Anyone who is aware of what's happening to American culture, in the legislatures, in Congress and in our courts knows that for the last 50 years serious cultural decay has been going on in our country. Christians lament and even rail against the cultural decay represented by abortion on demand, including partial birth abortions, sexual perversion, rampant pornography, teen pregnancy, the breakdown of the family and other societal moral problems. Nevertheless, a great mystery and irony is that many professing Christians will vote for politicians that support the very cultural decay Christians find reprehensible. How can any right thinking Christian vote for any politician that aids and abets such wickedness?

There are a couple of reasons for this phenomenon that strike me as relevant. First, there is a dominant theology that because Christians are under grace then there is no set of absolutes to which everyone is accountable. Second, because these Christians do not derive their basic moral principles from biblical commandments they will vote for politicians that will satisfy their personal desires and expectations of government. Thus, if a politician promises to take money (legal stealing) from one group of taxpayers to provide more unemployment compensation, welfare payments, agricultural price supports, higher minimum wage, Medicare and drug benefits, and a hundred other benefits that enable people to get something for nothing, Christians will vote for him, regardless of the politician's position and record on moral issues.

While voting is considered a civic duty under the American form of government, there is no biblical duty to vote. According to Scripture God is the ultimate arbiter of who rules earthly kingdoms (1 Sam 25:30; Ps 75:7; Prov. 21:1; Dan 2:21; 4:17, 32; Acts 17:26; Rom 13:1). The only stewardship in relation to the government required by the New Testament is to be obedient citizens (Rom 13:1-4; 1 Pet 2:13) and to pray for rulers (1 Tim 2:12). This was when the leaders were corrupt and godless. Nevertheless, the existence of the voting privilege does give Christians the opportunity to influence our government and the country for good. We could ask, "what would Jesus do?" but most Christians would probably have difficulty agreeing on the answer in terms of political solutions. The challenge is compounded in that choosing not to vote, as Evangelicals have sometimes done in protest, or voting for a third party candidate may in reality benefit a candidate that Christians would be unhappy with. I believe Christians should vote and carefully consider each candidate in light of ALL important biblical values, including respect for life, property rights, justice for victims of crime and for religious freedom.