Posted on 10/30/2014 1:04:56 PM PDT by Kaslin
In polite society, you’re not supposed to talk about politics, sex, or religion. Sorry, but this column will discuss all three, directly or indirectly.
In America, we get the kind of government we deserve. Is this the best we can do?
There certainly is a big divide in how we approach politics, even among well-meaning Christians.
I was asked to speak at our church recently, and the title was given to me: “To vote or not to vote?” Are you serious? How can we not vote? We’re in such a mess because we haven’t been voting our values. I believe voting is imperative for the follower of Jesus.
Jesus said that we are to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17). Surely, included in rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s would include voting.
It’s our duty to cast a ballot. It’s also our privilege. I know a man personally who risked his life with six other Cubans to flee the communist island. They rowed for 48 long hours in a rickety row boat with a hole in it. One of them had to bail out the water all the time. After a while, their fingers were bleeding, but they finally made it to the Bahamas.
My Cuban friend is glad to be an American and is a patriot. He wouldn’t think of not voting.
Historically, Christians in America applied their faith to virtually every sphere of life, including politics. While the founding fathers were not all Christians, the vast majority of them were, and virtually all of them had a biblical worldview. As historian Donald S. Lutz said of the founding fathers (even the unorthodox amongst them), “they knew the Bible down to their fingertips.”
So, for example, they divided power, since they knew man is sinful. James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, noted: "All men having power ought not to be trusted." This is a biblical perspective. Sometimes people complain that the Constitution limits the amount of power any one single branch may have. That was by design---lest we have tyranny from one man or from an oligarchy.
When we vote biblical values, we obey what the Lord would have us do. Jesus is not on the ballot, so ultimately we are voting for a sinner. But the question is, Where do those sinners stand on key issues?
Too often, Christians seem to be waiting for the perfect candidates and can’t bring themselves to vote for someone with many (but not all) right views. We need to vote for the available candidates with the best views, rather than waiting for the perfect candidate who’s not coming.
There are some Christians who are so upset with the current crop of politicians that they may sit this election out. But their non-vote is a vote---a vote for someone with whom they probably would disagree vehemently.
There are many lesser known candidates and amendments that will likely be on the ballot. It behooves us to learn a Christian perspective on these, before we go and vote.
Where do the candidates stand on abortion? On traditional marriage? On religious freedom? On fiscal responsibility? On educational issues? All of these are addressed by the Bible.
Speaking of fiscal responsibility, Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Yet today, as one person has said: “Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.” I agree with that sentiment.
Who said it? Senator Barack Obama in 2006. Too bad as president, he has racked up a bill that seems beyond the reach of even our grandchildren to pay off.
In this country, which had such a godly foundation, we currently have the opportunity to vote our biblical values. But if we continue to lose our freedoms and fall prey to tyrannical government, ultimately, we will only have ourselves to blame.
My long-time pastor, the late D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. said this about Christians and politics in general: “I remember 20 years ago, a Christian said to me, ‘You don’t really believe that Christians should get active in politics do you?’ And I said, with tongue in cheek, ‘Why, of course not, we ought to leave it to the atheists, otherwise, we wouldn’t have anything to complain about. And we’d really rather complain than do something, wouldn’t we?’”
Look at the mess we’re in because many Christians have neglected this duty. Five Houston pastors were having their communications subpoenaed by the mayor because they had spoken out against the bill allowing a man to use the ladies’ room! Their emails and text messages had been demanded, to see what they have said anything against this bill.
Commenting on that case initiated by the lesbian mayor of our nation’s 4th largest city, in his Mike Huckabee News (10/19/14), he comments: “Why has this happened? It’s mainly because good church going Christians don’t vote and don’t care.”
It is a privilege to vote. It is our Christian duty to vote. So vote your biblical values. If enough evangelicals and conservative Catholics showed up and voted biblical values, we could carry this election---and virtually every election. Our nation’s founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, and the sacred honor to give us our freedom. The least we could do is vote---and vote our values.
Most of those were prim and proper church ladies who wouldn’t tell their husbands that they “voted that way” because “they would get just so upset”!
I appreciate your respectful reply.
It looks like you just wanted to launch into me for some reason, I bet if I look into it, that this isn’t the first time that you have gone after me like this.
Why don’t you just let that poster respond on his own, if he wasn’t lying.
