Season: 10 Episode: 150
Listen to episode 146 in Spanish:
Summary:
Have you heard Christians say we shouldn’t get involved in politics this election season? If so, you’re not the only one. Shanda has conversations with people on social media who blame Jesus for why we should stay silent on political issues, even to the point of not voting. Claims such as: Jesus didn’t overthrow the government, so we shouldn’t vote. Or, Christians can’t change the culture, so why talk about politics? What should you say if someone shuts down your political opinion with one of these claims? If you are the one making these claims, how should you think about politics as a Christian? Shanda makes a case for why Christians ought to vote, and she responds to four bad reasons Christians say they won’t vote with both theology and logic.
Recommended Resources:
Cross Examined Article: Is Teaching Your Kids About God Child Abuse?
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Today I am going to make a case for why Christians ought to vote in the 2024 election. As you can imagine, I get messages from people who push back on Christians being involved in politics with a gamut of reasons, including Jesus wasn’t involved in politics. I am going to try and address some of the common objections from Christians about our involvement in politics, even the act of voting. I hope you’ll see why I think American Christians have a responsibility and moral obligation to cast a vote and even have these conversations with other Christians.
At the end, if you still shut the podcast off and don’t agree with me, that’s okay. I don’t think we should only have conversations if we agree. I think we should have them to get to the best possible answer when it comes to Christians and how we engage the culture. What I don’t like is when people call others names for their views, and/or come with statements that are not backed with reasons. If you want to join the conversation, great. Just be prepared to back it up with good reasons and biblical evidence to support your stance.
Last Call!!!
This is the last call for the Train Your Brain course for both middle schoolers and high schoolers/ adults. If you want to learn how to make a compelling argument AND catch bad thinking by learning to identify informal fallacies, go to onlinechristiancourses.com and register NOW. You will not be disappointed. This is my absolute favorite class because everyone needs logic.
Today, we are going to look at the following:
- What are the common objections Christians give when it comes to voting?
- How do we respond to these objections with the word of God?
- What are the consequences of Christians who do not get involved in politics and what happens when they do? We’re going to talk about this using some examples from the past and even some more recent examples from those in our country.
Common Objections Christians give when it comes to voting.
Ok, so first let me say a few things so we’re on the same page to start because, as you know, people always say you don’t talk about two things at Thanksgiving dinner: religion and politics. Why do I like to discuss both? We should be able to discuss things that matter and religion and politics matter. We have to get used to having what I call hard conversations because it spurs on critical thinking and freedom of speech and growth.
I get people in my DMs who push back on some of the things I say and they’re mostly Christians. It’s obvious that non-believers are going to pushback on my views. They won’t align on many of the policies because I am looking at them from a biblical perspective. But Christians shouldn’t be afraid to have these discussions. We should welcome them. Think about the conflict of the apostles recorded in the Bible. Paul called out Peter for not eating at the same table as the Gentiles – to his face – not in a letter.
Awkward! But Peter knew Paul was right.
They had disagreements and they got on the same page.
Second, just because I talk about a candidate I’m gong to vote for does not mean I love that candidate. I don’t consider myself a political person but I do watch politics. Politics are downstream from the culture, politics will not change the culture. If you think that, you have it backwards. Jesus said that Christians are suppose to watch and pray. We are supposed to keep our eyes opened and pray for the things going on in our country and in our world. We have to pray for our leaders but how will you know how to pray for your leaders if you aren’t aware of what they say, do, or believe?
To be honest, I didn’t vote for either of the candidates in the primaries.
I wanted Ron DeSantis because I like how he took on Disney, the public eduction system in Florida and stopped them from teaching gender ideology until 5th grade (I wish it wasn’t in the public school system at all, but at least we can move the boundaries a little). He is pro-life, which ALL Christians must be on the side of the sanctity of human life. But he didn’t get in. He is not running for president. But no matter if it were him or who we have now, you will always, always, always, vote for the lesser of two evils as long as you are voting for human beings.
Romans 3 says there are none who are righteous, not even one. So let’s get that straight right now. I don’t want shirts with my political candidates. I don’t wave flags for my political candidates, and I have no yard signs, no bumper stickers, no mugs. Not that ANY of that is wrong. But I am a Christian with my finger on the pulse of culture and if you bury your head in the sand around politics then I think you’re being much too passive about the opportunity you’ve been given to be a citizen of this great nation and have a right that many in the world do not have.
