Courage is not proven in times of peace and quiet. Rather, courage arises in response to conflict and adversity. Life in the twilight of the West is full of such clashes as society’s very foundations are up for grabs. How should Christians think about voting in light of the many dilemmas surrounding the 2024 election?
Some suggest that voting is amoral: that Christians are free to vote for whomever they want, or to not vote at all. Consider this recent tweet from David French:
The next couple of months are going to be full of accusations that a person can’t be a Christian and vote how they’re voting. Ignore those voices. There is no credible argument that our vote defines our walk with God.
French’s argument assumes the neutrality, not only of voting, but of the entire political sphere. It is true that how we vote does not grant us special status before God. Yet, since voting is a moral action, it certainly reflects our walk with God. For too long, evangelicals have divorced politics from a wholistic Christian view of life. Such disjointed reasoning encourages a form of moral disconnect and cultural cowardice that muzzles our Christian witness.
As Christians, in our form of government, there are two reasons we have a moral duty to vote. First, Christians are mandated to vote because by doing so we partake in the governing process of our nation. Second, Christians are obligated to vote because the realm of government is not morally neutral. In other words, we have a moral duty to vote and to vote distinctively as Christians. The American church must recover this moral clarity to courageously confront our current political confusion.
Our Christian Duty to Vote
American Christians have a duty to vote, before God, because we live in a representative republic. This is a bold claim, but it rests on the reality that God judges governing officials (Psa. 82:1-8; Hab. 2:2-20; Rev. 19:11-21). In the American system, to be a citizen is to be a governing official. The United States is neither an empire nor a monarchy. We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. At the top of our governing structure is: the people. In short, in a representative republic, the people function as one of the highest authorities in the land, alongside the Constitution, as we elect individuals to represent us.
These representatives govern with the authority we the people grant them. They stand in our place. In this way, being a citizen is a ruling office with real authority. Therefore, every citizen is like a miniature governor, senator, mayor, president, etc. If we, out of cowardice or apathy, refuse to faithfully discharge the duties of our office, then we are guilty of sin before God.[1]
1. There is a place, in extreme circumstances, where one could theoretically refuse to vote out of protest, particularly if both options are thoroughly wicked. If, for example, you had to choose between Hitler or Stalin, then the Christian should choose neither. In such a circumstance, Christians would need to consider more drastic options. Thankfully, I do not believe America is at such a crossroads.
Few Christians would argue that a Christian governor, senator, or representative is free to govern however he wants. Few would argue, as French implies above, that God is disinterested in how such an individual uses their authority. In short, Christian representatives should govern according to the ethics of Christianity because God will judge every ruler (Psa. 2:10–12). In America, every citizen is a part of the governing process and is morally culpable for how he uses his authority.
For example, refusing to vote would be similar to a governor refusing to lead because a situation was too hard, there were no perfect solutions, or he was afraid of offending. In a fallen world, to be in leadership is to be faced with difficult decisions. Refusal to face these challenges, and to make the best choice possible, is worse than a failure of nerve. It’s a dereliction of duty and betrayal of trust.
Often Americans complain about the ‘government,’ but they forget that they are the government. In a representative republic, we not only get the government we deserve, we are that government. Our country’s problems begin with the people in the voting booth, not the people in Washington D.C.
Because the people are the government, and Christians are part of the people, we have a moral duty to use our authority to seek righteousness. God very much cares about how we conduct ourselves in the voting booth. How we conduct ourselves politically will demonstrate either rotten or righteous fruit. It can display genuine faith or apostasy.
Some may object, “But I didn’t sign up to be a governing authority!” Generally, leadership roles involve some desire to fulfill the office and then some affirmation from the community (1 Tim. 3:1). Yet, God, as he does with all governments, has established the system we’ve been born into (Rom. 13:1). He has appointed us for this exact time and place. A neglectful elder, police officer, or parent will be judged for abandoning of their just authority. To neglect our authority is sinful.
