Pastors, Teach Your Church Members to Vote!
I don’t disagree, but there’s an even more urgent need, in my experience: Teaching on how to decide whom to vote for, how to put all of that in a biblical context, the qualifications for leadership (including the elected kind), etc.
Along with abortion, freedom of speech, etc., Christians ought to care deeply about the rule of law. It is foundational to any policy effectiveness on those other issues. Of course, policy is also not where most of these battles are ultimately won or lost, so that context is also extremely important.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
....as I read Romans 13 and other passages about human government, it strikes me first of all that we ought to be praying for government leaders first. With the major parties both putting forth very flawed candidates for the Presidency, I must confess that circumstances are driving me to my knees more consistently than before.
That noted, it strikes me as well that the Bible really has few examples of what we are to do for the case when we are in a republic with elections--where we are, to a small degree, "the king", to use Romans 13's word picture. (which, interestingly, occurs in what was officially a republic--but local sovereigns did function as kings) Given the right to vote, is it a requirement for Christians to do so?
The closest analogy I can come up with in Scripture is that, per Aaron's thoughts, Paul, Nathan, and others do indeed confront kings about their violation of the law and human rights--and we might say "if Paul and Nathan risked their lives to confront lawless kings, is it really too much to ask that you learn about the political process and cast a ballot?"
Going further, it is also key that Christians understand that a certain portion of Biblical morality ought to be enshrined in secular law--and that is part, again, of ensuring that the king and ruling elites do not abuse the people a la David & Bathsheba, or a la Paul and the magistrate.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Discussion