Is not Voting a sin even if there are not Good Candidates?

[RDKirk]

Doesn't the bible say something about not involving yourself in worldly pursuits?

When the ultimate destination is heaven, I don't understand why any Christian would bother with the politics of this fallen world. A bit like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, it seems.

Well, a good reason for rearranging the deck chairs of the Titanic would be to get them out of the way of the people heading for the lifeboats. That was the reason the Founding Fathers separated Church and State, getting each out of the way of the other.

Scripture says:

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Having been in the military stationed overseas, this verse is crystal clear to me. Even though we obeyed their laws, honored their officials, and even paid their taxes, if levied on us (just like Romans 13 says!), we never voted in their elections.

The scriptural argument against Christian voting is stronger than the argument supporting it. And if there were a Christian argument that required voting, it would apply to North Koreans as much as Americans.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Every century after the first,
the true believers , ekklesia, born again ones, called by God and set apart by Him,
were persecuted more and more
and driven into hiding.

Like Israel sinned when seeking to be like other nations and have a king, and God permitted it and said THEY REJECTED HIM,
so also the carnal church and
the gentile nations that deceive people in a multitude of ways
(including the deception of voting making a difference as if to trust in voting system)
rejected HIM and still do.

 

[willowsbible]

I read an tweet about a young man in southern california that said this:

"I just turned 18, and can legally vote for the first time....and all I get is Hillary or Trump."

Is not Voting a sin even if there are not Good Candidates?

This question comes up often,

I take the stance of Billy Graham's son Franklin Graham who says

"vote for the least heathen"

Recognizing no one is perfect does not get us out of our civic duty to God and Country both- to vote.

Now about sin.

There are sins of commission, or doing the wrong thing.

and sins of omission, which is NOT doing the right thing.

Both in the Bible.

sins of omission are found in the book of James:

James 4:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.​

Is voting a good thing?

Yes.

So then not doing it, is a sin of omission.

So we need to repent as a country of this sin.

Now a little thing that disturbs me.

Christians can be odd ducks.

1. they will prep for the worse.
2. they will bunker down for armageddon.
3. they will arm themselves to the teeth, against tyranny.

but when given a legal and proper way to battle the enemy (voting), they say....oh no, ...that's for the state, not the church!...the secular, not the sacred!

What does this tell the world about Christians?

Not very intelligent, the group is.

And I know, I ARE ONE.

Again, we need to repent and Follow God.

How was it in the beginning?

^?^ Question. Am I allowed to post links as yet? If not the scriptures I post end up linking without my doing that. If it is against the rules as I am new here please forgive me. It is not my doing.

Deuteronomy 1:13 Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

Ecclesiastes 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.

That last scripture isn't to be understood as right wing or left wing politics by the way. It does say that we are to follow the guidance of God who speaks from the heart of the believer.

If there is no worthy candidate that meets the standards God would set for them to be in headship over this nation of Christians, I think it a sin to vote for those who are less. Because that would be foolish and irresponsible.

The left is trying to slowly outlaw the Christian's faith and practice in America. Donald Trump runs for the right wing role in office but he was a leftist first and only switched to pursue the highest office. This is why he was so very inarticulate as to what the right wing philosophy was. And why he stepped in it when he tried to make amends in a course correction to the right.

He's there to insure Hillary gets the office. And Hillary is wrong for the job entirely.

I shall not vote this November with the current choices available. That in my opinion would be the sin.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

I am amazed how American politics is so bound up with religion, it just goes to show that if people allow themselves to believe irrational things they end up making irrational decisions about a lot of other things in their lives.

If any European politician said they looked to an imaginary friend for guidance they would be gone the next day. [and rightly so]

And yet it's the USA with the largest economy in the world, one of the highest productivities, most innovation and among the highest in charitable giving. Leading in fields from engineering to the sciences to finance etc.

Not saying that it's because of religion being mixed into politics, but doesnt seem to have had a negative effect now does it? Can't be all that irrational eh.

 

[smaneck]

Recognizing no one is perfect does not get us out of our civic duty to God and Country both- to vote.

