This lesson just might be the most difficult one I have ever endeavored to write. It was prompted by discussions with some Ron Paul supporters in which I was mocked, vilified, and called dumb repeatedly, mainly by ONE particularly “fervent” Paul supporter. Even when he tried to be civil he insinuated all the people who vote GOP (Republican) are evil or helping the Devil or that we are all idiots. I finally became SO frustrated with trying to answer people civilly while being attacked that I threw in the towel. This lesson will be an attempt to examine the various things that were discussed within the framework of how we are to vote as Christians.
Firstly, I would like to state up front that it is my opinion that votes are a matter of individual choice and personal conscience. I will not personally attack anyone who thinks differently than I. I will keep criticisms of politics to the candidate or the party, so PLEASE don’t take offense if I say something against your chosen Candidate or party. Secondly, I would like to point out that I wish to be fair, honest, humble and approachable on this or any other lesson or opinion. I am amazed at how often haughty, self righteous and belittling “Christians” put themselves out there as being BETTER than another because they hold a different opinion. Some of these people see NO contradiction in calling you incompetent or ignorant and then saying you should be more humble and be willing to listen so that you might learn! Humility works both ways and is not displayed by a proud, demanding, abusive or arrogant tone or demeanor. Many people seem to see humility or the act of being humble as something that others should do and never think to apply it to their selves.
I will not sit here and claim that what I say is a word from the Lord because God really doesn’t have that much to say about voting, who we are to vote for or how. I think it is very dangerous for us to speak to subjects upon which Jesus has not spoken either directly or through his word the King James Bible. Isn’t it interesting that the Bible speaks of Rulers and governance REPEATEDLY but says NOTHING about voting or elections?
God does tell us to be active in our communities, to be positive influences and witnesses. Does anyone really think this doesn’t extend to politics as well? Our vote is a tangible way that we can show what we stand for or against. The Bible refers to Satan as the “prince and the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2 and “the ruler of this world” in John 12:31. This theme is continued in 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. In the WORLD, that is to say among the lost people who Deny Jesus or don’t know him; SATAN is the ruler! We need to realize this. This is important in establishing what we can hope to accomplish in the world FOR Christ against a world that serves another. Don’t get me wrong…………………………………………………
I KNOW right now that some people are going to say “nothing is impossible with God” or “what about “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me””? I think this will be a good time to touch upon what I think may be a fundamental worldview difference between many Christian Ron Paul supporters and Christian GOP voters. Namely, that many if not most GOP Christian voters understand or believe that we are waiting for the return of Christ and that scripture CLEARLY dictates that certain things must happen and have in fact already been written. Jesus says in Matthew 24:37 “But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be”. What was the world like before Noah got on the Ark? Well, Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 24:38 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,. There is MORE to the story on the days of Noah though! Going back to Genesis 6:5-6And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. SO, the world will be like the days of Noah before the return of Christ. Jesus says in Matthew 24:6-12 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. This doesn’t mean that we give up. To the contrary, we STAND and raise our voices for what is right and against what is wrong. We just do so knowing that we will NOT be able to establish a sort of “Christian Utopia” nor should we try. This society is evil. God will give us, as a nation, over to our own selfish desires and we will reap what we sow……………………………………
This is why I feel that any attempt to instill a “True Christian” as President or to establish a Theocratic government is destined to fail. I also find it somewhat questionable if not openly dishonest that many of the same people who support a candidate for being more “Constitutionally correct” seem to see no irony in taking others to task for not voting for the TRUE Christian or most Christian candidate. IF we are going to hold our Constitution as the guiding directive of governance as our Founders intended then we, like ALL, are bound by it. This Nation was raised with and created with a faith in God but it WASN’T ever intended to be a strictly “Christian” nation.
