Christians and Voting

There has been a lot of discussion going on about Christians and voting. Should they vote? If so, who should they vote for? How should they determine who to vote for? Etc., etc., etc. If you aren’t familiar with the discussion a very brief summary goes something like this.

The Christians shouldn’t vote camp:
1. We are citizens of God’s kingdom and should not concern ourselves with the things of this world.
2. We corrupt ourselves by participating in the political life of the Rome of our day.
3. Voting is being un-Christlike because we are “lording it over” people by trying to impose our will on them through legislation.
4. Our faith is in God, not the government. (Interestingly I had a Jehovah’s Witness argue the same thing with me yesterday, FYI. It gave me a new perspective on this argument.)

(There are many more reasons, you can read in depth at the links below.)

The Christians should vote camp:
1. It is a way of speaking truth to power.
2. It is a way of making society more just.
3. Voting isn’t as bad as the people in the “Christians shouldn’t vote” camp make it out to be. (For example: casting a vote doesn’t automatically mean you put your faith in the government more than God.)
4. There is a legitimate, God-ordained, role for both the church and the state. The job of Christians is to make each as true to their vocation as possible.

Who to vote for:
There are faithful Christians who will vote for both candidates, and their faith will inform them (and people who won’t vote because their faith tells them not to). Let’s not assume those who vote differently from us are evil or sinful or “un-Christian. There are legitimate reasons to vote for both candidates (or none at all). Some I have heard are:

John McCain:
1. He is pro-life (this is the biggest one I have heard by far).
2. He is anti-torture.
3. He is against a federal law legalizing gay marriage.

Barack Obama:
1. He is more likely to support programs to aid the poor.
2. He is more likely to try diplomacy before resorting to violence.
3. He is anti-torture.
4. He is against a federal law legalizing gay marriage.
5. His election would be a move towards racial reconciliation in this country.

(I have tried to give the “Christian” arguments I have heard Christians give for voting for these two candidates. I am not saying I agree with any of them or that I think these stances necessarily are or aren’t “Christian.” I have tried to avoid putting in arguments based on political philosophy explicitly. Let’s just say there are good Christians who are conservative and liberal economically, socially, and in foreign policy.)

If you want to hear what other people are saying about voting or not check out these resources:

Christians shouldn’t vote:

Rogueminister

Tripp York

Shane Claiborne

Christians Should Vote:

Jim Wallis

Bart Campolo

Anthony Smith aka Postmodern Negro

In the end I come down on the side that Christians can, and probably should, vote. This has come after much discernment. I was, for awhile, leaning towards thinking Christians shouldn’t vote (and I still have affinities with this theological perspective). The argument that convinced me? The ways depriving people of the vote has historically oppressed various groups of people. I firmly believe Christians are to be on the side of, and in solidarity with, the poor and the least of these. In this spirit of solidarity with those society has forgotten, cast aside and ignored I sought their advice both historically and currently. (Something Shane Claiborne actually suggested we all do.) Upon doing that I have learned that those who are truly suffering from the structures of our society think we should vote, and they typically have an opinion on who. Those who are arguing that we shouldn’t vote typically come from positions of social privilege and truly won’t be affected much by the outcome of the election. Those who will be affected deeply in their real lives do not understand how one could consider not voting. I have humbled myself to their experience.

So, in that spirit, I have asked those who have traditionally been on the margins of society (in this case the members at the African-American church I attend and the homeless people I work with everyday) if they are voting, and if they are for whom? The answer has been a resounding, “Yes, I will vote (if they legally can) and it’s going to Obama!” So, that’s where my vote went this year as well. There are many other reasons I voted for him and not McCain, but I want to be clear part of my decision making process was listening to the people the rest of society doesn’t listen to.

So, let me know how you stand by taking these polls!