Have you noticed how happy people are these days, basking in the glow and excitement of the upcoming U.S. presidential election? Me neither. In fact, with few exceptions, even the most energetic supporter of one candidate or another seems tense, fidgety, and grim.
There are reasons for the dour mood. Politics has become ever more personal over the last few election cycles, with partisan supporters adopting new levels of identification with their political superstars (translation: To their thinking, what happens to their candidate happens to them—and they respond accordingly). Add to this the disturbing rise in violence, both promised and actual (two assassination attempts on a candidate in the space of two months), and there is some justification for Americans’ lack of optimism this election season.
How should Christians in America respond to this? In a time when skepticism and chaos are the rule rather than the exception, how can Christians faithfully and effectively engage in the political process? Should we step back, disengage, and wait patiently for Jesus to return and burn ballot boxes with the brightness of His coming? Or are there still ways we can be salt and light in an age of bland morals and gathering darkness?
In a time when skepticism and chaos are the rule rather than the exception, how can Christians faithfully and effectively engage in the political process?
Ten principles
To get at some potential answers to these questions, I offer the following ten principles for how thoughtful Christians can interact with politics.
Jesus’ job is to save us. The government’s job is to keep the public peace. Let us not confuse the two.
Much handwringing and doom-casting has occurred over the supposed supra-eternal importance of the upcoming election. Moreover, the phrase “This is the most important election of our lifetimes” is a mantra repeated for at least the last three election cycles. And indeed, elections do have consequences, even eternal ones! But sadly, the gap between “This election is important!” on the one hand and “This candidate will be our savior!” on the other seems lamentably small for many, and even Christians are today sometimes framing their favored candidate in salvific terms (or, conversely, framing the opposition in demonic terms). So, let it be crystal clear: Only Jesus can transform the human heart. Only Jesus can save us from our sins and secure a heavenly home—and the latter will only happen via the Second Coming, not an earthly election. Jesus’ kingdom is explicitly “not of this world” (John 18:36), and temporal politics, while important, recede into the background compared to Christ’s coming reign. Speaking of which:
Christians bring lasting change primarily through evangelism and discipleship, not politics.
This is not to say that Christians do not believe politics can assist in positive societal change! It is to say that the state, by definition, governs by force of law, and force can never change a heart. Christians craving a better society may fare better if they host a neighborhood Bible study than if they wave banners at the local political rally. Jesus said it clearly: “And I [not a political candidate!], when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Jesus—not politics—is the ultimate fix for society’s troubles. Let us live, and vote, accordingly.
As a general rule, religious liberty is the most important issue in any political election.
I briefly made my case for this a few columns ago, and I’ll not repeat all that was said there. Suffice it to say that while many other issues are clearly of deep importance, religious liberty is the necessary precondition to having a moral framework through which to view all of them. No (or even merely weak) religious liberty will lead to religious suppression, which will ultimately lead to moral bankruptcy, which will lead directly to Revelation 13 scenarios and the end of the world. Robust religious liberty will allow a faithful, Christlike voice to proclaim the true faith as long as possible. Vote first and foremost with religious liberty in mind.
Moral issues in the lives of others, as seen through the lens of human government, must be viewed differently than moral issues in Christian institutions or the Christian’s personal life.
One reason why many thoughtful Christians have been so engaged in the political process of late because of their concern for the sagging state of national morality. From abortion to the border to issues regarding sexuality and sexual expression, Christians are rightly alarmed at many of the paths society is following. However, we can never forget the seminal truth that sinners have rights. The ability to choose what is right assumes and even requires the ability to also choose what is wrong. True, successful human government has always rightly put limits on the expression of these two options. But the rights of individual citizens to engage in what we as Christians would consider highly objectionable behavior in their personal lives may sadly, in some situations, need to be preserved to maintain a sufficiently free society in which the Gospel can be unreservedly preached. The Apostle Paul went so far as to say, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside” (1 Cor. 5:12,13). While we can argue over the degree of applicability of this counsel to American politics, at the very least, it highlights the seriousness with which Christians must take the prospects of controlling unbeliever’s personal behavior. Great wisdom is therefore essential; we desire neither a theocracy nor a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. We must, therefore, weigh political issues extraordinarily carefully to find the right balance between preserving moral agency on the one hand and a sufficiently moral society that will tolerate the spreading of the Gospel on the other.
Government-protected right-to-sin should be opposed when mandated tolerance becomes mandated advocacy.
Christians of all denominational flavors ought to be united on this! It is one thing to “live and let live” in today’s political chaos. But a deeply important line is crossed when Christian institutions (to say nothing of Christians as individuals) are required to embrace immoral, unbiblical practices in their own constitutionally protected ranks. Against such line crossings, nay votes are blessed. “Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Rom.14:22) and “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29) are to be our watchwords under such conditions.
