I could not resist posting about the upcoming elections. However, as a pastor I'm going to resist the urge to tell you which person is theright person to vote for (though I will certainly tell you in a private conversation!) What I want to do is to help you think about voting and politics from a biblical/theological perspective.
The best book I have read on this topic is Wayne Grudem's Politics According to the Bible. I will quote him often. I like this book because he articulates very well much of what I have thought about politics. Everyone likes being told they are right! More importantly, he helped frame the issues for people to see them in a theological context.
Grudem bases his arguments for certain policies from three positions. These are explained on pages 18 & 19 of the introduction.
1. Clear, direct, and decisive principles from the Bible
2. Arguments from broader biblical principles
3. An appeal to relevant facts in the world
Position one is "unassailable" in that God has clearly spoken on the issue. To take a different position is to oppose God's revealed word.
Position two is based on the totality of Scripture and though there may be some area of discussion, the principles in Scripture appear to address the issue.
Position three is based on observations in the world and others may take the same facts and draw different conclusions. These arguments should be informed by positions 1 & 2.
I urge you to stop using thirty second sound bites to lead your decision-making and to let Scripture be the primary source from which you start thinking about issues and candidates. I'm not telling you how to think, but that here is what I'm concluding based on my understanding of the Bible. Voting is not about feelings or external factors. Voting is exercising a responsibilty to vote in a way that reflects, as much as possible, the values revealed in Scripture.
Again, Dr. Grudem says it better and I will end with this quote:
"I am cerainly not claiming that the Bible also supports all the facts that I cite about the world today. Readers are free to evaluate and search out evidence about those factual questions themselves. What I am doing in each chapter, however, is to say that if my understanding of these facts is correct, then the teachings of the Bible seem to me to lead to one conclusion or another about the specific issue under discussion." (Politics, Grudem, 19)
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.
