There is an undeniable and legitimate disgust with today's political system. Corruption has infected every area of government. But is the answer found in withdrawal? Should Christian people retreat from the political arena completely? I leave you to answer that yourself. I choose to participate in the privilege of voting. Here's some reasons why:
1. I vote for the unborn. There were approximately 1.21 million abortions performed in the U.S. in 2008 (source: www.nrlc.org.) That's 3,315 murders per day - equivalent to the annihilation of every man, woman, boy, and girl who are residents of Hoxie, AR. By the time you finish reading this blog, 12 babies, created in the image of God, will be procedurally put to death...without a voice. They will never vote. But I will. I personally believe it is my responsibility to vote. There are no perfect candidates. There are no perfect parents, perfect drivers, perfect students, either. That doesn't keep us from raising kids, driving our cars, and striving for an education. Proverbs 31:8 instructs us, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Voting is not the only way to speak up, but it is certainly one way.
2. I vote for the family. I am not homophobic. I believe, however, the future of any society rests in the preservation of God's design for the family. Call me naive and out-of-touch, but I believe there are forces at work in society, hellbent on the destruction of traditional family. The unacceptable by God's standards has become acceptable in today's culture. Will my vote alone stem the tide? Not a chance. But I will not lie down and surrender. I will not bury my head in the sand and pray it "all goes away."
3. I vote for less government. I don't see government as the solution. Government quite often is the problem. Just in the last 20 years, government has spread with pandemic aggression, usurping its tentacles into virtually every area of our life: the rearing of our children, our religious freedoms, even the food we eat. Under the current administration, the dependence on government has grown 23%. Today, more people than ever before—67.3 million Americans, depend on the federal government for assistance. Yet, for the first time in history, half the population pays no federal income tax. (source: www.heritage.org) Like a drug dealer, Uncle Sam keeps handing out the "free samples," creating an addiction to his wares. Government has a role to play, but it should be a small role. I vote toward that goal.
4. I vote because people bled and died to ensure me the right. My grandfather, like so many others, fought in World War II against the tyrannical empires of Germany and Japan. Their sacrifice preserved our freedom. Billions of people everyday suffer oppression and persecution around the globe. They have no rights. They have no opportunity to voice their opinion in the voting booth. They would gladly trade places with the disgruntled and disenfranchised who abnegate their rights to vote.
5. I vote because some things are worth fighting for. I am not a pacifist. If you threaten my family or my property, I will resist with force. As a Christian, I feel my role certainly encompasses the demonstration of love. I grew up in a loving home. Hence, it was an environment with parameters. My parents' discipline was a demonstration of their love. It was active, not passive. We are called to be salt and light: sometimes stinging to an open wound, but healing nonetheless; offensive to dwellers of darkness, but revealing the path that leads to life.
The registration deadline to vote in Arkansas' May 22nd Primary is April 23rd. The registration deadline for the November general election is October 8th.
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
---Dietrich Bonhoeffer
