Election years are not favorites for me. Not only is the country unsettled as we consider the unknown, but friendships are unsettled as opinions become stronger than a common cause.
Men I consider friends, men I find myself in unity with, men who are co-laborers in the Gospel, have drawn a hard and fast line in the sand with the McCain/Palin ticket. And I concur with many things they have said – many, but not all.
Although a number of my friends decided months ago not to vote for Senator John McCain, the selection of Governor Sarah Palin has opened the blog-gates. My dear brother, Voddie, has said that the Palin choice is not a pro-family choice. I agree with him. My friend, and co-laborer in the faith, Doug, has said that a woman in an office of civil authority is a curse on a nation. I agree with him as well.
But there have been other things said that I do not agree with. Senator McCain has been called pro-abortion. This is a mischaracterization. I serve on the board of the Central Illinois Right to Life. I know his record on life. Is it perfect? No. But is it strong? I would say a solid B is much better than the big fat F- the junior senator from Illinois has earned.
And Senator McCain has been called a heathen. This is not true either. He was baptized and raised in the Anglican communion and has been in the same Southern Baptist church in Phoenix for over 15 years. Is he sinless? No. But neither is Chuck Baldwin, the Constitutional Party’s presidential candidate. And neither am I.
And neither are you.
It has been said by some friends of mine that voting for anyone beside Chuck Baldwin is a sin. Really? Brothers, I do not see this in my Bible. Chuck Baldwin seems to be a fine man, but I am not sure he is the man for the White House. I have not come to a conclusion yet. You see, I am still praying through this.
But I am concerned with the feeding frenzy taking place in blogdom. Having been the subject of sharpened keyboards myself, I recoil when I see statements like the one above loosed in cyberspace. There seems to be a lack of charity on this issue, and this is disturbing. You see, there is a strong admonition to avoid disputations over leaders, giving a man our allegiance rather than Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:10-13: Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
The Corinthian church was wracked with division. And this was partially due to their allegiances.
The Bible says in Romans 14 that anything not done in faith is sin. Could it be that two Christians could vote in faith but vote for different men? Could one vote on what he believes to be principle, for a candidate he knows will not win, and do so in faith? Can another believer vote in a strategic fashion, recognizing his choice is not “perfect,” but represents some of his most important values, and has a chance of winning? Can this one vote in faith as well?
I think so.
I often hear the mantra thrown around about voting for the lesser of two evils. Brethren, we think too highly of ourselves. Regardless of the candidate, they are still men with feet of clay and hearts of stone. We are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God. We are all men with hearts that the Bible describes as wicked and deceitful.
Again, Romans 14 speaks of Christian liberty and the forbearance we are to extend to one another.
Interestingly, Christians often enter voting booths and cast their ballot for people who do not even acknowledge Christ. In this election, we have at least three candidates who claim Christ. Given the church affiliation and the statements and votes of the democrat challenger, Barack Obama, we can quickly conclude he does not serve the Christ of the Bible. Yet I do not think we can make that assumption for the other two men.
I do hold to an optimistic eschatology. I believe the Great Commission will be accomplished and the nations will become disciples of Christ. Will this happen in our lifetime? Probably not. But I do believe that time is on our side here. Covenant families are growing. Covenant families are witnessing to the lost and the Kingdom is expanding through evangelism. Covenant families are voting. Covenant children are entering into the political arena. Some, holding on to this same faith, may vote praying that we can live quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and reverence (1 Timothy 2:2) as we wait for the realization that the Gospel will succeed.
I know this blog entry is a minority opinion among many of my friends. And I pray you hear me – I am not endorsing Senator John McCain. I am praying through this even now. But I do ask that the rhetoric be toned down. Let us all be prayerful in this, seeking to please the Lord, voting in faith.
Thank you for this thoughtful and very well-balanced blog. I’ve been wrestling in the last few weeks with who to vote for in this election or whether to even vote. I’ve prayed that the Lord will give me wisdom to vote the right way, knowing He is in control of the results of this election. I have read many of the mentioned blogs, with great respect for the people writing them, but with some of their statements not sitting well. I enjoy reading yours and your wife’s blog and have been waiting for you to weigh in. I appreciate the way you tackled this issue.
By: Courtney Lemon on September 4, 2008
at 1:24 pm
I disagree.
If you don’t vote like me, you’re sinning.
I’ll let you know what I decide.
By: Joshua P on September 4, 2008
at 1:26 pm
(Good post, by the way. I agree)
By: Joshua P on September 4, 2008
at 1:27 pm
Well said.