Federalism and the separation of powers are bonafide bulwarks against tyranny. Vote accordingly.
Tyranny will indeed be the order of the day at the end of time. The unholy trinity of Roman Catholicism, apostate Protestantism, and Satan (as expressed through both spiritualism and his personal presence—see Revelation 13) will wield tyrannical power that will attempt to force global demonic worship. Logic dictates, therefore, that any vote we cast prior to that time that can deter the accumulation of undue power in any one person may possibly preserve religious liberty and the Gospel witness that much longer. Blessedly, this is at the core of the genius of the American experiment. We are a republic (that is, a representative democracy) with constitutionally specified separation of powers manifested in both our tripartite government (with its legislative, executive, and judicial branches) and in federalism (the union of the states, through which government power is broadly distributed and thereby diffused). The wisdom of God declares that “in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Prov. 24:6). Even the Trinity itself shows that God shares His power.1 Such examples—as well as much of the last 200+ years of U.S. history—assure us of the utility of federalism and the separation of powers as a safeguard against tyranny. This is precisely why any breakdown of this safeguard ought to alarm Americans everywhere. Study candidates and issues to see whether they will support or diminish these two pillars of liberty and vote accordingly.
Posting your political preferences online can instantly eliminate your ability to share Christ with literally millions of people—including your next-door neighbors, coworkers, and family members.
This is a truth that we simply cannot afford to ignore. Ultimately, we are not Democrats. We are not Republicans. We are Christians! And consequently, we cannot adhere ourselves to partisan politics. We are instead the wiser if we are discreet in sharing our political views, knowing that the person we’re directly communicating with (or those who might hear our opinions through other means later) may need Jesus far more than our political estimations. Paul’s counsel to “accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” (Rom. 14:1) regarding food laws may apply equally well to partisan bumper stickers, Facebook posts, and potluck conversation. Additionally, Ellen White was pointed in her instructions to church workers: “Let political questions alone…. Every teacher, minister, or leader in our ranks who is stirred with a desire to ventilate his opinions on political questions, should be converted by a belief in the truth, or give up his work.”2 The message is clear: Don’t let your thoughts on earthly politics dissuade someone else’s reception of a heavenly home.
When confronted with no desirable options, vote for the candidate or issue that seems most likely to lead to the end of time at the slowest pace.
If we were to ask Christians today, my guess is many would say the days of clear-cut, “this one’s good, this one’s bad,” politicians or political issues are long gone. We live instead in a world of moral mush where gray is the favored color and societal elixirs and poisons are mixed freely. Many Christians (and to be fair, many of those with no particular faith at all) are discouraged by this, and as a result have withdrawn from the political process. But Christians are called to work for God till working is no longer possible. Jesus Himself clearly admonished us that, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). And until that night finally falls, we must not quit. As the shadows lengthen, and ideal candidates and causes fade, let us do our best to vote for the person or policy that will bring in the end of time at the slowest pace.
Wherever possible, personally study original sources to discover the true nature of candidates and issues.
Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? Oh, that it actually was! In my experience, it is decidedly not, with instead most people taking their cues from whatever their favorite news feed is to determine how they will cast their vote. For the thoughtful Christian, there is a better way. Recall that the Christian believers in Berea “were more noble than those in Thessalonica,” in part because they “searched the scriptures daily, [to learn] whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11, KJV). Similar practice can yield wise dividends in the political realm today. Read the actual published platforms of political candidates. Search online for full interviews—not merely sound bites—of candidates in which their policy positions are stated. Keep a simple log of web links so you can refer to them later. Listen to professional media newscasts with skepticism. American news outlets are, after all, businesses and may have motives beyond accurately educating the populace that determine how they contextual news stories. Finding the truth regarding politics today is not always easy. But we must do proper research if we are to cast a vote that accurately reflects both reality and Christ-like wisdom.
Whether in person or from afar, make sure that those you disagree with politically are also those you genuinely love.
For Christians, this is not optional. John declared in 1 John 4:20 that “whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.” Furthermore, Jesus Himself left no room for politically motivated disdain when He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven….” (Matt. 5:43-45). I cringe when I hear Christians make statements about political candidates that Christ would never say, sounding like secular partisans who care nothing for their target’s salvation. We are called to a higher standard. The old campfire song is still correct: “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” May this election season prove that these lyrics—and the God behind them—still ring true.
1 For instance, see Genesis 1:26 & 27; Matthew 28:18-20, particularly v. 18; Luke 9:35; etc.
2 Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers (Battle Creek, MI: Review and Herald Pub. Co., 1892), 392, 393.