Whether we want this responsibility or not, it is ours. Consider the example of a young a man who unexpectedly gets his girlfriend pregnant. Despite his possible intentions, feelings, and preparedness he is now a father whether he likes it or not. No amount of excuses remove the moral obligation he has to fulfill his role as a father. Whether we signed up to be citizens of the United States or not, we likewise have a role to fulfill in the governing of our nation.
While our cultural problems are daunting, Christians must not cower in fear, hoping that the problems will somehow resolve themselves. What is needed is not righteous-sounding platitudes that ignore the world burning around us. What is needed is a clear Christian ethic that acknowledges that politics is important, but not ultimate. God cares how his people vote; therefore, his people must have the courage to vote distinctively as Christians.
The Morality of Voting
Governing is all about morality, and so is voting. Underneath French’s assertion that how we vote says little about our walk with God, is the assumption that the act itself is morally neutral. One of the great lies of secularism is the myth of neutrality—that the state can be detached from morality. It’s never if the state will enforce morality, but which morality it will impose.
Romans 13:1–7 reminds us that the state was instituted by God for our good (Rom. 13:4). The state’s job is to wield the sword as an agent of God’s justice. The state’s main purpose is irreducibly tied to justice as it punishes evildoers. Thus, the state needs to be able to distinguish between good and evil. It needs to direct its blade at evildoers, not at the righteous. Sadly, the state often becomes a ghastly beast destructive to its God-given purpose (Rev. 12:17–13:10). Politics is never amoral. Governing must never be separated from God’s moral standards.
When we vote, we are not just voting for politicians, but for policies that the sword of the state will impose on society. Under every policy is a belief about what is righteous and what is wicked. When we vote for specific politicians and their policy goals, we are approving of their vision of morality and delegating them power to carry out their vision. To vote is to govern. To vote is to impose either righteousness or wickedness.
For this reason, some suggest that Christians must never vote for the lesser of two evils. To be sure, the era of Trump v. Harris in 2024 poses particular challenges for evangelicals, but the lesser of two evils objection is not new.
The framing of this objection is unfair at best. How one poses a question often dictates the desired answer. When I am asked, “Can Christians vote for the lesser of two evils?” The framing itself demands the answer, “No.” Christians are never to partake in evil. I believe this question is unfair because there are no perfect politicians or governments in this age. If Paul can write about the good God intends for the state to accomplish when talking about a tyrannical Roman Empire, then we can also seek to implement good amid the imperfections of our day.
Francis Schaeffer warned us that if we demand perfection or nothing in any area of life, we will always get nothing.[2] According to Schaeffer, it is terribly cruel to demand perfection from our fellow sinners, as it blinds us to the real human potential before us. Whether it be a parent to a child, spouse to spouse, or a congregation to its pastor, if you demand perfection or nothing then you will get nothing every time.
2. Francis Schaeffer, No Little People (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1974), 50.
We should also apply this wisdom to our political involvement. If we demand a perfect party or candidate or nothing, then we will get nothing every time. We are not looking for a political savior, but for the person who will most wield the sword of the state with the most justice.
In light of this reality, we must reframe our expectations. We are not looking for the lesser of two evils but rather the most righteous option. When we frame our political dilemma in this way, as a search for the most righteous option, it frees us from unrealistic expectations and the path forward becomes clearer. While the GOP has many imperfections and problems, they are the more righteous option on virtually every major political issue, as a comparison of their party platforms demonstrates (see the Republican platform and the Democrat Platform).[3]
3. [Editor’s Note: Check back later this month for an article that compares and contrasts these two party platforms.]
Conclusion
Christians must have the courage to vote distinctively as Christians. God cares about everything we do, including who we vote for. While our cultural problems are daunting, we must not cower in fear. Christians must have the courage to use whatever authority they have to seek good for our society.
Therefore, Christians must vote for the party and politicians who will enact the most righteous laws and policies. We must do so with great courage and hope—a hope not in politicians—but in the God who is sovereign over the affairs of men. As a part of we the people, Christians must execute their office according to God’s standards and for his glory.