Author and pastor John Piper published a blog on October 22 that has gained lots of attention, responses, and retorts. And the article has fostered a needed conversation among Christians about voting in this election.
In the article, “Policies, Persons, and Paths to Ruin,” posted on the Desiring God website, Piper scathingly denounces Trump for his appalling character, not by name but without nuance, and he implies that voting for Trump cannot be justified just because Trump is prolife. In fact, Piper argues, voting for Trump is ignoring the cancerous effects of a prideful leader on the national character. On the other hand, Piper does not mean Christians should vote for Biden. His seems to think that abortion is not worse than systemic character flaws, but nor is it better.
Criticisms and responses are still tumbling across the internet. Theologian Wayne Grudem, evangelist Franklin Graham, author Eric Metaxas, and former Planned Parenthood worker, Abby Johnson joined a crowded field to offer criticism, some harsh, some tempered. But all disagreeing with Piper’s perspective.
But in the clamor, one thing was left unaddressed. At the close of Piper’s article, as if wanting to be sure everyone understood Piper’s decision, the Editor of the Desiring God site anchored Piper’s argument with this clarification: “After this article was published, John Piper tweeted, ‘The article we posted today explains why I won’t be voting for Biden or Trump.’”
Neither one. And that raises a question. In such a contentious election, should Christians even vote? In 2016 many Christians chose to “throw away” their vote. Should we do that again? In fact, should Christians vote in an election where candidates may not be Christian themselves? Or who do not behave in a Christlike or dignified manner? Should we vote if both candidates have flaws that we disdain, beliefs we disagree with, or character we despise?
No doubt, by the time you read this, most of you will have voted. But if not, or if you are on the fence, I hope I can nudge your decision to cast your vote, even in this contentious election.
Because in the absence of a clear reason not to, such as choices that would lead us to violate our walk with Christ or disobey God’s clear commands, or a change in the American political system that makes voting actually detrimental to the Church, I believe that Christians in America should vote.
Here’s why:
- Voting is an act of citizenship.
By virtue of being born again in Christ, every Christian is a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20). But when Jesus told His followers to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Luke 20:20-26), He connected serving God with serving the country of our earthly citizenship. And the right to vote our conscience is a specific privilege of citizenship in this country of our earthly residence.
In addition, the Bible assumes that Christians will not only be good citizens, but that they would be the best citizens (1 Peter 2:17). Applying Christian values to the community of our residence is not only good for the community, it also benefits Christians who live in that community. As Paul said, Christian works are “good and profitable to everyone” (Titus 3:8, Jer. 29:7).
Refusing, abstaining, or just neglecting to vote, is an overt rejection of this particular privilege of citizenship in America. To put a fine point on it, you are an American citizen, so voting is a chance to exercise Christian citizenship and express Christian values.
- Voting is an act of stewardship.
Stewardship refers to an opportunity, a possession, or a privilege that has been entrusted to you. Christians should be especially concerned that we are judicious stewards of the political processes that have been passed along to us as American citizens. Our freedom to practice our faith depends on it.
Christians often focus on moral issues when voting. True, that matters. Abortion, for instance, is a reprehensible blight on the character of the nation and rightly influences our choices during an election. So we tend to make that the primary concern as we elect candidates.
But if we are not careful, we will overlook the greater stewardship that looms before us. We cannot fight the moral battles of our time, or of the next generation, if we lose the first-order freedoms bequeathed to us by our Founders. Those founding principles are preserved by participating in the electoral process, and few people should be more concerned to preserve them than religious people. We cannot speak out against abortion or other moral evils if we lose religious liberty, freedom of the press, or freedom of speech.
Christians are called to be the conscience of the nation (Matt. 5:13-16). In America the founding principles uniquely provide us the means to do that. If we throw away our vote, we risk losing the very freedoms that make it possible for us to do what God wants us to do. We cannot be free without the founding principles. We cannot battle and eradicate moral evil without them. And we cannot be America without them.
- Voting is an act of faith.
If you are a follower of Christ, you serve Him. You are accountable to Him for your decisions, including whether you vote and how you vote.
Your voting is an exercise of your faith (Col. 3:17). If you neglect to vote out of fear of the future, you are showing a lack of faith (Heb. 11:6). If you refuse to vote because you don’t think you will get what you want, or you assume your vote doesn’t matter, you are ignoring God’s sovereignty over all nations and governments (Rom. 13:10).
You vote knowing that no candidates are perfect, so when you vote you are showing your trust in God for the future. He is sovereign. He alone knows the outcome and the ways today’s election will shape tomorrow’s America. So the person you vote for should be the person you believe God wants in office. Then, in ways we cannot always foresee or understand, God will use our choices, including our votes, to advance His greater purposes.
When it comes down to it, Christians have one obligation—to serve Christ. And we trust Him for the future of our nation.