What’s the most important issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election? Immigration, perhaps? It’s a crucial issue. How a nation controls its borders can dramatically impact the lives of its citizens. How about abortion? Again, a clear candidate, as many Americans have strong feelings on the subject. Or how about that old standby, the economy? Low inflation and solid wages ought to be a top priority for any nation, true?
While all these are undeniably important, in my opinion the most important issue in the upcoming (and in any) election is religious liberty.
The reasons for this are many. But one of the most prominent is that because God is love, His government depends on free moral agency. Satan’s kingdom, conversely, is built on deception and coercion. At the end of time the mark of the beast phenomenon and the extinction of religious liberty will therefore not be an aberration, but rather the culmination of millennia-long satanic efforts to thwart humanity’s ability to freely choose what is right.
Unsurprisingly, then, for more than 140 years Adventism has put immense horsepower into preserving religious liberty. Untold millions of dollars and countless ministry hours have gone into staving off Revelation 13-like scenarios as long as possible . . . which brings us to an intriguing point: In my experience, the prioritization of religious liberty over other concerns often does not make it into the pews of the average church.
Perhaps one reason is that many Christians see current moral concerns as more important than and even precluding religious liberty considerations. Abortion, LGBTQ-related issues, racism, etc., are seen as so pressing that religious liberty takes a back seat. But this is a false dichotomy, for at least two reasons.
First, history shows that religious liberty, rightly understood, in no way negates taking moral issues seriously. Adventists of yesteryear organized to eliminate both slavery and alcohol production, seeking the force of law to achieve their ends—and their doing so in no way diminished religious liberty. Second, it must be remembered that in America, religion (organized or otherwise) that aligns well with the founders’ conception of natural law has historically been the effective source of republic-supporting morality.*
Consequently, if this flavor of religion isn’t preserved through religious liberty, there will eventually be no reliable moral basis from which to address immigration; no internally consistent moral voice to instruct regarding abortion; no sophisticated, integrated moral worldview with which to impact fiscal policy; etc., etc. Various political issues demand thoughtful and rigorous consideration. But all depend on religious liberty to be navigated successfully.
Carefully vet candidates’ and their party’s platforms. Identify what they’ve said and done for all citizens regarding religious liberty. Discover their views on freedom of speech, freedom from having to promote issues and/or behaviors that are against conscience, freedom of assembly, etc. Prayerfully consider your findings in light of biblical principle. Then vote accordingly, that we might stave off the coming darkness as long as possible.
* That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? More on this in a future article. In the meantime, googling terms such as natural law, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, deism, and related topics may prove fruitful.