Should A Christian Vote_2018

By: Dan C. Bailey

We know that there are some Christians who do not believe in voting. Some of the old pioneer preachers believed that Christians should not vote. There are those who believe in voting but seldom or never vote. And then there are those who vote on a regular basis.

This short article is written to encourage Christians to fulfill their civic duty by voting. The main issue, in my judgment, concerning voting is as follows: Does the Bible authorize a Christian to participate in the government or in civic matters?

The jailer and his household (Acts 16) became Christians. Cornelius was a Roman soldier with much authority (Acts 10-11). The Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8) was the treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia. Certainly Christians are authorized to participate in similar public functions.

But why should a Christian vote? One of the many reasons why I vote is because my father went to war and risked his life so we could be free. One of those precious freedoms is the freedom of religion. There is no doubt but that some in the church take these freedoms for granted. I was recently impressed with the people in Afghanistan who stood in line to vote, in spite of bombs that went off to discourage them from casting their vote. Truly, they must have a good understanding of how previous their freedom is!

When we vote, we are taking a stand at times for certain moral values that are found in the Word of God. For instance, if a person running for office promotes the killing of children in the womb, who would want to treat that issue the same as an increase in the water bill? There are those who strongly advocate that a man is able to "marry a man" and that a woman is authorized to "marry a woman." Would a Christian vote to support that which is clearly an abomination in the sight of God? We know that people are not perfect who run for public office. But certainly, there are some clear moral issues that Christians should support. No preacher should tell people how to cast their votes. But preachers can and should encourage Christians to investigate what others believe and to consider the many moral issues that are involved. If we can in any way help to promote righteousness, let us do so, even if it is done by casting a vote.

We currently are facing the possibility of a gambling facility to be opened here in Bristol and in other places as well. Christians should stand against all forms of gambling. Let us be careful with our vote. Certainly, if we fail to vote against sinful measures in the community, we shall reap negative consequences. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:7-8).