Posted on 10/30/2014 1:04:56 PM PDT by Kaslin
In polite society, you’re not supposed to talk about politics, sex, or religion. Sorry, but this column will discuss all three, directly or indirectly.
In America, we get the kind of government we deserve. Is this the best we can do?
There certainly is a big divide in how we approach politics, even among well-meaning Christians.
I was asked to speak at our church recently, and the title was given to me: “To vote or not to vote?” Are you serious? How can we not vote? We’re in such a mess because we haven’t been voting our values. I believe voting is imperative for the follower of Jesus.
Jesus said that we are to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17). Surely, included in rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s would include voting.
It’s our duty to cast a ballot. It’s also our privilege. I know a man personally who risked his life with six other Cubans to flee the communist island. They rowed for 48 long hours in a rickety row boat with a hole in it. One of them had to bail out the water all the time. After a while, their fingers were bleeding, but they finally made it to the Bahamas.
My Cuban friend is glad to be an American and is a patriot. He wouldn’t think of not voting.
Historically, Christians in America applied their faith to virtually every sphere of life, including politics. While the founding fathers were not all Christians, the vast majority of them were, and virtually all of them had a biblical worldview. As historian Donald S. Lutz said of the founding fathers (even the unorthodox amongst them), “they knew the Bible down to their fingertips.”
So, for example, they divided power, since they knew man is sinful. James Madison, one of the key architects of the Constitution, noted: "All men having power ought not to be trusted." This is a biblical perspective. Sometimes people complain that the Constitution limits the amount of power any one single branch may have. That was by design---lest we have tyranny from one man or from an oligarchy.
When we vote biblical values, we obey what the Lord would have us do. Jesus is not on the ballot, so ultimately we are voting for a sinner. But the question is, Where do those sinners stand on key issues?
Too often, Christians seem to be waiting for the perfect candidates and can’t bring themselves to vote for someone with many (but not all) right views. We need to vote for the available candidates with the best views, rather than waiting for the perfect candidate who’s not coming.
There are some Christians who are so upset with the current crop of politicians that they may sit this election out. But their non-vote is a vote---a vote for someone with whom they probably would disagree vehemently.
There are many lesser known candidates and amendments that will likely be on the ballot. It behooves us to learn a Christian perspective on these, before we go and vote.
Where do the candidates stand on abortion? On traditional marriage? On religious freedom? On fiscal responsibility? On educational issues? All of these are addressed by the Bible.
Speaking of fiscal responsibility, Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Yet today, as one person has said: “Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.” I agree with that sentiment.
Who said it? Senator Barack Obama in 2006. Too bad as president, he has racked up a bill that seems beyond the reach of even our grandchildren to pay off.
In this country, which had such a godly foundation, we currently have the opportunity to vote our biblical values. But if we continue to lose our freedoms and fall prey to tyrannical government, ultimately, we will only have ourselves to blame.
My long-time pastor, the late D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. said this about Christians and politics in general: “I remember 20 years ago, a Christian said to me, ‘You don’t really believe that Christians should get active in politics do you?’ And I said, with tongue in cheek, ‘Why, of course not, we ought to leave it to the atheists, otherwise, we wouldn’t have anything to complain about. And we’d really rather complain than do something, wouldn’t we?’”
Look at the mess we’re in because many Christians have neglected this duty. Five Houston pastors were having their communications subpoenaed by the mayor because they had spoken out against the bill allowing a man to use the ladies’ room! Their emails and text messages had been demanded, to see what they have said anything against this bill.
Commenting on that case initiated by the lesbian mayor of our nation’s 4th largest city, in his Mike Huckabee News (10/19/14), he comments: “Why has this happened? It’s mainly because good church going Christians don’t vote and don’t care.”
It is a privilege to vote. It is our Christian duty to vote. So vote your biblical values. If enough evangelicals and conservative Catholics showed up and voted biblical values, we could carry this election---and virtually every election. Our nation’s founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, and the sacred honor to give us our freedom. The least we could do is vote---and vote our values.
I’m not overjoyed with my governor but on balance Rick Snyder has been a pretty good governor when compared to any of the democrats.
He hasn’t really involved himself in social issues and has been pretty good for business despite being fixated on green tech.
The alternative is Mark Schauer who is a full on Obamaton. He says he will overturn the RTW law by executive order if that’s what it take. Strip funding from charter schools, He was a vote for Obamacare and says that Obamacare has minor problems because extremist republicans forced the democrats to be moderate about implementing it.