By: Seth Ben-Ezra on September 4, 2008
at 2:19 pm
Great post.
I came to a conviction several years back to not vote anymore.
Many will not agree with that and that’s ok.
My citizenship is in heaven and it is so freeing to not have to get caught up in all the political things anymore.
Of course I hear and see what is going on in the media/blogs, etc.
This is a personl conviction for me and each person has to seek God’s will for them in this and all areas.
I do pray for the leaders of our country and know God will allow whom He wants in office to be elected.
Sincerely in Christ-BJ
By: BJ on September 4, 2008
at 2:34 pm
I totally agree with the sentiment of this post. It is time to turn down the rhetoric a bit.
I do disagree with the issue of McCain and life. I am becoming increasingly convinced that life vs. abortion is pass/fail. And a man who will vote “yes” on Ginsburg, “yes” on paying scientists to play around with embryos is not to be given a passing grade.
Palin is another case, mind you, and while I agree with the sentiments of Phillips and Baucham, I disagree with their conclusions.
But Palin is not running for president. McCain is. And until we decide that this issue is important enough to not give any votes to anyone who votes against life, it will not go away.
If McCain is truly pro-life, let him stand up and say he’ll veto every bill that comes to him until Congress passes a law declaring the personhood of the unborn. And then watch the pundits shuffle.
There is only one issue in politics in the USA right now: whether unborn children are human or something less. And we continue to support those who say the latter, and we will lose every time.
McCain can change, and I’d love to see that happen. But the SBC is a mixed bag, and there are many politicians who are members of SBC churches who have not supported life. And McCain has not even distanced himself from the embryonic stem cell vote.
He will tell us what we want to hear and do what he’s planning on anyway.
By: James on September 4, 2008
at 2:38 pm
Thank you for your insight, I am thankful that you have shared your views. I begin teaching a US government class for home-schoolers today and would like to share your perspective–if that is okay with you. We are in California and have a lot at stake in this election, especially where marriage and families are concerned. To be honest, I had not heard of Chuck Baldwin and look forward to sharing the Constitution Party candidates with my students.
By: Suzanne in CA on September 4, 2008
at 3:16 pm
Wonderful post! As usual, a real thinker. Although we are still unsure of our vote this election, at least we know we will definitely not be voting for Obama. As a mother of a young child with down syndrome, I am un easy of Palin becoming V.P.. Especially when I know how much extra time and care these children need from their mothers. However, we wonder if things will improve for our daughter and others like her with a V.P. that is also a mother of a special needs child. There is so much to pray about regarding the election. One thing is for sure, this will be an election remembered in history.
By: Amanda Ledferd on September 4, 2008
at 9:44 pm
Thank you so much for having the courage and kindness to make this well written post. My father and the rest of my family definitely agree that we must be very prayerful – this election is not something to be taken lightly.
Thank you for making the honest statements about McCain’s record. I think that people are confused about McCain’s record and thus harshly judgmental. McCain’s votes approving various Supreme Court Justices we (and he) disagree with were made because he believes the Supreme Court Justices are the President’s decision and that the Senate should approve them out of courtesy. But if he is elected President, he says he will appoint conservative judges (and we are one judge away from overturning Roe v. Wade), and you know that the very liberal Obama will bring forth very liberal judges if elected.
McCain is also a Federalist, so his position on the Federal Marriage Amendment was not because of his moral standing on the issue, but rather because he thinks States should decide their own laws. He said if a State ever forces its legal standing of marriage on another State then a Constitutional Amendment will be necessary.
Everyone knows that the outcome of this election will either be McCain or Obama. It is very close right now, and regardless of personal conviction, everyone can admit that a vote not cast for McCain will increase Obama’s chances of winning. But sadly, many seem to not realize what the repercussions of an Obama administration would be because they are so concerned about a curse coming from a woman Vice President. However, if we look at the Biblical account of Deborah, the woman’s position of power didn’t bring on the curse, the woman’s position was a result of the curse. Deborah’s unusual position was to bring them out of that curse. Roe v. Wade is probably the biggest curse on the nation, and men have not been able to repeal it partly because feminists keep shouting them down, insisting that it is a “women’s rights issue”. Sarah Palin’s motherhood has defied Roe v. Wade’s culture of death and might have a mighty influence in the national scene. I think her presence is not ideal, but it is very symbolic and humbling.
