How, Then, Should Christians Vote? And do Evangelicals owe Bill Clinton an apology?
“What exactly do you suggest Christians do? Should they hold their nose and vote for Trump but endeavor to still see him clearly and hold him accountable for his misconduct? Should they vote for Democrats even when Democrats would protect abortion rights and restrict religious freedom? Or should they vote third party or write in a name?” - David French
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One thing that is missing from all this banter is the fact that Trump was a liberal and lacked any solid character traits. Now he is conservative and seems to have picked up a few. Tyler says he’s a thug and implies that he is unjust. How is he a thug today? And how is he unjust today?
It is a blessing to get to vote for our leader. That vote in Roman times may have kept Nero from being Emperor, or Diocletian. It may therefore have spared Christians from horrendous treatment. Today it could prevent many babies being killed, and suppress somewhat the propagandizing of the populace, and buoy the economy, and protect free speech and religious freedom. Or it may not depending on what one decides to do with ones vote.
That said, I support a believer’s right to NOT vote. I cannot support a Christian who votes Democrat. Why? Because they are voting for murder!
Romans 12:18 urges us to live in peace with all men. It may be argued that our vote qualifies as an “as much as lies within you.”
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
[Paul Henebury]How is he a thug today?
Well, his Twitter page is pretty revealing.
Or two!
Thanks
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
[Paul Henebury]Or two!
Thanks
How about this quote from five hours ago: “If I wasn’t President, I’d be suing everyone all over the place…..BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL.”
Really, I don’t need to provide examples. His Twitter page is filled with name calling, taunting, threatening, etc.
As flawed as Republicans are … I am a Republican. I did not vote for Trump in ‘16 but will likely vote for him in ‘20
Republicans are generally for:
- Smaller government and restrained fiscal spending
- Lower taxes
- Life (not as strong as I would like!). The last (consider this!) pro-life Democrat on the national ticket was Sargent Shriver in 1972
- 2nd Amendment rights
- Capitalism (or better put “marketplace freedom”)
The Minnesota Republican primary will only have Trump’s name on the ballot (will be skipping the primary)
Come November it will be Trump vs a Democrat. The only Democrat who is viable and could run the country is Bloomberg and he is too far left for me
You challenge those who disagree with you to debate the principles, not simply state disagreement. Few of us disagree with your principles. Application is the difficulty. You say that without sound character, the Conservative movement is useless. I think we all prefer Christian character in our candidates, but how do you decide who sufficiently possesses the required amount of character? Since no one is flawless, what standards dictate that candidate A is not too flawed to meet your definition of character, but candidate B is over the line? As far as I can tell, this is a subjective decision. It boils down to the way you feel about candidate A or B. Another Christian embracing the same principles may decide that candidate B, though flawed, is not sufficiently flawed to merit rejection. That’s what I mean about stating noble, lofty sounding principles, but failing to execute them consistently. When it comes to application, the objective standards are far from clear, and subjective choices rule the day.
G. N. Barkman
How about including the context? This is about the Mueller investigation, which was clearly a put-up job. Mueller claimed he knew nothing about Fusion GPS? Really? What was it all about then? And why wasn’t Hillary investigated for her links with Fusion GPS and the fake dossier?
Trump is saying that as a private citizen he would sue these people. Then he adds that perhaps he still will since it was a witch hunt.
There’s no thuggish behavior here. It is at best a shot across the bows.
I’ve never read Trump’s twitter feed before, but I did so today and I can’t see any thuggish tweets. Help me out here.
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
Do you mean like “If they bring a knife to a fight, we bring a gun.”?