The GOP obviously no longer represents my beliefs or my values. First there was Bush pushing amnesty, then there was the GOP-E crowd’s nonstop backstabbing of Palin, then the nomination of a liberal POS from Massachusetts for president, and now it’s a host of Republicans just standing silently by the sidelines while the sick degeneracy of fag-marriage is being imposed by judicial tyrants.
Every reason I was a lifelong and exclusively Republican voter has been pretty much dashed to the rocks.
If we lose respect for one another, we are just like those we are fighting against.
FR is just another forum...of little to no consequence or impact as a result.
I maintain that we [FReepers] must/can respectfully agree to disagree...
Btw, I will be voting next week...in CA. It remains to be seen if it will matter much, if at all in the grand scheme of things.
I just fail to see how voting for R socialist saves us from socialism
At 30 mph I can jump and roll and live to fight another day.
This is such vile disgusting pap coming from the likes of you people.
Your party thrusts one liberal Statist candidate after another upon us as our 'only choice' after a primary season of subterfuge and sabotage.
THEN, you do your master's bidding to insult, ridicule and blame those Conservatives who have decided that they were no longer going to vote for their own abuse.
You people refuse to accept the fact that more than half the population WANTS Communism/Statism - and that BOTH parties want Amnesty for MILLIONS of Mexicans who will vote Leftists forever in order to replace the existing constituency of white voters.
On top of that, you willfully overlook the fact that elections are now decided by fraud, deceit and illegal voting so you can blame Conservatives standing on principle for Obama and the Democrats "winning" elections.
Just like the GOP leadership that allies itself with Democrats to wage war on Conservatives, we have people like you right here on FR jointing the Democrats to blame Conservatives who actually ACT and LIVE by their principles, rather than betraying them.
The fact we know and understand is, Conservatives will be blamed for everything negative that happens by the Democrats, the Ruling Class GOP and you party hacks. It is how the majority and the agents of both parties will applaud our removal.
But we are no longer supporting a party and their liberal candidates who at war with us, support the Obama agenda and pander for our vote AFTER they have already said they intend to surrender to the Democrats right after the election should they win a majority.
Your prescription is just more of the same crap I've heard for the last 30 years from the GOP.
I agree with you completely. I hate the fighting I see on the Religious forums and here as well. Ugliness and name calling will ‘never’ change another person’s mind. I grew up believing that we are each responsible for our own actions and how we treat others.
I voted on the 22nd.
Regards SZonian
I've become more convinced every passing day on the run-up to this election that if given the opportunity - people like you would join the MarxoFascists and put a gun to our heads and pull the trigger if we do not vote the way you people demand.
Liberty and honor are as lost on people like you as they are on black lifelong welfare democrats. Not only is there little to no difference in the Ruling Class party leaders, there seems to be little difference in the loyalists that preach party over principles.
The problems overseas have NOTHING to do with how and whether Conservatives voted.
No way dude! There’s no way I’m voting for these Republicans, even if it means that Democrats who are even worse might get it!
/quixotic self-immolation as a “principle”
We live in a nation dominated by immoral, virtue-less people desiring to lead by their principles, or lack thereof...
Candidates of politicians (incumbents who tout a morality, are subject to never ending scrutiny and attacks that bend public opinion towards that persons hypocrisy with their positions on issues, and twist the founding “moral” principles for which the nation was constructed, and intended to be governed...
So, I believe it would be ok, for elected officials to emphasize their positions and votes on the floors of our houses of government with a few speeches laced with a few “Hells and Damns”...I would not think less of them regardless of their faith...
Timidity and feckless leadership in a time when this nation needs strong, committed, moral and virtuous representation is in order...
Just my opinion...
See how that philosophy (idea) spreads???
Providing nothing to motivate the most reliably Republican voting demographic by far, and then attempting to browbeat them into supporting Republicans anyway come election time is such an odd strategy. Has there been any indication that it works? If not, maybe it’s time to change tactics, rather than attacking your strongest supporters for not being even stronger.
I voted for Joe Carr in the primary, but I will hold my nose and vote for Alexander. I refuse to vote for the rat candidate or the any of the third party candidates
I will skip the governor vote, will vote on the amendments, my rep for US House of representatives and the TN House of representatives for my district. Plus one special vote concerning my town
What do you mean from what denomination? I am Catholic and don’t you dare tell me that I am not a Christian
Chill your jets, this is about Christians voting, no one said anything about you being a Christian or not.
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