In a post citing all of the reasons Christians must vote for Donald Trump, Doug Ellingsworth writes,
"You say personal convictions keep you from voting for a person who doesn’t hold certain values. Okay. But if being true to your conviction results in creating a less safe, more unfriendly, and more anti-Jesus world for your children to grow up in, well, right there is where I lose you. Sure, you can say that you didn’t vote to let Donald or Hillary move into the White House, but you can’t say that you did what you could to keep the most evil influences out of positions of authority."
I refuse to be swayed by articles like this that choose to use fear as a motivator for action, action which may violate one's conscience.
While I understand what this man is saying, I can't agree. From the perspective of a Christian who serves an all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful God, I don't believe He needs my vote to put the individual in office whom He wills to hold it. Sure, logic may dictate that if we evangelicals don't vote for the conservative nominee or choose a conservative write-in candidate, we (whoever "we" are) will certainly "lose." But we serve the God who created logic and defied it.
Israel did not escape the bondage of Egypt because of her great strength and resources. Moses did not bring Israel across the Red Sea with his own supernatural powers. Israel didn't manufacture her own clothing that did not wear out or feed her nation with fresh manna daily. Joshua did not defeat Jericho with his military prowess. Gideon did not beat the Midianites because he chose the strongest and most fit to fight army. David didn't kill the lion, the bear or Goliath under his own strength. Jonah didn't change the hearts of an entire nation after saving his own life (he jumped in the sea to keep from unintentionally being successful). God did those things. He is able to do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think" Ephesians 3:20.
If you believe the Bible, and you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, healed the sick and fed the hungry in miraculous ways; subdued, with a word, the creation He formed by the same; and went obediently unto death, which He conquered, rising and ascending to the Father; and promised to return for His people, how can you say that our God has need of anything from us?
Romans 13 says He places those in power for His purpose. Proverbs 21 tells us He has control of the hearts of kings and He can turn them like a river of water any way that He wishes. You may say it is my civic duty. You may say it is a blessing from God that I have the privilege. You are correct. But God can put any candidate in office whom He chooses to place there--with or without my help.
Some might suggest that if people abstain from voting, it will be "their fault" if the liberal candidate takes office. Every evangelical in the nation could vote for the nominee and if God doesn't want him in office, we are not powerful enough to interfere with His working to that end. Those who abstain because they feel they have no other choice are not powerful enough to thwart God's plan.
Conversely, every liberal-leaning voter in the nation could go out and vote for the other nominee, and that individual may only take office if God allows it. The outcome of this election, ultimately, will be what God allows, regardless of what today's evangelicals do. America has had her opportunity to be a great nation, and the choices made by her government via her people have led us to this place. It isn't necessarily God pouring out judgment on America as much as it is just the logical consequence of those choices. Individual believers will answer for their negligence in that regard, for it is our responsibility to ensure we live in accordance with biblical principles. Judgment will come one day, but I dare not imply that America, as a nation, had any divine appointment from God to act on His behalf as if we were His chosen people.
Israel experienced this when appointing her first king. Samuel relayed a message from God to His people: “But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands" (1 Samuel 10:19). God allowed Israel to choose Saul based on superficial attributes and received as king a selfish, wicked man whose faith in God was weak. God allowed those calamities and distresses to fall on His people because they rejected His protective hand.
Some will choose to abstain from voting for president, but will vote to fill many other open seats up for reelection in other government positions. These are very important elections, as well, and have been overshadowed by the "big story" of the presidential election. Some evangelicals will choose a third-party candidate. If God wants that third-party candidate in office, that candidate will win the election despite voter turnout. God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, defeated the Midianites with Gideon's army of 300. Can He not defeat wickedness today?
I refuse to be pressured into choosing a candidate whose manner of behavior embodies everything I have taken great pains to ensure my sons never become, on the grounds that without me our nation, as we know it, will perish. My God is bigger than that and He doesn't need me, and He would not call me to endorse wickedness in politics, or in any other arena, to keep that from happening.