I take extreme issue with people claiming that voting for the lesser evil is still evil, especially when they ignore the evil in their chosen candidates’ positions. While CERTAINLY this is basically a true statement, candidates are mostly reflections of their environment and supporters. They are ALL human beings, sinful and fallible. The same people, who rail against people voting Republican as evil, are all too willing to give their vote to a candidate who supports the legalization of prostitution and drug use. We could sit here ALL day and argue about whether these issues should be illegal, whether they are states’ rights issues etc. One thing there should be NO argument about is this…Legalizing drug use and prostitution will NOT give us a holier, better or safer society. I point out Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. How can we vote for a candidate who supports sin or refuses to stand against it under the guise of being “Constitutionally Correct?” Saying I am against Abortion, gay marriage, drug use and prostitution while simultaneously saying these are states rights’ issues is punting, shirking responsibility by booting it to the individual states. Certainly, we may make this argument form a Libertarian standpoint or a STRICT Constitutional adherence one but NOT from a Christian one. IF I say “I am against gay marriage personally, but I believe it’s a states’ rights issue” I am actually staking out a VERY safe position. I am TECHNICALLY 100% correct that it IS a states rights’ issue but as a CHRISTIAN I am to stand on Gods’ side and support and follow HIS laws. Dr. Ron Paul says that he is against several different things PERSONALLY, and then he says that these issues should be decided at a state level. Right is right and wrong is WRONG and we must oppose it as Christians. It seems to me that people, especially Christians who support a candidate like Ron Paul are all too happy to let not only each person but each state go to Hell anyway they see fit. How can this be? Are we really going to leave the right to each state to sin freely and even normalize and codify sin as lawful? Sin is action against the will of God. We can let states say it is legal and permissible but it doesn’t change the way God views it.
This world lies in thrall to Satan. 1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. Are we really going to concede the decision making on major issues of morality to a lost world and NOT stand against the evil?
When I look at Each of the main Candidates from a point of view of with whom I agree most often I get numbers sort of like this Obama 5% if that, Romney perhaps about 60% and Ron Paul about 75%. I temper these numbers with an analysis of just how major my disagreements with the candidate are and an awareness of if they can even win. I just don’t understand Paul supporters being willing to overlook his actual or practical support of many societal ills. More than this I don’t understand the self righteous, holier than thou attitudes of people who say ANY GOP voter is evil, helping the enemy etc while IGNORING the fact that Ron Paul has ZERO chance of winning. Just how many elections do we have to be willing to concede, to “vote a message” before the “better” candidate or a third party has a chance to actually win? How bad will our country get in the mean time? I am not willing to allow this country to undergo more failed Democrat, Socialist policies. I am NOT happy to vote for Romney so I prefer to consider it a vote AGAINST Obama. When I consider my vote I also consider how my vote will impact OTHERS. Our founding fathers understood this concept…
“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” –Samuel Adams, in the Boston Gazette, 1781
“It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.” –George Washington, letter to the Legislature of Pennsylvania, 1789
When I consider the “choices” I have for President, it becomes clear there is NO perfect candidate and NO choice anywhere NEAR perfect. If I vote for Ron Paul I must ignore his stance on drugs and prostitution. I also must ignore the FACT that he is basically taking a complete pass on MANY issues by relegating them to a states’ rights discussion. When I contemplate the fact that many states have Gay Marriage (at least one, in California in DIRECT opposition to the will of the voters) and that MANY State and Municipal authorities routinely violate the rights of their citizens (think draconian, expensive and onerous gun laws in Chicago, NYC, Detroit and Washington D.C. or HUGE and unfair taxes on anything they don’t care for, like businesses, tobacco, alcohol etc) I am frankly, nonplussed as to how leaving issues to the states who often abuse their citizens rights and liberties is still being advocated by Libertarians and I have no idea how it’s a better thing to do from a CHRISTIAN standpoint.