Take care and MAY GOD BLESS,
~Amanda~
By: Amanda Read on September 4, 2008
at 10:22 pm
Voting for a Man or a Woman
Mark Holden
The recent nomination of Sarah Palin as running-mate for the office of vice president has created some interesting discussion on the topic of men’s and women’s roles. For what it’s worth, here’s my take on the subject.
Any of you who are acquainted with my position on Biblical roles, and my history of teaching and writing, will know that I firmly believe that God has specifically designed men and women for unique roles. In the midst of that long-maintained position, a significant question arises: Would you, Mark Holden, vote for a woman for public office?
Hold on to your sun-glasses, hats, and scarves, because the unashamed answer is “Yes”! And here’s why.
God has placed women in positions of civil authority and responsibility amongst His own people. The resounding example is Deborah, of course. “And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time” Judges 4:4. There is no question that women in leadership in God’s economy are an exception, but I believe that we live in exceptional times.
In the coming election I will not be voting for a man or a woman, I will be voting for righteousness.
We live in a representative republic that allows me the opportunity to vote for individuals who best represent me and my concerns. My Bible says that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.
So the real question is this, what candidate comes closest to righteousness? Who will represent my concern that civil authority be conducted as closely as possible to God’s standard of justice and mercy? Who will represent Biblical home-life, truth, and liberty most significantly?
Now listen men, I know that some of you really chafe at the idea that you would have to take instruction from a woman. I would like to suggest that you put that emotion to death. It is not the Spirit of God. It is the flesh. It is masculine pride.
In a day when there are so few men in the political scene who are willing to say and do hard things, is it possible that the Lord would raise a lady to do the job for Him? Is it possible that it is another way of God attempting to capture the attention of a nation that has turned?
I look forward to pulling the lever in November.
By: Mark Holden on September 5, 2008
at 2:00 am
I have heard many who have asserted that voting in the coming Presidential election is a “tough call” and some have even stated it is more “righteous” to abstain from voting. I believe the Holy Scriptures hold the answer, if we are willing to be obedient (which at times can be very difficult, ask the apostle Paul in prison about dificulties) Too often in today’s society, we are only willing to deal with what is “comfortable.” It is time for all Christians in the US to realize that our COMFORT has lulled us, like frogs in a pot of water and we have ignored the changing world until now.
Now the water is boiling. We must act NOW. And I believe Christ gave us the message about following Him (and being a good citizen) in the parable of the Good Samaritan. I think at one point in time we have all read the parable of “The Good Samaritan”, but in light of today’s political climate, we need to revisit it. As Jesus said, “He who has ears, let him hear!”
The Good Samaritan, an explanation for today
We all know the story a man is taking a journey and is attacked, robbed of everything of value, to the point of being stripped of his clothes and left for dead. A short time later a priest came along and when he saw the man on the side of the road, he moved to the other side of the road so as not to become “defiled.” If a priest approached a dead body, human or animal, they would become “defiled”. Now, being defiled for a priest meant a long, arduous, (and expensive) rite of purification before he could serve his religious duties before God in the temple. As we all understand, serving God is the most important thing any of us can do, and you couldn’t “REALLY” serve God if you are defiled, now could you? And what would the neighbors think if he were defiled? He had a reputation to uphold. The priest with, most likely, a clear conscience, traveled right on by the helpless, beaten man in the ditch, believing he, the priest, was on a mission to serve God. Plus, the guy has been stripped of his clothes, so he probably wasn’t a Jew and he certainly couldn’t touch a gentile without being defiled either.
Soon after, along comes a Levite, same song, second verse. He moves over so as to not approach “defilement” and walks off with little regard for the suffering going on in the ditch, because he has been called to serve God, and definitely not become defiled by helping a man who is probably going to die anyway.
Along comes this Samaritan, the most hated of all life forms by the Jews, almost as hated as the religious conservatives are hated by the left wing main stream media, or as much. if not more than some on the religious right hate John McCain. And the Samaritan is moved by compassion at the suffering of the man in the ditch. The hated Samaritan rendered aid and took on the expense, unworried about being soiled by helping a desperate man, disregarding any possible religious differences. There is no mention as to whether the injured man refused the care the Samaritan offered. One thing that needs to be put into context is that Jewish law commanded all Jews to help their neighbor when they were in distress. The priest and the Levite disobeyed that law when they refused to render assistance, but felt they were obeying a “higher moral code” by meeting their religious duties. I submit this as hypocrisy of the highest order. Neither of them were the least bit willing to obey the part of the Jewish law to help their neighbor, because their Phariseeistic, self righteous egos didn’t want to get dirty so they chose a different law to obey, a less difficult law, the EASY way. They chose the one that least honored God and probably felt very good about their choice.