I think that post 16 was a very deliberate and somewhat detailed lie, not a mistake, and you should have pinged fredmann.
This analogy applies to your line of reasoning...
You are in a car. Going all ‘Thelma and Louise’ towards that cliff at 90 mph. Certain death is imminent.
Or...
You are in a car driving a a rather sedate speed of only 30 mph. Headed towards that same cliff.
Which car would you rather be in?
You have to do what makes the best sense to you. I know where you are coming from. Sounds like your guy isn’t all that bad as long as he isn’t implementing Leftist agenda for them.
Sorry Geron, it’s your kind of thinking that got us into this situation - and the majority on this forum probably agree with that. Most don’t speak up because of the rancor thrown back at them.
So, you can let the dems retain the Senate and Reid’s rule. You can give them a chance to appoint one or more people to SCOTUS, and you can let Hillary become President and continue the downfall of our country for the next 8 years.
I won’t continue to argue with you as we’ve all read thousands of these arguments. At least with a Republican we have a fighting chance to change things.
All that, and I didn’t call you ‘crazy’!
“Be as wise as serpents”
We get the leaders we deserve. Christians included. If you say nothing, you get what you deserve.
Good post!
Depends on which dispensation the Lord follows. We won’t know until it happens.
” Sorry Geron, it’s your kind of thinking that got us into this situation “
It is Geron’s fault that the GOP foisted McCain & Romney on us? Pray tell, how does that work?
those who vote for leftists with an R by their name but fight like bandits against conservatives are the problem
-Response to “An Appeal to Christians”:
When you get rid of new world order, I’ll come right down and vote.
Have a anti-new-world-order candidate ? I vote for them. Try to cram the ballot with all new world order minions ? Then I don’t bother to show.
New world order is anti-Christ, I can no longer vote for new world order.
You politicians will have to work for me the sheeple, not the UK/US financial elites.
And guess what - we the sheeple are coming for you at the ballot box. Here and there true outsiders are getting on ballots.
The movement against new world order is not even started yet. We’re still considered “crackpots” by many.
Wait till the sheeple get more of their own candidates and start getting more of them elected. And then, just when you establishment types corrupt them, we replace them with new tools that report to us.
I invite all parties to boot out new world order - tax-exempt new world order agenda foundations, Wall Street, university elites, media elites, criminals, communists, socialists, etc., etc., etc. - and put candidates on the ballot who will not do their bidding.
I’m looking for candidates who want to do a housecleaning of the US, top to bottom.
I’m looking for law enforcement that will go up against CIA/NSA/elites.
We need practically all new judges; our legal system is rotten with new world order and anti-Christ.
I’m looking for a Christian revival.
I’m looking for a Christian nation.
Let the US Treasury take over the money printing operation, shut down central banking, bring up all traitorous wealthy elites who sponsor new world order traitorous agendas up on charges, etc., etc., etc.
Until then, it’s just a rotten, festering hellhole of evil and wickedness that enslaves the sheeple.
That’s not a good analogy. hehehe
I would pick the slow moving car because ‘things/chance/choices’ could change the perspective.
Maybe I could change direction, make a U-turn or just stomp on the brakes!!
McCain and Romney weren’t perfect. In fact, I don’t believe we’ve ever had a ‘perfect’ President. But - I believe both McCain and Romney loved this country. Do you HONESTLY believe we would be in this same situation if either of them had won?
Geron, I’ve been here 13 years - fighting against the corrupt democrats - mostly with my images, which I find all over the net. It’s silly to think I am not a conservative.
“Romney wasn’t crap... I may have disagreed,on a couple of issues, but imagine what it would have been like if Romney were President instead of what we have? “
Romney has taken both sides of all major issues - no doubt he agreed with your positions. Unfortunately, he said whatever he thought would get him elected.
If the RINOpublicans couldn’t oppose Obama, they sure as heck wouldn’t have opposed Willard RINOmney as he instituted all kinds of RINO policies.
Three million voters who voted for McCain in 2008 stayed home. All the troubles we are having overseas right now can be laid at the feet of THOSE people. If they had come out and voted for Romney, enough electoral votes would have switched to turn the election.
Man is sinful. Always vote the least sinful.
” - I believe both McCain and Romney loved this country. “
I believe that McCain is an enemy to almost everything Free Republic stands for. Same with Romney. Both stand for money and power ONLY, not anything conservative. Both are owned by the Chamber of Commerce money machine that has been spending millions to defeat tea party candidates/conservatives, so they can foist amnesty on us.
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