In this episode, I am going to make a case for why Christians should vote. During my next solo, I am going to talk about the policies of each candidate and compare them to what the Bible says about. So I really won’t be mentioning candidates in this episode.
Excuse #1: Jesus didn’t overthrow the government.
The first argument I am going to tackle that people give for why we shouldn’t vote is that Jesus didn’t come to overthrow the government. I think this is a bad argument and here’s why and it’s pretty simple. I refute the argument by asking a question: is your single vote the same as overthrowing the government? Think about it. You cannot equate voting in an election to overthrowing the government. Your vote is your voice in the election process – a democratic process, mind you. During Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the Jews were under Roman rule. Caesar was not only the man in charge, he was looked at as though he was a god.
Jesus’s purpose to come to the earth was not to overthrow Roman rule. It was to die on a cross for our sins. The irony in Christ’s death is that the Jews used Roman law to crucify Him. Under Jewish law, He should have been stoned for saying He was God. Under Roman law, He was crucified because the Jews said Jesus claimed to be greater than Caesar. Remember when the crowds said, “Crucify Him; we have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:10, 12-15). So while it is true that Jesus did not come to overthrow the government, that doesn’t mean your vote is doing that. You live in a different political environment. You live under different government policies. As such, you should operate under that system and exercise your right to vote.
Mark 12
In Mark 12:14-17 it shows us how Jesus operated within the Roman political system. Mark says, “14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.”
If Jesus only cared about His purpose, why would He have made the point to acknowledge the political leaders of the time and the supreme and sovereign God? Jesus did not dismiss the responsibility to pay taxes to Caesar by giving the excuse that He doesn’t get involved in political matters.
Excuse#2: We will never change the culture.
I want to know what people mean when they say this. Do they mean that government will never change the culture? If so, I agree. Do they mean that we are first called to make disciples? If so, I agree. We have primary responsibilities as Christians and making disciples is definitely one of them.
When we look at what Jesus said about believers, that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, what does that mean? In it’s most basic form, we are in this world to preserve truth. We are here to influence all aspects of life. Politics is downstream from culture so when you see things on the ballot like abortion up to 9 months of pregnancy, we have a greater issue in our country than politics. But that also means the church isn’t making disciples if the majority of the country wants to kill the unborn. And we see this fact bear out in statistics that show 64% of Americans claim to be Christians yet 4% have a biblical worldview, meaning only 4% think biblically – or think like a disciple.
So, we have two problems here:
the first one is that Christians say we shouldn’t take our influence into the political arena because it won’t change the culture. The second problem is that the culture is reflecting a compromising church rather than a salty one. We are not only losing the culture in the political arena, but we are losing it in every other arena as well.
I don’t think Jesus had any barriers in mind when He told us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. I don’t think He intended for us to refrain from taking our influence into the political sphere. And if those who make this claim do think Jesus put barriers on our influence, we need to ask where they’re getting that from. What makes a Christian think that being the salt of the earth and light of the world has limitations when it comes to politics?
Excuse #3: We’re supposed to preach the gospel.
This one is kind of related to what I already said but on a greater scale. Many Christians don’t even know how to share the gospel. George Barna’s study on sharing the gospel found the following:
“A growing number of Christians don’t see sharing the good news as a personal responsibility. Just 10 percent of Christians in 1993 who had shared about their faith agreed with the statement “converting people to Christianity is the job of the local church”—as opposed to the job of an individual (i.e., themselves).
Twenty-five years later, three in 10 Christians who have had a conversation about faith say evangelism is the local church’s responsibility (29%), a nearly threefold increase. This jump could be the result of many factors, including poor ecclesiology (believing “the local church” is somehow separate from the people who are a part of it) or personal and cultural barriers to sharing faith. Yet the most dramatic divergence over time is on the statement, “Every Christian has a responsibility to share their faith.” In 1993, nine out of 10 Christians who had shared their faith agreed (89%). Today, just two-thirds say so (64%)—a 25-point drop.”
What does that mean?
It means Christians aren’t sharing the gospel. So we have a catch-22 here. On one hand, we know politics are downstream from culture. So we know politics cannot change the culture. On the other hand, we know we are to be the salt and light – influencing every sphere of life under the sun because that is how you change the culture. But Christians say no, we should not speak about politics. We should just preach the gospel. But that’s not happening at all. So Christians are losing the culture and staying out of politics. The only thing that’s happening is Christians are arguing with each other on whether or not we should be involved in politics.
