I did not vote in the last two presidential
elections. There, I said it. I am not ashamed. No need to blame me for the state of the
country. No need to attempt to convince
me that I am obligated to vote because our ancestors fought for the right or I
have a biblical responsibility. I
appreciate the right, am very conscious of it, and do not take voting lightly –
that’s why I did not vote.
I want to make it clear that I am not “anti-voting”
on its face. I do not believe that
anyone should haphazardly withdraw from the political process without any
thought. However, I am
anti-irresponsible voting. I am
anti-uninformed voting. I am anti-race-based
voting. I am anti-party-based
voting. As a Christian, I am
anti-throw-Biblical-principles-to-the-wind voting.
I did not vote in the last two elections because I
could not in good conscience vote for either candidate. My criteria for choosing a candidate is very
simple. During any election season, I look to
scripture, particularly Exodus 18, to guide my decision-making. In chapter 18, Moses had been acting judge
over all the people of Israel and was becoming overwhelmed by the magnitude of
the job. His father-in-law Jethro
counseled his weary son-in-law to appoint other men to judge the smaller matters,
thus lightening Moses’ workload. Jethro
advised Moses of the kind of men he should seek out for the job: “Moreover, look for able
men from all the people, men who fear
God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over
the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.” (Exodus 18:21)
I look for a candidate
who professes faith in Christ and whose life, voting record, and platform
support that profession. I look at his
stances on issues that I believe reflect an understanding of the character of
God. I am less concerned with who will
put the most money in my pocket than who will uphold biblical principles
concerning such issues as the sanctity of life.
I also expect the candidate’s faith to be important to him and that it should
be apparent -- not a hidden aspect of his life.
If his positions are not based on faith in Christ, no matter how closely
they mirror what I may believe to be biblical, I cannot trust that he will not
change his mind on an issue with the blowing of the wind. There is no sure foundation for what he
believes.
I look for a
trustworthy candidate. I can only see so
much of a candidate’s private life, but
what I am able to see should be marked by integrity. Perfection?
No. General integrity? Yes. In
his public life, I look for consistency in standing for Biblical
principles. I would also expect him to
deal honestly in his personal and professional business. If he cannot be trusted in his daily affairs,
how can he be trusted to run our country?
Finally, is he capable
of the job? Has he shown leadership
abilities or does he seem to buckle under pressure? Does he have knowledge of the issues he will
be required to confront, or has he surrounded himself with trusted advisors to
help with the learning curve? Is he a
biological male and identifies as such… yes, that’s where I must go in my
specificity. I would not support a
woman, especially one who is charged with caring for a husband and children, in
a presidential election. I will leave it
at that or this post will be much, much longer.
If I look at the field
of candidates and find these qualities missing, I do not vote.
I do not vote for the
“lesser of two evils”, as I hope to never knowingly vote for an “evil” be they
lesser or not.
I do not see my vote as
a vote against another candidate. By
that I mean, I do not think, “Well, I don’t really support either candidate A
or candidate B, but I will go ahead and vote for B because I am really voting
against A.” Umm, no, you are casting
your vote in SUPPORT of candidate B.
Votes are not counted as votes AGAINST a candidate but as votes FOR a
candidate.
I am a conscience
voter, not a strategic voter. If I vote
for a candidate, it is because I can do so with a clear conscience, whether
they have a snowball’s chance to win or not.
If I vote, I try to vote in way that I believe would please the Lord according
to the knowledge that I have at the time.
I do not look at the statistics and try to figure out how my vote for a
candidate who has little chance of winning the nomination will affect the
chances that an opposing candidate will achieve the nomination. I no longer have the brain power for such
mental gymnastics, nor do I have a desire for such. If the Lord were to ask me about my voting
record, I don’t think he’ll ask me why I didn’t vote for the winning
candidate. I think He would ask me if I
voted for a candidate who upheld His principles.
Will I vote this
election cycle? Possibly. Because we are now settled in our new state,
with no moves on the horizon, I am more inclined to consider voting in the
primary, as well as the local elections.
Honestly, I never paid the primaries much attention, and by the time the
general election would roll around, the two candidates were not suitable, so I
would decline to vote. This time I may
indeed vote in the primary. I have until
March 15th to figure it out.
However, as I look at the present delegate count, I have a feeling I
won’t be voting in the general election.
I think this election season has brought many people
to the point where they are truly considering not voting. I say pray for those who do vote, pray for
the candidates, pray for our country,
and press on. Let no one shame
you or guilt you into going against your conscience. Let no one imply that you are not fulfilling
your civic or biblical duty. I say, “Poppycock!” Romans 13:1 tells us that God appoints who He
wants in authority and isn’t thwarted by anyone’s vote or lack thereof – “Let
every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority
except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
As believers, we
must rest in the comfort that God is sovereign over all, including who will be
our next president. We must take comfort
that whatever He accomplishes through this election will be for His
purpose. Let us be obedient in walking
righteously before God and before all men, choosing that which is pleasing to
God. In Christ, Talya