Ultimately, who we vote for is a VERY personal matter. I am convinced that the RIGHT thing to do for me and my family is to vote for the MOST Conservative candidate with an eye towards actually WINNING and getting the current administration OUT of office. Many make the legitimate point that Romney and Obama don’t differ much, if at all, on their actual policies. While this is TRUE, it is only part of the story…Does anyone really believe that a Romney administration would refuse to punish voter intimidation just because the offenders had the same skin color as themselves? Would a Romney administration REFUSE to support and defend DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act) or would repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and allow the service of openly gay individuals? The current administration seems ALL too willing to sign away the sovereignty of this nation to the UN or whomever. They will not authorize ANY development or access of our own energy resources, they are openly abusive to private equity and business, Romney has also pledged to advance and sign into law an unborn protection act; Obama would rather sign bills that allow babies to die in closets and HAS!…I could go on but I think this should suffice to show some MAJOR differences between an Obama administration and a possible Romney one.
I am NOT so self righteous or holier than thou that I will tell anyone else that my way is the ONLY way or the correct way. I won’t make the argument that anybody who votes differently than I do is an idiot, a fool, a pawn of Satan or anything else. I will only say this, you may feel like the morally superior agent because you’ve “voted your principles” but will it matter when your candidate doesn’t win? Will it make you feel better if Obama wins again?
Let me put it another way. Here locally I voted for Rob Jozwiak a Libertarian for Mayor. He was, IMHO, clearly the best candidate. He wanted to CHANGE the broken and corrupt way that city government has been run for DECADES here. When the votes were being counted and it became clear that he wasn’t going to win, I had a fear that the Democrat candidate might win because lots of people like me and my family voted third party. I would have felt terrible about that but I guess I could’ve lived with it at a local level. I just can’t live with myself if Obama wins again because I voted for Ron Paul or any other third party candidate.
The more I have researched the more I find it laughable that people are so supportive of Paul and so ABUSIVE to those who don’t support him. Ron Paul is not the TRUE rock ribbed Christian and Conservative that people make him out to be! Ron Paul used to support DADT but then in 2007 his position began to “Evolve” (here to be read as flip-flop) In an interview on “The American View, when asked “Do you believe [homosexuality] is a sin?” Ron Paul said “I’m not as judgmental about that probably because of my medical background, so I don’t see it in that simplistic terms,” Paul said. “I think it’s a complex issue to decide whether it is sin or other problems with the way people are born. It’s, to me, too complex to give an answer as simple as that.”
Now see, something like that bothers me! As a Bible believing Christian, I am not of the opinion that God makes mistakes! MY Bible says that God is perfect and all his ways right! If we accept (and without ANY actual proof I might add) the idea that homosexual persons are “born that way” then we are in effect saying that God is both NOT perfect and that he is unfair! I mean if GOD made you that way how can he tell you it is wrong? How can he define marriage as between one man and one woman and call ANY other physical union fornication and deviant conduct?
Why did Ron Paul, the “True Christian” choice have trouble with a Biblical answer on this question? WHY, would he imply that as a Doctor he thought we might be dealing with issues of genetics? He wants to make a VERY simple issue complex. The Bible tells us REPEATEDLY that any physical relations outside of marriage is SIN. How is that complex?
Ron Paul was one of only FIVE House Republicans to vote for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Ron Paul openly betrayed Ronald Reagan’s economic policies after having supported him, he has slipped between Republican and Libertarian more than once and in my opinion this was done primarily for political expediency. Representative Paul has also voted on MORE than one occasion for government intervention into health care through Medicare prescription price fixing and re-importation of prescription drugs from nations with price-controls!
This experience has been just one more lesson in the cult of personality. Right and wrong shouldn’t depend on the letter next to the name, the race, color or national origin of the person or whether we like the person or not. People who accept the hypocrisy, compromise and sell outs of Ron Paul while simultaneously decrying other candidates for the same things are very hard to take seriously. The same people calling votes for the GOP evil, even if lesser are willfully ignoring the FACT that Ron Paul is evil too.
If this upsets anyone I close with two thoughts from Scripture. Please attend to the word of God. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Brothers and Sisters, I leave you almost where I began. NO candidate will ever be perfect or even close, so the best we can do is to vote for the least offensive candidate that we have. One who can win and who hopefully respects the traditions of this country, the Constitution and the rule of law.