Meanwhile, those who are leading the country are implementing dangerous policies in conflict with a Christian worldview, and evil advances. If you’re going to say you should just preach the gospel, fine. But tell me the last time you preached the gospel. Tell me how you’re making disciples. I think sometimes people use that as an excuse to stay out of politics because politics aren’t fun. You’re guaranteed to be disliked. You’re guaranteed to have people challenge you. You’ve put yourself into an arena with a lot of people who have different opinions, beliefs, and ideas.
It’s easier to stay out of it. But that doesn’t mean it’s what you should do as a Christian, especially when the policies on the ballot are legislating morality – moral issues that are in direct conflict with your worldview. Is it passive to remain quiet? Or is it an active choice that leads to a greater good? You have to answer that question.
Excuse #4: There is a separation between church and state.
I’ve talked about this before, so I’m not going to go into length on it, but this is not in the constitution. It was in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists that talked about the “wall of separation between church and state.” Jefferson was making the point that the government ought to stay out of the church. This goes with the freedom of religion protected by the constitution. That means we can be Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, and have opinions about politics. Christians must research these things for themselves rather than repeat nonsense that everyone does just to shut you up. Because that’s the motivation behind all of these absurd claims – it’s to get the church to stay out of political issues.
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html#:~:text=A key document on view,draft of the letter, including.
How do we respond to these objections?
Every claim has to be supported. To say that Christians shouldn’t vote for any of these reasons I mentioned, or maybe others I didn’t ought to be supported with evidence. Even if I say Christians ought to vote, I have to support my claim with evidence as well. Our goal as Christians should be to get to the truth so we know how we should handle topics like these in our culture.
So the first thing you do is ask for reasons. As Christians, our support should be based on biblical evidence. We all have a common source. The Bible, God’s word, should inform whether or not we should vote and how we should vote. A lot of times people are repeating what they’ve heard. I’ve given you biblical responses to the claims I’ve come across but I also want to read you something Natasha Crain posted a few days ago on her FB page. She talks about Christian engagement in the public square and the things the church has accepted in regard to it.
She said she addresses this in her new book coming out soon, but I want to read her post verbatim. And she said, “There are some strange mantras that many in the church have come to accept regarding Christian engagement in the public square. I discuss a lot of them in my upcoming book When Culture Hates You. One that particular bothers me is when people say that because Jesus gave up His power on the cross, Christians should give up (seeking) power as well. It’s a popular thing to say in some circles, but it doesn’t check out. Here’s how I respond in the book:
This is problematic reasoning in two ways:
first, it’s not even an accurate characterization of the cross. Jesus willingly laid down HIs life for making (John 10:18). While it may have looked to people like he was defeated by the cross, in reality, Jesus’s atoning death and subsequent resurrection were the greatest victory of all time. As fully man and fully God, Jesus was and still is sovereign over all things.
But let’s say for the sake of argument that Jesus did in some vague sense give up His power by allowing Himself to be crucified for mankind. Does it follow from the nature of Jesus’s atoning death that Christians should not influence their governments to make and enforce laws that promote the common good? That would be a very hard case to make. Just because Jesus didn’t achieve ONE type of good (spiritual atonement) through political processes, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t achieve OTHER types of good through those processes.
Of course, it would be possible that such activities are prohibited elsewhere in the Bible, but that’s not the case.
It’s the consistent witness of Scripture that God cares about he just and righteous functioning of societies – the godly application of POWER by the rulers God has sovereignly put in place. To suggest that Jesus gave up His power on the cross, and therefore we should give up ours as well, is to equivocate between spiritual and social senses of the term and ignore the rest of Scripture.”
Natasha is using logic and scripture to address the issues that Christians ought to give up their power because Jesus did. That’s how we ought to address those who make claims using scripture but incorrectly. This all comes down to the fact that we must know our bibles. We must interpret scripture in light of scripture. So ask questions and challenge these claims because if it results in passivity, it’s probably not scriptural. Jesus was not passive. The way the world portrays Christ today looks as though He was passive and when the church falls in line with that, we’re not being influenced by the word but we’re being influenced by the world.
Consequences Of When Christians Do and Don’t Get Involved In Politics
First, let me say what you’ve likely heard many, many times. So many times, in fact, that it might seem kind of cliche. But regardless of how many times you’ve heard it – it’s true. Here it is. You ready? “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Christianity is not ignorant. It’s not passive. People say, and I agree with them, that Christians shouldn’t be more concerned about politics than reading their Bibles. Ok. But what makes you think that just because a Christians knows and follows politics that they’re not reading their Bibles? Your knowledge of God’s word should inform every area of your life – including politics.