Or “they can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.”? (paging Rosa Parks)
Definitely thuggish…..by President Obama. Sorry, again, part of this is simply a matter of “the media covered for Obama, but won’t for Trump”.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
[Jim]As flawed as Republicans are … I am a Republican. I did not vote for Trump in ‘16 but will likely vote for him in ‘20
Republicans are generally for:
- Smaller government and restrained fiscal spending
- Lower taxes
- Life (not as strong as I would like!). The last (consider this!) pro-life Democrat on the national ticket was Sargent Shriver in 1972
- 2nd Amendment rights
- Capitalism (or better put “marketplace freedom”)
The Minnesota Republican primary will only have Trump’s name on the ballot (will be skipping the primary)
Come November it will be Trump vs a Democrat. The only Democrat who is viable and could run the country is Bloomberg and he is too far left for me
With all due respect brother, I will agree that Republicans claim to support those things but the only appreciable difference I can see is the second amendment and abortion. They expand the government and debt pretty much every administration, make the economy less free (Trump is a mixed bag here), and lower taxes for certain groups while raising them for others. Can’t really think of an actual fiscal conservative since Coolidge although I’m probably overlooking some.
[josh p]Are those two things really “the only appreciable difference” that you can see? What about the leftist assaults on marriage and family? What about their forcing religious employers to fund things that clearly violate the employers’ beliefs?With all due respect brother, I will agree that Republicans claim to support those things but the only appreciable difference I can see is the second amendment and abortion. They expand the government and debt pretty much every administration, make the economy less free (Trump is a mixed bag here), and lower taxes for certain groups while raising them for others. Can’t really think of an actual fiscal conservative since Coolidge although I’m probably overlooking some.
[RajeshG]Are those two things really “the only appreciable difference” that you can see? What about the leftist assaults on marriage and family? What about their forcing religious employers to fund things that clearly violate the employers’ beliefs?
I was responding to Jim’s list. Of his list those are the only appreciable differences I can see.
[josh p]I wondered if that might have been the case. In terms of destroying our society and country, the left’s assaults on marriage and family and on freedom of religion are among the most harmful things that they are doing.I was responding to Jim’s list. Of his list those are the only appreciable differences I can see.
As some on this thread continue to concoct a strawman wherein every registered Democrat is an evil Leftist who dreams of killing babies, it’s worth considering how much damage the Christian Right has done to the cause of Christ by nurturing and promoting a civil religion of WASP-ish Christian Americana with Reagan in his Oscar-winning role as secular Savior, and Falwell, Dobson (et al) playing the apostles.
I suspect there is an age divide among convictional, conservative Protestants about supporting President Trump. I suspect those who cut their teeth in the heydays of the Religious Right from the 1980s onward are more likely to support President Trump. I also suspect those who are children of the 1980s - 1990s are much less likely.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
Went to see Abby Johnson the other day. She was the person about whom the film ‘Unplanned’ was made. After telling us about the attitudes of the doctors and nurses in PP (some of which were sick), she called upon the audience to use their vote to help extinguish this evil… and it is certainly evil.
It’s not for nothing Planned Parenthood donated $30+ million to the DNC. I am not aware of any Democrat who is pro-life. I know that the DNC is pro-choice. I know Sanders has said explicitly that there is no room in the Democratic Party for pro-lifers.
I am not an American citizen and I do not look back upon the Reagan years with nostalgia (nor Thatcher for that matter). My personal political concerns are with abortion, LGBT, globalism, socialism, free speech, the Constitution, education, family and marriage, worldview, and the future of this country for my kids. I shall (DV) hold my Christian convictions against the anti-God agenda in writing and speaking. But if I could use my vote I would use it in the most profitable direction against the stances advocated by the Democrats. Not because they are Democrats, but because that party stands proudly for what is hateful to God and ruinous to the nation.
Still, being for freedom of conscience, I think a Christian whose conscience cannot bring them to vote for Trump should not vote. If the Democrats gain power a person who voted Republican can say they did something against the Democrat’s ungodly practices. One who did not vote could say nothing.
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
from Dictionary.com
ENDORSE: to approve, support, or sustain
VOTE: to express or signify will or choice in a matter, as by casting a ballot
I may well vote in the Democratic Party Primary on Super Tuesday to express or signify my will or choice in the matter of which candidate I want to run against Trump in the general election, but I certainly do NOT approve, support or sustain any of the Democratic Party candidates.
In November, between Trump and his Democratic challenger, I will express or signify my will or choice in the matter of who I would prefer be president the next four years. I can do so without endorsing a candidate.
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