Voting As a Christian

Jeff Adams

Politics is an ugly business. One of my brothers worked in Washington D.C. for several years for a U.S. Senator, and one of his conclusions was that compromise was the name of the game in politics. The history of the writing of our Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution are proof that one sometimes must compromise to reach some level of consensus. However, my brother saw people not just compromising on goals, but on ethics, morals, and their integrity. 

Personally, I’m not opposed to compromise when certain issues are debated. On many issues, I can handle a true, live-and-let-live kind of tolerance (not the PC tolerance of conformity to zero values and relativism). However, as a Christian, how should I vote? 

Should I compromise my faith in whom I support for public office? I dare not! Mind you, I don’t think I’d necessarily be putting my soul at risk, but how could I vote in a manner that runs counter to my religious faith and consider myself to be serious about what I believe spiritually? Could I vote for someone who, while officially holding many of the social, economic and political views I hold, conducted themselves in a personal manner totally at odds with my beliefs? No. 

The reason is that the personal conduct of an individual will bleed over into their public conduct. They cannot separate the two, no matter what they say. I would think that the unethical and immoral personal life of Bill Clinton, and his conduct while in public office, would be proof enough for people. For those that “have a thing” for Clinton, just insert “Richard Nixon” in that last sentence. It works either way. 

We have elections coming up in this country. Where do the candidates stand? Do you really know, or are you going to act only on what you think you know about these people? Is party affiliation enough to know about them? Most politicians give minimal lip service to party platforms, and have their own agenda that may not resemble the party’s official stand at all. 

I would encourage all Christians to do their due diligence and find out where those that are asking for their vote really stand on issues that matter to you, whether they are running for mayor, the house or senate, or president. Look at their record. Look at their personal lives. See what they say about issues that are pertinent to you as a Christian, not as a conservative or liberal, or as a Westerner, Southerner, Left-Coaster, Mid-westerner, or Northerner. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that too often I have voted in the past in a manner that compromises my stand as a Christian. Going forward, I will do my homework and find out more about the candidates. I will vote for those that honor Christian principles (not just those that say they do). These are the principles that the founders depended on to keep a secular government in check. John Adams once said, “We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” 

Put bluntly, I will follow the concepts of the founders and our forefathers concerning public office. It used to be that the states had laws requiring public officials to be members, in good standing, of a Christian church to hold office. The idea was that men of Christian character and morals would honor the rights of the people and respect the rule of law. That’s what we need today, and we don’t have it. 

One election we can all talk about, no matter where we live in this land, is the election of our president. Who will I vote for? I will vote for the Christian candidate that best represents the characteristics of a true believer. That is someone who shows character, integrity, and honor and is most likely to keep their word and act in a truly Christian manner in carrying out the duties of their office. 

I guarantee you it isn’t John Kerry. This is a man who only trots out his Catholic faith when it suits his purposes. He freely admits his faith does not influence his actions in office, which makes me question how serious can his faith be if it carries no influence with him. Seeking the annulment of his first marriage (having the Church act as if it never took place), after 18 years of marriage and two children, is a disgrace. (By the way, if the Roman Catholic Church now says his first marriage never took place, does that mean the Church views his children as bastards? What kind of man would do this to his children?) His continued support for positions on issues that run counter to his church’s position, such as abortion, is dishonorable and shows a lack of conviction for his claimed faith. 

The candidate of choice also isn’t George Bush. This is a man who has worn his Christianity on his sleeve, but has conducted himself in ways that literally put his soul in jeopardy. Bush has declared that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, even though this is clearly not true. He has compromised his faith by praying with Muslims. Do you really think he could have done so, invoking the name of Christ, without having those Muslims raise a ruckus? Since they didn’t, it is obvious he caved to praying to their god, not his. 

Bush and Kerry have both violated their oaths of office, repeatedly violating the Constitution with bills they have supported expanding government power into areas the Constitution reserves to the states. They have both supported the spending of billions of dollars of our money on issues and projects that are blatantly unconstitutional. They both openly accept avenues for legitimizing homosexuality in our society, something clearly rejected in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. These men have no honor, no integrity, and they use their faith as a cheap tool to pander to voters with. How could I vote for either of them? 

I have searched, and read, and done all I can to come up with the best person to vote for, from a Christian world-view. I will vote, as is my right under the U.S. Constitution as a citizen. I will vote my conscience and principles as a Christian. I will not compromise my faith and boil things down to an “either or” decision that leaves me choosing between the lesser of two evils. When I vote, I will do my best to pick a Godly man who is most likely to honor his word, God’s laws and the rule of law as laid down in our constitution. The one I’ve found that fits the bill is Michael Peroutka of the Constitution Party. 

I will vote as a Christian. And if all Christians would do their homework and vote as Christians, I believe we would see Michael Peroutka in the White House. To all Christians out there, are you voting out of fear for your perceived “lesser of two evils” between Bush and Kerry, or are you going to truly inspect the men who want the most powerful office in the world and vote as a Christian? It is your right, and you should consider it your duty to act accordingly. Our constitution declares freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. The Christian foundations of our culture were meant to, and should, influence whom we vote for and how elected officials conduct themselves in office. 

May 3, 2004

Mr. Jeff Adams is the State Director of Education for the Texas chapter of the League of the South. He currently works as an industrial engineer in Houston, Texas. He may be reached for comment here.

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