I’m going to touch on a few issues that were considered political in their time but were really moral. Because as Dr. Frank Turek says about legislating morality, all laws legislate morality. The question is whose morality? And again, just because something is considered a political issue and the government decides on it doesn’t mean it’s okay in the eyes of God. Slavery was legal and considered a political issue in this country at one point, but that doesn’t mean Christians should not have spoken up about it. Abortion is legal in many states in this nation and considered a political issue, that doesn’t mean Christians should stay quiet about this human rights issue.
In fact, I would go as far as saying that if you are staying quiet on those issues, what good reason do you have? Your responsibility as a human being, as a Christian, is to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
It is to fight for the vulnerable.
One way to do that is through voting. Because we have that opportunity as Christians in a nation with a political environment where that is possible. But even if it isn’t possible to vote for these things, we still have to speak up. It’s our job to speak the truth regardless of whether or not we live in a country that allows free speech or voting rights. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
I want to read an excerpt from the BBC on the history of the abolition of slavery and how Christians influenced others to see the immoral and godlessness of slavery in the US and around the world. All links will be in the show notes.
They say:
“While some clergymen were using Christian scriptures to propagate slavery, others were scouring the Bible to end it. Although evangelicals tend to receive most of the credit for this, the origins of Christian abolitionism can be traced to the late 17th Century and the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers.
Since their establishment in the mid 17th century, Quakers had faced persecution for their beliefs which stated that everyone was “equal in the sight of God” and capable of receiving the “light of God’s spirit and wisdom”, including Africans. Several of their founders, including George Fox and Benjamin Lay, encouraged fellow congregants to stop owning slaves, and by 1696, Quakers in Pennsylvania officially declared their opposition to the importation of enslaved Africans into North America.
Quakers in Philadelphia and London debated slavery at their yearly meetings in the 1750s, and fellow Quaker Anthony Benezet’s Some Historical Account of Guinea (1772) became required reading for abolitionists on both sides of the Atlantic. For instance, it informed John Wesley’s Thoughts Upon Slavery (1774) which in turn influenced many British Christian abolitionists and was said to have inspired the former slave trader turned clergyman, John Newton, to break his decades of silence about his involvement in the slave trade.
Many early Christian opponents of slavery came from congregations such as Congregationalists, Quakers, Presbyterians, ‘Methodists’ and Baptists, who were called ‘Nonconformists’ or ‘Dissenters’ because they disagreed with the beliefs and practices of the Church of England. These Christians were often marginalised because of this, but their counter-cultural stance enabled them to make connections with those who faced other forms of persecution.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/history/slavery_1.shtml#:~:text=Christian abolitionists&text=Several of their founders, including,enslaved Africans into North America.
Note:
Slavery in the Bible is often misrepresented by many today and Christians need to know how to rebut it. We don’t have time to go into that but I will link an article here for a quick read and overview. To give a brief answer about slavery in the Bible: “Slave ownership was a common practice long before the time the Mosaic Law was given. So, the law neither instituted slavery nor ended it; rather, the law regulated it. It gave instructions on how slaves should be treated but did not outlaw slavery altogether.” – Got Questions.
I am going to read a pro-abortion excerpt from NOW – National Organization For Women – and what they say about the impact of Christians and the pro-life movement. Scott Klusendorff, president of the Life Training Institute, and an excellent pro-life apologist, anticipated the overturning of Roe v Wade and offers classes and trainings to Christians and churches on why we need to be prepared to have these conversations in our towns and states where the battle for the lives of the unborn is back at the frontlines for all of us. He is helping lead this fight as well, even if you don’t know many who are in it.
Only those who aren’t paying attention were shocked at the overturning of Roe.
It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of culture and one of the ways to do that is to watch politics because politics is downstream from culture.
“First, Christian morality has been a rallying cry for anti-abortion groups, with prominent figures such as Jerry Falwell, Paul Weyrich, and Tim LaHaye of the Moral Majority, Phyllis Schlafly advocating for traditional family values, and Kristan Hawkins leading Students for Life’s unapologetic campaign against abortion.
Christian morality, deeply rooted in scripture, plays a pivotal role in influencing individuals’ life choices and shaping perspectives on abortion.
