by site founder, Connie Rice
What confusing times we are in – Christians seem to be divided on this election and some are emotionally charged, making it difficult to discuss the issues. Admittedly, all political candidates are flawed and imperfect people. Perhaps it may prove more helpful for us to look past the candidates and determine how to vote by looking at current issues through the lens of Scripture to discover which direction best lines up with its teachings.
Life: All life is created by God in His image, and is precious in His sight, so Christians who want to follow biblical teaching should vote for leaders who would protect life at every stage of development until natural death. God brought judgment upon those who engaged in child sacrifice.
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:13-16
“Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.”
Deuteronomy 19b-20a
Freedom of speech and religion: Scripture commands us to worship God alone and to share our faith with others so everyone can experience true freedom and eternity in heaven through a personal relationship with their Creator, Jesus Christ, which was made possible by His voluntary death on the cross and subsequent resurrection (victory over sin and death). God has blessed us with a country that has enshrined those rights in the Constitution. It is the first nation to declare that our rights are given to us by our Creator so that neither the government nor men can take them away. The government’s job is to protect those rights. Therefore, Christians should vote for leaders who make it a priority to protect our Constitution and its freedoms without interference from the government or other groups who would like to act against those whose speech they might deem to be unacceptable.
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the Lord; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water. Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”
Isaiah 32:6-7
Rule of law: Scripture supports the rule of law so we should vote for people who will protect the rule of law. America in its founding as a nation, and since, has been a nation based on the rule of law which had its basis in Scripture. Only with the rule of law can societies live in peace with each other, as each citizen honors the rights of other citizens (ie. the “golden rule”, which originated in Scripture (Matthew 7:12).
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God”.
John Adams – 2nd U.S. President, signer of the “Declaration of Independence“ & “Bill of Rights”, judge, & diplomat.
“[T]he Christian religion… is the basis, or rather the source, of all genuine freedom in government… I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of Christianity have not a controlling influence.”
Noah Webster – Revolutionary soldier, judge, legislator, educator, & author of “Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary“.
Education & morality: Anti-God influences have gradually increased in America over the last 100 years. Secular humanism and evolution in schools, removal of prayer and Bibles from schools, mocking and misrepresenting people of faith in entertainment and media, promoting immorality (“sexual revolution”), squelching debate on various issues (Evolution, sexuality, race, climate change, etc.), narcissism, breakdown of the family, increased dependence on the government, sense of entitlement, and increased tensions (black vs. white, male vs. female, gay vs. straight, rich vs. poor, etc.) have brought more confusion, hopelessness, anxiety, depression, suicide, hostility, abortion, divorce, fatherless homes, addiction, and more. Society as a whole reflects less patience, tolerance, and civility – now even to the point of violence at times. Our nation must turn back to God to avoid His righteous judgment, and pray for His mercy.
“The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.”
Noah Webster’s definition of education in his 1828 Dictionary
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were [emphasis by site founder – hope for all of us] ]some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
1 Corinthians 6:18
“The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses.”
Thomas Jefferson – 3rd U.S. President, signer of “Declaration of Independence“, Secretary of State, Virginia Governor, diplomat, & author of “The Federalist Papers”.
Gender & marriage: God created humans male and female – two biological genders, so Christians should vote for leaders who would resist attempts to allow biological males to compete with females in sports and to encourage children to change genders with experimental, body-altering, and potentially dangerous drugs and surgeries. Not only does this go against God’s Word, but against science as well (according to “Science Daily”: “male genes are expressed in all cells of the body”), so changing genders completely isn’t really possible using puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery. There is a movement of transgenders who warn against attempts to change genders (“Sex Change Regret”). God created and defined the institution of marriage and Jesus affirmed it, so Christians should vote for leaders who support God’s definition of marriage.
“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man’. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Genesis 22:22-24
“The proud religious law-keepers came to Jesus. They tried to trap Him by saying, ‘Does the Law say a man can divorce his wife for any reason?’ He said to them, ‘Have you not read that He Who made them in the first place made them man and woman? It says, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will live with his wife. The two will become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. Let no man divide what God has put together.”
Matthew 19:3-6
Israel: God chose Israel as His chosen people and has miraculously protected them numerous times throughout history. America has historically been their friend, but one party in recent years has pulled away from supporting them, which could put America in a dangerous place. This is well-explained in the “Daily Republic” article, “Should we be friends with Israel?”, by Rev. Rick L. Stonestreet.
“I will bless those who bless you [Israel], but I will curse those who curse you. And through you I will bless all the nations.
