Often Christians are accused of being "one-item" voters, and that item is usually life. But, the Christians I've dealt with for years think far more broadly and deeply than on just one or two items. Thanks to some thought-provoking friends who see the world differently from me I have been thinking on this topic for long time. Finally, I feel somewhat prepared to put my thoughts in the open forum.
The question goes like this: How can Christians vote for conservatives when conservatives are greedy and don't care about the needy? Without getting caught in the tar-baby of deconstructing the errors of the stereotypes contained in the question, my answer is really pretty simple. Christians value the Word of God more than the good intentions of seemingly nice people. OK, what does that mean?
A real Christian believes the Bible to be the very inspired, perfect, Word of God. To be a Christian, one must believe and adhere to God's Word. So, a Christian seeks to apply God's Word in all areas of life - not just the "spiritual" stuff. A real Christian sees the entirety of life as Spiritual and deems it necessary to have a World-view that is shaped by God's instructions.
When a Christian is encountering and getting involved in the public arena of civics and politics, he/she will vote for the group or person(s) that seems to hold similar values on those topics. That does not mean that Christians will only vote for Christians. As Martin Luther said, "I'd rather be governed by a good Moslem than a bad Christian."
What are those values that Christians will vote for? The following is short list of topics and short answers that are common to Christians as they consider policies and candidates.
The size, scope and role of Government: the Bible teaches that a government is in place to protect the citizenry from harm, and establish a system that protects the freedoms of the people (Romans 13). In simpler terms: keep the people safe - from themselves and outside aggressors.
Mercy: the Bible teaches that individuals, families and churches are responsible for taking care of the needy; not the government. One's mercy is to be voluntary, not coerced.
Work/Welfare/Responsibility: the Bible teaches, "if a man will not work, he shall not eat" and if a man does not provide for his own family, "he is worse than an unbeliever."
Labor: the Bible says work diligently with your hands at whatever you are doing and do it for the glory of God. Laborers and Employers are called to be fair, just and honest.
Life: the Bible teaches that all of life is sacred. Therefore, a Christian won't vote for a pro-abortion candidate. What about the "death penalty"? Well, are there crimes which can only be 'repaid' by the death of another? While the death penalty is very sobering and difficult, we must remember what led to that verdict in the first place.
Taxation: the Bible teaches us to pay our taxes - "render unto Caesar" - while telling us that Caesar has a limited role. Therefore, limited taxation. If government is limited in its size and scope, then it needs limited funding.
Trust: the Bible teaches - from cover to cover - to trust God alone for all of our needs, not other men.
The Nature of Man: the Bible teaches (and history give examples) that we are all sinful to our core and even the best among us is not 100% trustworthy. But, God is! The best intentions of bad men can lead us to horrible results. What is the collection of governors, if not a collection of sinful people? More sin = more trouble.
Justice/Freedom: some of the strongest condemnations in the Bible are reserved for the tyrants who robbed others of their freedoms and that it is the responsibility of Christians to seek the most freedom for others. The Bible continues to teach that there is right and wrong; and there are consequences for each. Thus, law enforcement.
Equality: the Bible teaches us that God is not a respecter of persons. He is not prejudiced, and we should not be either. Therefore, Christians stand opposed to groups that seek to maintain special privileges for small groups. All are created with equal opportunities to succeed or fail.
Economics: the Bible teaches that the "love of money is the root of all evil." That same Bible teaches us to be hard-working, industrious, generous, wise, prudent, thrifty, good savers, good investors, and good managers of the time, talents, and resources that we've been given. If we have limited taxation, the people will be keeping more of their own income in order to be better stewards. And, honestly, what government has ever kept its promise to be a good steward?
These are just a sampling of topics that concern Christians. There are many more topics to be addressed, but the same theme will run through-out: following the Bible rather than men.
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