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Editorial: Are evangelicals going to abstain from voting?
Oct 26, 2006
By JAMES A. SMITH SR.
Florida Baptist Witness

If the national news media is correct, droves of evangelical voters who are disgusted with the Mark Foley scandal and disillusioned with certain policy deficiencies of the political party in power will show their disdain by abstaining from voting in next month's general election. Indeed, there seems to be some evidence of evangelical disenchantment which may very well result in fewer evangelicals voting Nov. 7.

For those who will show their contempt for the current political situation by not voting, my question is simple-since when does the relative merits of the candidates and/or political parties absolve evangelicals from their Christian duty to vote? I think about the clear biblical teaching which requires Christians to be the best citizens of any nation and I cannot imagine how any devoted follower of Christ could conscientiously refuse to vote. In fact, it's clear to me that such abstaining Christian voters are sinning. I believe it's plain from Scripture that Christians should be the best citizens a nation has to offer. And in a nation such as ours, where the citizens direct the course of our government, the failure of qualified Christian citizens to vote cannot be seen as anything less than a sin.

The witness of Scripture is that Christians are citizens simultaneously of two realms-the earthly nation of our birth (or naturalization) and the heavenly realm of the Kingdom of God. Although we owe ultimate allegiance to God's Kingdom, there remain serious obligations of earthly citizenship for Christians who seek to live in accordance with biblical standards. There is perhaps no more poignant time to consider these obligations than now when Floridians go to the polls next month.

In Romans 13:1-7 we find the Bible's most succinct treatment of the meaning of Christian citizenship. The Apostle Paul's message to first century believers who lived in the seat of the Roman Empire-the all-encompassing political entity of its day-was that Christians should be the best citizens. Although two millennia old, Paul's message is as valid today for American Christians as it was for Roman Christians who lived under a pagan, totalitarian dictatorship.

Paul exhorted believers in Rome to "submit to the governing authorities" because they were established by God and are agents-they're even called "ministers"-of God's purpose and order (vv. 1-2). The biblical model of government does not allow Christian support for anarchy (no rule). Paul doesn't address the circumstances under which Christians have an obligation to disobey government (when government seeks to take the place of God and requires Christians to act contrary to biblical principles or prevents us from obeying God, see Acts 4:18-20, 5:29; Dan. 3:18 and Dan. 6). But the standard operating procedure for Christians is willing submission to government.

In verses 3-4, Paul provides two natural reasons Christians should submit to government: the promise of commendation (reward) and the promise of condemnation (punishment). When we do the right thing we will be commended and when we do wrong, we will be punished. There is also a supernatural reason Christians must submit: the Christian conscience (v. 5). A conscience regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit knows that, worse than violating man's laws, resisting governing authorities is a violation against God Himself-a sin.

Although it seems at times in our society today that evildoers are rewarded and righteous folks are persecuted, don't forget that Paul's exhortation of submission was written originally to Christians living under a totalitarian government. Therefore, American Christians who still enjoy the blessings of liberty have no less of an obligation to submit to our government.

Finally, Paul illustrates two ways Christians can demonstrate their submission and good citizenship (vv. 6-7): financial loyalty (paying our taxes) and attitudinal loyalty (paying honor to our nation and governing authorities-patriotism). And in a republican form of government such as ours, where the people rule, submission to government should include participation in our elections.

It's extraordinarily ironic that evangelical Christians living in 2006 as citizens in a representative democracy would contemplate not voting when Paul told first century Christians living under a dictatorship in which they were a persecuted minority they were obligated to submit to the governing authorities. Today, in far too many nations, our disenfranchised brothers and sisters in Christ would cherish the opportunity to have a say in their government.

Not only is abstaining from voting wrong on Christian principle, it's also not smart. By some estimates, only about 30 percent of registered voters will actually cast a ballot in this general election. When you consider such a poor turnout coupled with the fact that there are huge numbers of eligible voters who are not even registered to vote, it means that every person who does vote carries much more voting power to the ballot box.

In order to assist Florida Baptists in the two highest profile races of the primary season, the Witness is publishing this week as a special report offering interviews of the major candidates for governor and U.S. Senate-at least those who consented to an interview. We took this step so that Florida Baptists would have the opportunity to read the candidates' responses to a number of questions they would not be asked by any other news media outlet. Rather than filtering the candidates' answers through a news story, we have published their own words, only cutting extraneous and repetitious responses in order to fit the space we have.

I hope Florida Baptists will take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore the candidates' views expressed in these interviews and by other means of information-and then cast their votes in a manner that is consistent with biblical convictions.

This election, what kind of citizen will you be?

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