Genesis 12:3
“For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you [Israel] will perish; it will be utterly ruined.”
Isaiah 60:12
Race: The Bible teaches that God created every person in His image, and values every human life to the point of implementing capital punishment for anyone who would intentionally murder another person. DNA research has revealed that there’s only one race – the human race. Different characteristics among people are the result of genetic separation (when God confused language at the Tower of Babel, causing the people to disperse and cover the whole earth). The “Table of Nations” in Genesis 10 explains this and other non-biblical sources are given in an “Answers in Genesis” article, “What about Extra-Biblical Tables of Nations and Genealogies That Go Back to Noah?”, by Bodie Hodge. Different skin colors are only due to the amount of melanin each person has. This is discussed in the “Science Daily” article, “Genes responsible for diversity of human skin colors identified”. There is no reason for racism. God only separated people into two groups – the godly and the ungodly. We should vote for people who do not attempt to divide people according to their race.
“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.”
Acts 17:26
“But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”
2 Peter 3:5-7
Divinely-inspired actions of America’s founding fathers: This is evident with the miraculous victory and creation of a government that guarantees its citizens’ rights as coming from God and not from government or man (first of its kind). More details are in my June, 2020 blog post, “America’s Unique Freedoms”. Sadly, the 20th Century saw the deaths of over 100 million people at the hands of socialists and communists. The article, “History’s Bloody Mess” by “Christian Research Institute” (CRI) may be helpful for those who seek to learn more.
“The Lord reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.”
Psalm 9:7-10
Socialism & Communism: Both of these are godless ideologies and seek power all over the world. Proponents have been in America throughout the 20th Century, but remained a fringe group. Over time, they gained influence in education, media, and government. For the first time in our country’s history, proponents have become part of a major party. Their stated goal is to “radically transform America” and their more vocal members are clear about it. There’s no perfect candidate or political party, but thankfully God has provided us with a party whose expressed goals are to protect our Constitution, its freedoms, life, choice in education, biblical definitions of gender and marriage, is a good friend to Israel, and does not engage in race-baiting. God is patient, but Old Testament teaching shows us that after numerous warnings, His patience is not endless. The context of the following verses is that after years of sending prophets and warnings to His people, God allowed them to be taken captive by their enemies.
“[I]f you are not rec¬onciled to God through Jesus Christ – if you are not clothed with the spotless robe of His righteousness – you must forever perish. [H]e is the best friend to American liberty who is the most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy to his country.”
John Witherspoon – Signer of “Declaration of Independence“, ratifier of the “U. S. Constitution”, & President of “Princeton”.
“The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through His messengers again and again, because He had pity on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against His people and there was no remedy.”
2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Country at a crossroads: Much is at stake if we want God to continue blessing America rather than receive His judgment. The article, “How Can We Save Our Country?”, by Shari Abbott on “Reasons for Hope*Jesus” sheds light on this point. Our founding fathers understood that God’s laws were good for society and that if power goes unchecked, men would seek power and self-interest – leading to corruption and possible overthrow of the government. They understood well that America was blessed by Almighty God and that His Word (the Bible) was the key to good government.
“Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. . . . What a Eutopia – what a Paradise would this region be!”
John Adams – 2nd U.S. President, signer of the “Declaration of Independence“ & “Bill of Rights”, judge, & diplomat.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”
2 Corinthians 10:5
Prayer: Please join me in praying diligently for individuals and our nation as a whole to repent of rebellion against God and His Word, and that each person would vote for candidates whose agenda lines up more closely with biblical principles. Only the Holy Spirit can work in the hearts and minds of people for another “Great Awakening” and revival of God’s people. Let us speak the truth in love with gentleness and respect. Let it not be said of us that when it was our turn, we did not have the courage to speak truth in the midst of lies and deceptions. As was said to Esther by her uncle:
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
Isaiah 5:20
Resources: There are links on this site (especially under the Apologetics, Creation, History, and Outreach sections) to help equip people to have confidence in the truth of God’s Word. God made all humans in His image and loves us all, but also gives us the choice of whether or not to submit to Him as Lord of our lives here on earth. This is the most important decision a person can make. May the Holy Spirit empower us to live a life that accurately reflects Him so others can hear and respond to the truth and enjoy eternity with their Creator too. Only Jesus can fill the deep-seated needs we all have and has the power to set us free from past pain and mistakes, giving us new life.
“Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit. Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.”
Ephesians 6:14-18
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
© Constance Rice 2020
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