Home Christian News Does It Really Matter If Christians Vote? A Pastoral Response

Does It Really Matter If Christians Vote? A Pastoral Response

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Our founders believed that our nation must be influenced by those who practice solid faith. One of the founding fathers of the United States, Patrick Henry, is quoted as saying “The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.” Churches do not have to endorse candidates or political parties (God doesn’t ride on the backs of elephants or donkeys), but the church must have a voice at the voting booth to stand for biblical values.

As to issues of justice, the church is political, whether it speaks or doesn’t. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Bonhoeffer, understood that the true Church does not have the option of avoiding the “affairs of the city.” If Christians choose silence, it does not absolve them of responsibility.

Perhaps even more poignant is what the late Francis Shaeffer said when he boldly stated, “Every abortion clinic should have a sign in front of it saying, ‘Open by the permission of the church.’ ” Do we bristle at that thought? Perhaps that statement makes us uncomfortable, but it gets at the heart of the question. Should Christians be involved in the affairs of the city? Is abortion an affair of the city? I think it is. Is educating the next generation an affair of the city? I think it is. Should the church concern itself with this injustice, economic issues, and the moral issues of the day? I’ll let you decide how to answer that. I truly hope my point is clear.

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ChurchLeaders: How can the church encourage non-voters to register on National Voter Registration Sunday? 

Isaacs: I think we should not try to convince people. I think we should take the posture of serving our pastor and the church. Jesus said in Mark 10:45 that He didn’t come to be served, but to serve. It’s natural to be passionate about our responsibility to vote as Christians, but the thing that will stop it dead in its tracks is a posture of aggression, shaming, or condemnation.

The other thing that will go a long way to seeing this come to fruition is to prepare well for the meeting with your leaders. At My Faith Votes, we have put together a helpful guide that will prepare you with a plan for the event, a free toolkit with materials, resources and videos for the promotion, and information about options for your church registration. Those two things — a servant’s posture and sound preparation — will be beneficial as you seek to serve your local church in this way.

Paul thank you so much for your time and giving us at ChurchLeaders a biblical pathway into why we as Christians should find it important to vote.

Please check out My Faith Votes for more information regarding National Voter Registration Sunday here.

ChurchLeaders note: The 2020 Presidential Election was one of the most secure in American history, according to statements by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, U.S. courts in over 60 cases nationwide, and numerous other public officials and elections officials.