Is it Possible to “Vote Christian”?

(Part 6 of America as a Christian Nation)

I live in Spokane, WA. Located on the east side of the state, our city is far more conservative than Seattle. It is also surprisingly secular.

Over the past few elections I have noticed signs all over the city that state, “We Believe, We Vote.” I know a few of the people who serve as leaders of the organization. Their goal is to provide Christian guidelines for voting, measuring candidates according to a standard that in their minds reflects Christian principles.

There is nothing wrong with this effort. We should know where candidates stand on any number of issues—gun control, abortion, the economy, immigration, race, education, health care, poverty—and do our best to evaluate them from a Christian perspective. “We Believe, We Vote” is trying to educate the electorate.

But I have observed something else at the same time. In roughly half the cases these signs stand alone, like solitary sentinels. But in the other half they have a Trump/Pence sign standing next to them. I have yet to see “We Believe, We Vote” signs that have Biden/Harris signs standing next to them. The overwhelming impression is that to vote “Christian” means to vote Republican and, in this volatile season, to vote for President Trump.

Is it possible to vote “Christian”? If so, is it more likely that Christians will—and should—vote one party over another, and do so consistently over a long period of time? How do we even decide?

I am not going to endorse a candidate and party here. Contrary to what some of my friends believe, I don’t think it’s possible to unequivocally and unambiguously support one party over another or one candidate over another. At least from a Christian perspective. There might be good reasons how and why we as Christians vote in any given election. But never to the point of assuming or arguing that one candidate and party is clearly the “Christian” one.

Is it possible to vote “Christian”? No, it is not.

Should we “as Christians” vote? Yes, absolutely.

We can’t vote “Christian” because no party or candidate is worthy of it. All parties and all candidates are by nature flawed. They might advocate some policies that seem Christian. And perhaps are, at least to some degree. At the same time, they might advocate other policies that seem un-Christian. And probably are, at least to some degree. All parties and candidates are fallen. They might on occasion set a course that seems good, true, and just. But they will inevitably fall short and sometimes veer off course.

Which is why we as Christians must exercise caution. Yes, vote. But never with the kind of conviction that assumes one party and candidate are clearly “God’s” party and “God’s” candidate.

Such thinking is bound to lead to confusion and fanaticism. Both party and candidate will try to make their causes and policies the “Christian” ones, forcing us as Christian voters to make an “all or nothing” choice, thereby compromising our allegiance to the ultimate reality of God’s kingdom. Am I pro-life? Yes, I am, which would cause me to lean Republican. But I want to extend that pro-life conviction from pregnancy all the way to grave, which would cause me to lean Democrat. No party seems to have it all right.

I cannot in good conscience utterly condemn either candidate in this or any election, though I have opinions—and good reasons for my opinions, too! Even then I would never assume one particular party is God’s party and one particular candidate is God’s candidate.

President Trump has disappointed me, profoundly so. All presidents have and will, including Vice President Biden, should he be elected. I cannot and will not put ultimate trust in any president and party.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in mortals.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:8-9)

Here is the grave error Christians commit in American politics. They confuse nation, party, and candidate with the kingdom of God. It is the sin of idolatry. There are consequences to this sin, too. It damages both church and nation. It exaggerates the importance of party, undermines the integrity of Christian belief, and erodes the influence of the church. It promotes a mere human being to a place of unrivaled power, and it demotes Jesus Christ to something less than the Lord he is.

Such idolatry is painfully apparent in our current circumstances. More and more churches are becoming red churches or blue churches, as if party affiliation matters more than Christian identity. Disagreement is one thing; division is quite another. The electorate is divided in America at least in part because the church has failed to lift up Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of truth, unity, justice, and hope in the world. Trump and Biden will come and go, as all leaders do. So will parties, platforms, and policies. For that matter, so will nations and empires, including America.

We must vote. But we should be chaste about what we expect from it.

God calls us to confess Jesus as Lord and to follow his way. We can’t vote “Christian,” but we can live Christian. Then, and only then, will we vote wisely as Christians.