There are priests and Levites in our midst today. John McCain is a Samaritan in their eyes. Our country has been beaten, robbed and left for dead by multiple assailants.Some in “The Religious Right”, in their hatred for John McCain, are willing to abstain from voting and let Obama win. Many have said things like “I will not have any blood on my hands by voting for McCain. If Obama wins, well, God is in charge, He will take care of it, it’s all in His will.” As Jesus said “Pharisees, Hypocrites!”If Obama wins and a newer Supreme Court rules the wrong way, there may be much more blood on the hands of this country. Those who take “principled decision” by not voting could be actively (and passively) condemning far more people to death, as partial birth abortion keeps raising it’s ugly head. Then there are those who have wanted us to consider euthanasia for the elderly or those with poor “quality of life” issues. The blood of those people will be on the hands of those who refuse to get involved. That doesn’t even begin to cover possible revocation of Constitutional rights that heretofore have been protected and affirmed by the Court.No matter how they try to spin it, those who abstain from voting are voting for evil and they are demonstrating the highest form of hypocrisy. You cannot be on the “ High Moral Road ” when you haven’t take a step.
Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) has been quoted as saying “In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”
As a Christian, I am not all that happy with John McCain, but my country is lying on the side of the road, beaten and dying, and the priests and Levites don’t seem to care. Don’t talk to me about any “moral stand.” Refusing to vote on the grounds of “morality” is antithetical. You cannot be moral by committing an immoral act (unless you believe the values clarification people). I will vote for the one who had compassion. As Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
Chuck
By: Chuck on September 5, 2008
at 2:09 am
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for coming by – and thanks for the clarifications.
For the record, while I certainly appreciate Senator McCain’s position on Supreme Court justices, I do not support it. The constitutional balance of powers is indeed needed. I do not think his support of pro-abortion candidates commendable. However, I do expect he will appoint justices who will apply the Constitution to all citizens – especially the unborn.
I was also troubled by Senator McCain’s support of stem cell legislation.
But, on a number of bills, he has proved to be a supporter of the prolife position. This is one reason why he is supported by the National Right to Life (click here to get a comparison to McCain and Obama).
http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/Comparison071408.pdf
Mark, Chuck – thought provoking articles. Thanks for sharing.
Mark – How are things in New York? Stacy and I are coming up to Niagara this week. We hope to see you!
By: James McDonald on September 5, 2008
at 3:44 am
There is much prayer that needs to go into this election as there should be in all times of choice. Thanks for the post as it gives another perspective on the times we are in and especially with all of the rhetoric, from both sides of the “aisle.” Those that say one is to put aside “principles” and “moral concerns” to oppose a certain a candidate may be over stepping their bounds. We are in this predicament because for too long Christians have voted pragmatically and not biblically and the question, I guess, is how to stop this slide.
One comment on what seems to be an overuse of “Deborah” as an example of women in leadership. God chose Deborah she was not voted on. In scripture there is little voting that happens and when the people did choose for themselves they usually did not do such a great job because of a lack of using biblical standards, such as with Saul. There are other issues with using Deborah but you can read those in other places.
With all of this is, at least for me, the issue of having a woman in a position of authority such as this, and yes we do have to realize that this is not just about her as VP but since she is next in line she could be the president, was not my initial concern, although it is a great concern. As a Pastor if a man and women came to me and revealed the family situation they have, a special needs child, an unwed pregnant daughter and other children at home, I would council them to be aware of their time away from their family so they can deal with their family concerns. Why then would I feel different about this situation because Mrs. Palin is running for a political position, a position that will require vast amounts of time away from home? I would offer the same council if a man running for VP had the same family situation but there is a difference between the roles of men and women in the family, from a biblical perspective, so should we not council around those principles and not pragmatics?
Again I thank you for your insight and I pray that there is civility and not just between believers but everyone that votes does not vote or simply votes for a third party. I was led to this quote by John Quincy Adams that is very good to keep in mind:
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
By: Tony on September 5, 2008
at 2:36 pm
Well said James McDonald. I trust God in the entire process. As Daniel 2:21 states, “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings.”