Now about sin.

There are sins of commission, or doing the wrong thing.

and sins of omission, which is NOT doing the right thing.

And where exactly does the Bible tell you to vote?

 

[smaneck]

Trump is the most nationalistic candidate that we've had since Reagan. It's about time, given the globalist Bushes, Clinton, and Obama have about destroyed us as a nation.

Is there anything Christian about nationalism? Dietrich Bonhoeffer didn't think so.

 

[createdtoworship]

By raising up people's estimation of themselves beyond what God's Word says,
it is possible the enemy of Christ has created a lot of false, vain, and sinful pride and trust in a system that is ungodly.
Since
as Jesus said, the truth is called a lie, and the lie is called 'truth',
so likewise doing what is right is called a sin today,
and sinning is rather approved and popular,
thus topsy turvy sinful world we live in,
with thoroughly evil society,
as in Noah's day.

the government is corrupt because we allow our lack of votes to corrupt it.

simply put.

so don't call something unclean, that is not unclean in itself.

 

[createdtoworship]

And where exactly does the Bible tell you to vote?

the same place it tells you that "all authority is of God"

to "be light"

to "witness"

to be "examples"

to be in general a positive influence in the world.

 

[createdtoworship]

Didn't / doesn't anyone watch national news this year ?

As I learned decades ago, proven several times in the last 4 'elections', and many before that,
and as it
was widely admitted on all the news stations, by politicians and/or analysts (political reporters)

that the votes don't count - it doesn't matter IF you vote , NOR WHO you vote for. The winner is picked by other means. (sometimes years ahead of time probably ! ) .

Since the whole system is corrupt, whose kingdom is someone showing loyalty for if they trust the system instead of trusting God to do what God says He will do ?

Trust God. No reason to trust men and draw His curse.
Trust God, and receive His Promised Blessings.

it's pretty straight forward.

you have general votes and electoral votes.

if the public in general agrees a certain candidate wins, then it goes to the next phase the electoral college.

for simplicity sake, the more politicians that get elected in general in your particular vantage point, (say constitutionalism)

then the more electoral votes you will have.

so you can have joe smo get elected, because He would fail in the electoral arena.

McCain had the majority vote, but obama won because of electoral votes.

I heard it was the same with Bush Jr.

So the best bet is to always vote, so that the government is more saturated with your particular interest, so that when your candidate gets to the electoral area, that there are other politicians that will back it up.

 

[createdtoworship]

How was it in the beginning?

^?^ Question. Am I allowed to post links as yet? If not the scriptures I post end up linking without my doing that. If it is against the rules as I am new here please forgive me. It is not my doing.

Deuteronomy 1:13 Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’

Ecclesiastes 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.

That last scripture isn't to be understood as right wing or left wing politics by the way. It does say that we are to follow the guidance of God who speaks from the heart of the believer.

If there is no worthy candidate that meets the standards God would set for them to be in headship over this nation of Christians, I think it a sin to vote for those who are less. Because that would be foolish and irresponsible.

The left is trying to slowly outlaw the Christian's faith and practice in America. Donald Trump runs for the right wing role in office but he was a leftist first and only switched to pursue the highest office. This is why he was so very inarticulate as to what the right wing philosophy was. And why he stepped in it when he tried to make amends in a course correction to the right.

He's there to insure Hillary gets the office. And Hillary is wrong for the job entirely.

I shall not vote this November with the current choices available. That in my opinion would be the sin.

I agree,

it's a law, here, and a law there....

that is slowly stripping the Christian of His freedom of Religion.

Just as you need to hire watch guards to protect society and police officers to catch criminals, you need to vote in your choice of candidates every year that elections happen.

If cruz is right, 50% of Christians do not vote.

 

[createdtoworship]

Well, a good reason for rearranging the deck chairs of the Titanic would be to get them out of the way of the people heading for the lifeboats. That was the reason the Founding Fathers separated Church and State, getting each out of the way of the other.