This influence extends beyond doctrinal distinctions among Christian denominations, as seen in the diverse stances documented by the Pew Research Center. Different denominations, such as the American Baptist Churches, Southern Baptist Convention, Catholic Church, Presbyterians, and Methodists, exhibit varying positions on abortion, reflecting the nuanced interplay between personal beliefs, religious devotion, and official church positions.
The impact of church teachings on abortion goes beyond doctrinal differences, revealing a complex interplay between personal beliefs and religious community positions.
A compelling trend emerges, highlighting a correlation between the strength of one’s belief in the Christian God and the depth of conviction against abortion. The more firmly individuals hold their faith, the more resolute their opposition to abortion tends to be, underscoring the integral role of religious beliefs in shaping attitudes toward reproductive rights. Church attendance further strengthens anti-abortion sentiments, with higher attendance correlating with more pronounced disapproval of abortion. This suggests that regular engagement with religious practices and community reinforces individual moral convictions, emphasizing the powerful impact of communal religious experiences in shaping views on abortion.
Moreover, the steadfastness of Christian morality is evident in those who firmly hold anti-abortion views, particularly when their church explicitly condemns abortion based on scripturally interpreted morality. In such cases, individuals are more likely to align their beliefs with the doctrinal stance of their church, establishing a direct and influential link between religious teachings and the formation of personal convictions on abortion. This intricate web of relationships between personal faith, church teachings, and moral viewpoints underscores the multifaceted nature of Christianity’s influence on abortion attitudes within congregational settings.”
What does this mean?
Christians who take a biblical view on life have a huge impact on the pro-life movement and the world feels it. But if Christians gave no voice to the cause, that wouldn’t happen.
Eva Edl, the elderly woman arrested for violating the FACE act while protesting at an abortion clinic was also a death camp survivor from Yugoslavia. She almost died and so did her mother, who helped rescue her out of it. She came to America in the 50’s and was appalled to see that America killed their unborn. And she is a Christian and pro-life activist with arrests and fines that total in the hundreds of thousands. But she fights for the unborn because she knows what it’s like to be killed or oppressed just because of who you are. This is what she said about her why – why she speaks up, why she risks her life and her freedom, and why she’s prepared to die in prison after her recent sentencing for standing up for human life:
“Let me liken it to something,” Edl explained thoughtfully as we discussed her arrests around the country. She referred back to her time in Gakowa. “When we were rounded up to be killed, we were placed in cattle cars, and our train was headed toward the extermination camp.
What if citizens of my country would have overcome their fear, and a number of them stood on those railroad tracks between the gate of the entrance to the death camp and the train?
The train would have to stop. And while the guards on those trains would be busy rounding up the ones that were in front of the train, another group could have come in, pried open our cattle car and possibly set us free, but nobody did.”
She has heard stories that people stood by the roadside and wept as the cattle cars went by.
“But that didn’t help us any,” she said.
“So, when we place our bodies between the woman and the clinic, we buy time to get our sidewalk counselors the opportunity to speak with women, and hopefully open their hearts with love for their babies and let their babies live,” the death camp survivor said.
“After all,” she added, “we offer them everything there is, including adoptions. I’ve offered to adopt babies on the spot … we’re standing between the killer and the victim.”
Close:
I could say more. There are hundreds of examples of Christians changing culture and society just for standing up and giving a voice to the issues that may have been considered political at the time. Some were killed. Some were thrown in prison. But all made a difference.
Casting a vote is not the same as picketing at an abortion clinic. It is not the same as joining a march in Washington DC. It is not the same as posting a comment on social media. And it is not the same as having a conversation with a friend about transgender ideology. Casting a vote is much less scary than that. Casting a vote doesn’t make your heart beat fast because you’re afraid of what people might think of you. Why is that? Because you go into a booth where no one can see who you choose and what you vote for. It’s private. But it can, in many ways, be just as impactful as carrying a picket sign, posting a comment, or having a conversation. It’s that important.
I used to live in California where my vote for president never went the way I wanted.
I still voted. But I would not use the excuse that my vote wouldn’t count. There are other things to vote for and voting at the local level, ins some ways, is just as or more important than voting for the president.
I pray Christians will let their Bibles inform how they vote because these polices are not political. That’s silly. They’re moral, and they demand a voice.
If you have any questions for me, you can email me at hello@Shandafulbright.com. I’ll catch you on the next one.
e next one!
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