By: Chris on September 5, 2008
at 4:21 pm
Chris,
We all must trust God in everything, the question is when you are sick do you go to a doctor, to the store to get some meds, or just pray about it? I have no problem with any of those responses, from a Biblical standpoint, because Paul apparently trusted Luke, the beloved physician, and he told Timothy to “take a little wine for you stomach”. Seems that wine was used medicinally back then.
The problem that I have is when people do not do anything at a time that calls for action and say “whatever happens is the will of GOD”, refusing to get involved for whatever reason. If you don’t want to get involved, fine, just please don’t say you’re doing it because God told you not. That is a cop out & counter to everything He taught, (see my previous post) as I read the Bible.
By: Chuck on September 6, 2008
at 12:22 am
I so much appreciate this post – it is a breath of fresh air to me after the stifling dogmatism I’ve been hearing all week. The Bible says that a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, and you can become out of balance on both ends of the spectrum. Your post was very humble, well-worded, balanced, and if I may say so, you just recognized that you could possibly be wrong! I think that is very important. Even Luther at the Diet of Worms refused to recant only unless he could be proven wrong Biblically. I think that many times we fall into the trap of thinking that our understanding of Scripture is as infallible as the Scripture itself.
Personally, while I do agree with the sentiments of Baucham, Phillips, etc., as a previous commenter put it, I do not agree with their conclusions. That said, I do respect their right to their own conclusions, and the fact that they may be led of God in what they are saying.
My mother summed it up very well, I think. Many times in the Christian life we will be faced with “Others may, you cannot.” And there are times when it may be “Others cannot, you may.” And we must remember that even if we speak with the tongues of men and angels and understand all prophesies and all knowledge, but we have not love – especially love to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are nothing.
Hannah
By: Hannah Hill on September 6, 2008
at 12:10 pm
Thank you for a wonderful post =)
Blessings,
Linda<
By: Homeschooling6 on September 6, 2008
at 3:22 pm
Mr. McDonald,
I’m sure that by now you have seen Voddie on CNN! I felt he did a wonderful job and was very confident and calm. Also, he had a great article on the abortion issue. If you haven’t read it already you can find it here:
http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2008/9/2_The_Continuing_Collapse_of_Education_2.html
Lastly, Mr. Phillips gave me cause for concern when I read his blog post entitled Pro-Palin Logic Supports Women in Combat.
So many issues to consider and pray about.
My husband and I have been pondering this quote as well.
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
Blessings,
Laura in Va.
P.S. I hope you and Stacy have been having a wonderful time!
By: Laura on September 10, 2008
at 3:24 am
Hi Laura,
Thanks for the note. Yes, I saw Voddie. He did a great job as I would expect. I respect him highly.
I have also heard the argument on votes for Palin and the correlation about women in the military. I do not see this as an “apples to apples” connection. I may follow up on this later.
For the record, I have a call into Senator McCain’s liaison to the evangelicals. I want to ask the McCain campaign about the Senator’s previous votes directly. Votes in Congress are often complicated things. We can make simple assumptions on the reasons for votes that may be mischaracterizations. I believe it is important to go to the source.
Trust me – it would be so much easier to just line up with my friends on this issue and adamantly oppose the McCain/Palin ticket. However, I believe this would not be judicious. As we must be Berean with the Scripture, so must we in everything.
At this point, I have still not decided which ticket to support. But I am also not rushing to judgment. There is too much at stake. Did you read the article on the Supreme Court? Also, as this article lays out, voting for principle could be a vote for McCain/Palin. We must vote in faith.
Well, time to go. Stacy and I are at a national homeschool leadership conference in New York and the session is about to begin.
Blessings to you and yours,
By: James McDonald on September 10, 2008
at 11:43 am
Dear James ~
A very insightful & thoughtful post. This took courage and I applaud you for searching your heart and making this year’s election a period of thoughtful prayer & insight.
I also appreciate that you are not so willing to throw or cast stones.
I truly believe that our Lord is in charge and HIS will *will be done* in this election, as in every future election.
My greatest concern lies with America and her people…. … it is my constant prayer that we, as a people, may turn away from our “idols” and once again turn our hearts to the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.
God forgive us for our sins.
I sure hope you & your lovey wife are enjoying this time of refreshment ~
Gloria Pickeringt
By: gloria on September 10, 2008
at 8:27 pm
As far as Doug Phillips’ post “Pro-Palin Logic Supports Women in Combat”, I really believe that if that were true, Deborah would have had no problem leading the troops into battle herself rather than calling a man to do it. She held a position of authority, but recognized that it was not her role to fight.
By: Hannah Hill on September 13, 2008
at 12:06 pm