The notable Irish philosopher Edmund Burke, considered to be the father of modern conservatism, stated, \u201cAll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nIndeed then, if the Christian, or perhaps better said, if many Christians, pass on the opportunity to have their voices heard via the ballot box, then it is quite likely that those elected into office will not respect the Christian faith or the values and morality associated with Christianity.\u00a0Therefore laws that are enacted will not only be absent of the influence of Christian principles, but they will also potentially be quite contrary to the values we hold dear as those who attempt to live our lives in accordance with God\u2019s Holy Word.\u00a0It would not take many elections for the influence of Christianity to fade from our government and, to some degree, our way of life.\u00a0<\/span>
\nRecall the words of Jesus Christ in the great Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew\u00a05:14-16, \u201cYou are the light of the world.\u00a0A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.\u00a0Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.\u00a0Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nJesus was obviously speaking about influencing others in regard to our\u00a0religion, which\u00a0is our faith in Him and what He means to us individually.\u00a0In our form of government, we have the ability to influence the government\u00a0towards accepting and practicing\u00a0Biblical principles through the action of voting for political candidates who reflect those views.\u00a0When we vote for and\u00a0support these types of candidates,\u00a0we are shining our light upon our state and federal governments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nWhat then should\u00a0the Christian use as guidelines upon which he or she votes on November 6? Certainly, it is logical to suggest that we should not vote for individuals who stand for that which the Bible clearly opposes.\u00a0If\u00a0both candidates hold major\u00a0views that run contrary to the Bible, then perhaps we choose one over the other as the \u201clesser of two evils,\u201d if you will.\u00a0However,\u00a0this is rather rare.\u00a0<\/span>
\nTake the issue of same-sex marriage, an issue that seemed\u00a0somewhat\u00a0dormant among the media and as a top issue among voters until the Chick-fil-A controversy of the summer and the affirmation of the Boy Scouts of America that the group will not allow homosexuals to be part of their\u00a0organization.\u00a0God has clearly spoken in His Word that He considers homosexuality to be an abomination\u00a0(Romans 1:26, 27,\u00a01\u00a0Corinthians 6:9).\u00a0The concept of same-sex marriage only validates homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle and homosexual couples as being equal under the law\u00a0with\u00a0heterosexual married couples.\u00a0To be a Christian and to support those politicians or would-be politicians who are attempting to rewrite the concept of marriage is to put the \u201cwise\u201d members of our society who are pushing to make same-sex marriage legal as more intelligent than our God and Creator in\u00a0Heaven who, of course,\u00a0created the institution of marriage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nIf a political candidate is running on a platform of ideas, some of which are clearly opposed to God\u2019s Word, even if he or she has economic\u00a0or other\u00a0ideas that we support, are we not running afoul of living for God if we vote for such a candidate?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nThe same can be said of abortion.\u00a0Since Roe v. Wade in 1973,\u00a0over\u00a054 million babies<\/a>\u00a0have been murdered in the United States.\u00a0God\u00a0values life, even when the child\u00a0is in\u00a0the mother\u2019s womb.\u00a0David wrote in Psalms 139:13, \u201cFor You formed my inward parts;\u00a0You\u00a0covered me in my mother\u2019s womb.\u201d\u00a0Consider how God views us if we support someone who supports the killing of innocent lives routinely for the sake of convenience and expediency, which occurs\u00a0in nearly every case\u00a0of abortion.\u00a0By voting for these candidates, I am helping to enable these horrible atrocities against innocent lives that were created by God.\u00a0There is simply no other way to view\u00a0such a vote.\u00a0<\/span>
\nOf course, these so-called \u201csocial issues\u201d are not the only issues that tend to drive voters to cast their ballots for particular candidates.\u00a0In this election, the economy and jobs are considered to be two of the top issues among the electorate, as millions of Americans are struggling to find work with millions more settling for jobs well below their expectations.\u00a0It is certainly right for us as Christian voters to consider the economic records and proposals of political candidates.\u00a0For example, if a candidate is an incumbent, we can review whether or not he or she has delivered on his or her economic promises and projections.\u00a0Failed economic policies along with the pushing of\u00a0social\u00a0policies that are contrary to the teaching of God\u2019s Word would obviously justify our vote against an incumbent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nOver the last several years, both here in the United States as well as in several European countries, we have seen an increase in the role of government in the lives of citizens.\u00a0In some cases, that has come with the citizens of these nations less willing to work or to work less so as to be provided for by the government.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nFor those who are unable to work, it is worthwhile for a nation to provide for these individuals, who were perhaps born with physical or mental challenges or who developed these later in life.\u00a0It seems reasonable as well, for a short period of time, to provide for those who have lost the opportunity to work.\u00a0<\/span>
\nHowever, many now seem to be satisfied to have the government provide for their wants and needs at the expense of their fellow citizens.\u00a0It has caused a clash between those two groups here in the U.S. and in some parts of Europe.\u00a0God said in\u00a02\u00a0Thessalonians 3:10, \u201cIf anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nNote that God isn\u2019t referring to those who are unable to work, but those who refuse to work.\u00a0A politician who doesn\u2019t call for all capable citizens to work when there are opportunities to do so and instead lets citizens enjoy their way of life at the expense of those who do work is ignoring what God says about working and eating.\u00a0<\/span>
\nWhile there are a number of issues that tend to be the basis of voters\u2019 decisions, there are clearly issues upon which the Christian should base his or her choice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nWe Christians need to flood our respective polling places and stand up for\u00a0Biblical principles and the reflection of such in our politicians and the policies of government.\u00a0Failure to do so will result in a nation that is\u00a0far\u00a0less reflective of Christian values.\u00a0Let all of us cast our ballots and make our voices heard on Election Day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Chad Stafko In a matter of weeks, the citizens of this country will cast their ballots to determine who wins a number of state\u00a0and national political races.\u00a0This year, of course, the presidency of the United States is up for grabs, pitting the incumbent Barack Obama, against the Republican challenger Mitt Romney.\u00a0Voter turnout is expected […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[83,66],"tags":[1217,81,1051,141,1215,771],"class_list":["post-5533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-government","category-think-excerpts","tag-chad-stafko","tag-election","tag-feature","tag-government","tag-october-2012","tag-voting","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nVoting as Christians - 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