Sacred Space: The Church Shouldn't Make Voting Easy

Last updated on: January 27, 2012 at 8:30 am by Brad Williams

Sacred Space: The Church Shouldn't Make Voting Easy 2012-01-27T08:30:49-07:00 Brad Williams

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Every Friday in Sacred Space, Brad Williams explores the place of popular culture in the local church.

Every year around election time, I inevitably get asked about who I am going to vote for. I enjoy it when people ask me that, but I am also cautious about how I answer that question. I am a man like everyone else, but I am also the pastor of a church. I do not want my opinion to get confused with the opinion of the church, and I do not want my thoughts on the matter to make it easy on the one asking the question.

I do not believe that it is the job of the church to tell someone how to vote. That’s too easy, and it is terrible discipleship. The goal of the church is to make people good disciples of Jesus Christ, and election time presents us with an opportunity to help people be better disciples by thinking through difficult choices. This primary presents us with a humdinger of an opportunity to do just that.

Think of how complicated this is for an evangelical “moral” voter. We have in one corner Mitt Romney. He has a reputation as a bit of a RINO, and he makes himself sound conservative enough to be appealing. Also, Mitt is a Mormon. Evangelicals rightly wonder about the implications of electing a man to office from a religion they consider a cult. But then, on the other side, you have the serial adulterer Newt Gingrich. He is a smart man, and he seems to pass the conservative muster, and he’s a converted Roman Catholic. While that’s not evangelical, it is more acceptable than Mormonism. But this is the guy that left a wife dying of cancer to marry a woman who he would later cheat on for six years and leave for a third wife. What makes a man more untrustworthy, two divorces or one heresy? Do we have to choose between adultery and Mormonism?

It’s at this difficult place that people come to me and ask how I will vote. Whatever their quandary may be, they want to know how the pastor has it worked out so they might vote “correctly.” That’s not fair to me or them. It’s like going to school having barely prepared for a test, and then looking over at my paper when you get flummoxed to copy my answer. Everyone ought to have to agonize over the choices before they cast their vote. That isn’t simply for the sake of the agony, but through the process of personally prioritizing what is important to us as a human being who is a Christian, we become better disciples.

That’s why the church ought not say, “Vote for Candidate X.” I do not believe that there is always a correct choice in the voting booth. Even if we elected a born-again evangelical who could bring goodwill like Billy Graham, he might be a bad President. Jesus is not running this term, so the decision is hard.

So what ought we to expect from our church and its leadership with regard to politics? Let them be versed in the issues, and let them give their opinions with the caveats galore. When I tell someone how I will vote, I tell them why. It is normally due to prioritization of the issues, and frankly, those will differ between even the closest brothers. And make sure you let them know that there really is no right answer. This is a fallen world, and we are a frail people. Even the President is subject to our follies.

Besides, we’re waiting for a King to appear. These Presidents are just there to maintain order until Christ returns. That is the focus of the church, to declare to others that a King is coming who will rule the world in justice and equity.

Asides

Politics

sacred space

Previous Post

January 26, 2012

Eat Your Vegetables: "Inglorious Basterds" (Tarantino, 2009)

Next Post

January 30, 2012 The Kiddy Pool: What’s in a Name?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz