I have been thinking about the up-coming presidential elections and it got me wondering about how Christian's are supposed to vote. What should we look for in a candidate. What should be deciding factors ?
How Should Christian's Vote ?
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Miss Hepburn
Well-Known Member
That he has the best interests for our country - for our safety and happiness -
economically, which is the issue of the day, and to keep the peace and our freedoms secure.
And no one needs to think the way I do...just my take.
economically, which is the issue of the day, and to keep the peace and our freedoms secure.
And no one needs to think the way I do...just my take.
I believe that we are to let God's Word judge a candidates beliefs and platforms and then choose according to how much they line up.
th1b.taylor
Active Member
I have seen this notion thoughtlessly put forward so often. Jesus left us with the Great Commission, Matt. 28:18b-20, and the Life Application is endless! We are to influence the World and if we run into our houses and hide we do not obey the King.
goodshepard55
New Member
So which candidate do you think would most likely bring someone to Christ?
We're called to build God's Kingdom, not the United States of America Kingdom.
-- Absolutely ridiculous.
If Christians as a whole were more involved in politics, we would have overturned Roe vs. Wade by now and mllions of babies a year would not be murdered.
Also, gay marraige would not have moved from an offense to God to a "civil right" that will shortly become law of the land.
If Christians were involved and more vocal, they would not have become the scapegoat for all the ills of this country.
We would not have lost the right to pray in school or be forced to have a children taught about the benefits of alternate lifestyles as well as having them told how terrible their parents are for not supporting those lifestyles.
They would not be the subject of such TV series as "Good Christian B*******"
We as a nation and a world are doomed. Didn't have to wait for the move to know that. I read The Book.
Our job between now and that time is to help as many people as possible come to know Jesus.
When we are silent against laws that curtail Christian rights, we curtail the opportunities to share God's Word and thus more people pour into hell instead of being delivered into heaven.
When we don't speak out against those who call themselves Christians but support gay marraige, abortion, etc., then we allow those groups to be the ones seen as what Christians are. Millions will follow them because they like what these "Christians" stand for and what is required of them in order to be saved is minimized.
Only the Lord know how many of the people that have listened to those "Christians" thinking that since they agree then they too are Christians end up being surprised as where they are going to spend eternity when they die. This absolutely grieves me.
BECAUSE we are going to one day in the not-too-distant future be considered by our gov't as criminals and be imprisoned and face death we MUST do all we can before that comes to save as many souls as possible.
The more work we can do before we are marked as the enemy and curtailed, the more souls that will be saved.
When you stand before God and he asks you why you didn't do more to ensure that His influence remained strong in a nation that he has "shed His Grace on," I don't think He is going to accept, the argument that you "didn't feel led."
Why didn't the early Christians just vote Caesar out of office? ;)
When you mix something holy with the world...you get more of the world. LIke mixing something pure with something impure. Nothing becomes pure by mixing.
Foreigner,
I want to say 'amen' but can you first reconcile what you are saying with the following passage, especially vs. 36?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Rom 8:35-39)
I want to say 'amen' but can you first reconcile what you are saying with the following passage, especially vs. 36?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Rom 8:35-39)
WhiteKnuckle
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- Mar 29, 2009
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Firstly, God said He set up the kingdoms and governments on this earth. Romans 13:1 seems to say this. Secondly, aren't we supposed to pray for our leaders?
I wonder though. In a supposed democracy, where we're "allowed" to scrutinize our politicians as a matter of freedom and constitutional right, does that mean we go against Romans 13? Also, if God sets up the Governments, how then do we have a system where we vote for the "best" candidate? I also wonder. Which Christian voted for Obama? How many of us feel comfortable supporting Obama.
I don't vote at all not for anything. You can call it a waste. You can say that our service men and women died for nothing if I don't vote. But, I exercise my freedom not to vote. There hasn't been one single candidate that I felt absolutely worthy of office. Why should I only get to choose a couple? Sure, I can vote 3rd party, but we all know it's one of the 2 majors that will win.
I wonder though. In a supposed democracy, where we're "allowed" to scrutinize our politicians as a matter of freedom and constitutional right, does that mean we go against Romans 13? Also, if God sets up the Governments, how then do we have a system where we vote for the "best" candidate? I also wonder. Which Christian voted for Obama? How many of us feel comfortable supporting Obama.
I don't vote at all not for anything. You can call it a waste. You can say that our service men and women died for nothing if I don't vote. But, I exercise my freedom not to vote. There hasn't been one single candidate that I felt absolutely worthy of office. Why should I only get to choose a couple? Sure, I can vote 3rd party, but we all know it's one of the 2 majors that will win.
"Christians" should vote the same way everyone else does; for whomever they desire to vote for.
Vote for whoever you want to,we are doomed and it will not matter...voting has been reduced to tyranny by consent and there are no Godly candidates to vote for that have any chance of winning.
Desire comes from the carnal man.
Fortunately we are not called on to vote or voice our own opinions...we are to pray!
-- I appreciate your question, Prism. A very good one.
First off, as I said in my other post, Christians are going to face actual oppression in the future, no matter what we do.
My vote is still out on the whole Pre/Post Tribulation Rapture thing, but regardless, in the very near future Christians wil be classified as criminals and treated/punished as such.
That fulfills: "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
It is not the fate of the Christians I am speaking of. It is the fate of the lost. I speak of our responsibilities as Christians.
While we still can "preach and reach," we are to so. And in order to be able to do so as much as we can in the short time left, we need to ensure that our rights as Christians to do so are preserved AS LONG as possible.
We don't do this for US. We do this for the souls that can still be saved.
The harvest IS great and the workers ARE few....and harvest season is QUICKLY drawing to a close.
It is our calling - our mandate - to ensure that as little of the harvest is left in the fields as possible before Christ returns.
Letting our rights to preach/share/reach out/evangelize/share Jesus be curtailed by gov't without standing up for our rights as citizens and Christians reduces the opportunities we will have to reach the lost. I believe firmly that is NOT what God wants.
I think He is more concerned about saving as many souls of those of those He loves but are lost than us NOT being involved in gov't or political issues.
According to Episkopos way of thinking, those Christians (both men of the cloth and average citizens) who spoke out against Hitler and ultimately ended up in Concentration camps should have just kept their mouths shut.
And those Christians that risked their lives harboring Jews or helping them to escape should have just been obedient to God and not gotten involved in opposing the political decision of the nations.
Same for the Christians who smuggled Bibles or missionaries behind the Iron Curtain. Christians are to be 'seperate' so they should not have gotten involved in opposing gov't policies.
Or is he saying that we wait until AFTER Christianity is illegal to stand up for the faith? Hard to tell.
As far as the rest of the scripture you provided:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Rom 8:35-39)
That is absolutely accurate. God is with us in times of Revival and Persecution, both collectively and as individuals.
Again, what I am saying isn't about the fate of Christians. It is about the fate of those not yet Christians.....the people we need to focus on.
If we let our gov't form laws that prevent us from sharing the Gospel then we are actually putting the shackles on ourselves and preventing ourselves from reaching as many souls for Christ as possbile before His return.
If letting our rights as Christians be trampled on without resistance as simple as exercising our rights as American Citizens, then we are voluntarily reducing our ability to reach the lost.
"Episkopos," roughly translated means, the Bishop.
For the sake of others I hope that is a title he gave himself.
LOL It actually means overseer... I chose the episkopos handle because of the "visitation" meaning. It also means inspector.....as in one who has been inspected by God is now able to inspect others. But the deeper meaning is in the visitation from God that all ministry is to be based on.
As to being passive in the midst of oppression this is a familiar retort for those who can't see that spiritual means are greater than carnal means. So then Jesus also did nothing to help free His people from the yoke of tyranny either. Or did He?
Perhaps applying worldly standards to the faith of Christ just doesn't work?
Hitler killed ourspoken Christians...of which I am one. I just won't play the earthly politics game as a means to get what I think is right. We are called to war against evil with the truth...not using a different propaganda.
-- So when Peter spoke and the Holy Spirit gave him the words to say....Peter was actually wrong for speaking and should have just prayed?
Ummm.....no.
And the desire to reach lost souls for Jesus is hardly "carnal."
Sorry, but total seperation from your rights as a citizen ensure that your rights as a citizen (and a Christian) will be curtailed faster.
That may be fine for you - you're already saved.
But the ones that aren't Christians will be the ones who suffer - possible suffer eternal damnation - because people like you say we should sit on the sidelines and not ensure we can continue to share God's word.
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