Scripture says:

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Having been in the military stationed overseas, this verse is crystal clear to me. Even though we obeyed their laws, honored their officials, and even paid their taxes, if levied on us (just like Romans 13 says!), we never voted in their elections.

The scriptural argument against Christian voting is stronger than the argument supporting it. And if there were a Christian argument that required voting, it would apply to North Koreans as much as Americans.

Uhm....
isn't not voting like hiding your light under a basket?

" Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."
Matthew 5:15

 

[createdtoworship]

I'm with the OP. This is also my first presidential election. I feel like no matter who I vote for, it would be so awkward to explain to future generations. If Trump won and turned out to be horrible, I'd feel guilty about helping him become president. And I simply can't vote for Hilary. Gary Johnson seems so...meh.

hillary is what scares me.

like it was said.

vote for the least heathen.

trump aint' great and aint even good.

but He's better.

and that is really all that matters.

if we split the vote.

or vote for another party and hillary wins (the most heathenist of the lot that may be a threat to the election)

then we let her win, by in essence taking away the vote from trump who should have won.

you see?

so while I don't like the lineup this year,

we cannot afford another democrat.

anyone in there, is better than her.

 

[createdtoworship]

From what I've seen all my life, and here, people vote because of some social admiration attached to the supposed moral superiority that society falsely attaches to voting.

is this the same feeling you get when you help an old lady across the road, or help a stranger change their tire, or give money to a homeless shelter?

I venture to say yes, when we do something Good, there is a superior way of thinking that arises, as that is what we were created for.

you can use this as an occasion to have pride, or give your arrogance to God.

God is the author of all that is good.

Jesus was our example in this world, He resisted sinning- unto death.

and so we have our battle with it as well.

 

[RDKirk]

Uhm....
isn't not voting like hiding your light under a basket?

" Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."
Matthew 5:15

You missed the next verse, which is more detailed:

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

That's absolutely not about voting--which is done in secret--that's about this:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -- James 1

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.--Matthew 25

Conduct yourselves honorably among the unbelievers, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation. -- 1 Peter 2

Jesus didn't vote. None of the apostles voted. More significantly, none of them even sought out government influence. It was not their mission to fix worldly governments. Whatever influence they had with governments, it was by their works. In the third century of Rome, despite the fact that Christians were persecuted by the empire, it was still said, "If you are ill, go to the Christians...they will nurse anyone."

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I venture to say yes, when we do something Good

There's the difference in doing what God says is good.
Not what mankind says.
What mankind exalts and lifts up and praises and does and promotes and pats one another on the back for,
God tosses in the trash.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Uhm....
isn't not voting like hiding your light under a basket?

That's what the (evil) world/ mankind says.

Since that's the case, from God's viewpoint, voting is participating in darkness, supporting darkness.
No light there.

 

[super animator]

but if taking away votes will cause a greater heathen to take office, then your vote is worthless.

Welcome to democracy. Where the people who you vote for may not win.
Seriously though, vote apathy is a severe problem. It's not going to get any better when you keep making excuses.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

The news media nationwide a week or 2 ago, and all the politic advisors, ADMITTED the votes don't count -
they went
step by step through the process for everyone, and showed WHO PICKS THE WINNER. (sometimes ahead of time).

This has been known for a century. Nothing new. Nothing changed.

 

[RDKirk]

Welcome to democracy. Where the people who you vote for may not win.
Seriously though, vote apathy is a severe problem. It's not going to get any better when you keep making excuses.

The specific issue of this topic is: Is not Voting a sin?

Someone has to point out why failing to vote is a sin...and it would have to be equally applicable to any Christian anywhere, whether in America or in North Korea (yeah, good Party members in North Korea do vote).

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Someone has to point out why failing to vote is a sin...and it would have to be equally applicable to any Christian anywhere, whether in America or in North Korea (yeah, good Party members in North Korea do vote).

For Biblical Perspective (that no one in america (only a remnant) seems to seek) >>
Did Israel in the OT EVER pick or choose or demand anything BY VOICE COUNT ? (i.e. not necessarily by counting yea's and ney's , but by SHOUTING/ or 'national' request or majority opinion )