To vote or not to vote

The election is two weeks from today. I plan to vote. Apparently some of my fellow believers do not.

I don't look at voting in this election as choosing the "lesser of two evils." Both major presidential candidates are flawed, as are the candidates for every other office on the ballot. The presidential contenders seem more deeply flawed in their different ways than the major candidates for the White House often are. Neither would be near the top of my list for the presidency. Yet, I think my identity as a Christian calls for me to vote in this election.

Here are some thoughts I have about voting, this year especially:

(1) Voting in a republic is a God-given opportunity that enables me to have an impact on the world. My vote does count, and I should treat this privilege as a stewardship from God that is not to be declined if possible.

(2) The kingdom of this world is not the kingdom of God. I am not voting to install an elder in a church or accept someone as a member in a church. I will vote for someone to govern out of an extremely limited number of options among the American people. My choices are between sinners, and I will vote as a sinner -- although also a saint -- who is dependent upon God for guidance. I can vote for someone whom I disagree with on various issues, even theological ones, without compromising my faith. A vote for a person is not an endorsement of all he believes but an acknowledgement I think he is the best option of the ones I have been given.

(3) Some issues are defining ones that by themselves should determine how a Christian votes. Slavery was one of those issues. Abortion is one, and it has been since the 1970s. The definition of marriage has become another of those issues in recent years. It appears religious freedom may have become one as well. Having said what I did in point No. 2, that does not mean I would always believe it necessary to vote for one of the two major candidates in an election. In some years, it may be neither meets what I believe are the minimum standards on these defining issues. Once in the past, I voted for a third-party candidate for that reason.

So yes, I look forward to voting Nov. 6, and I will pray as all Americans, especially Christians and most particularly the people of Covenant Community Church, go to the polls.

I think John Piper expresses in this Oct. 16 post at the Desiring God blog a wise approach to voting this year:

Having read several articles by people who don’t plan to vote in the presidential election, my conclusion is: I’m going to vote.

It seems to me that the good that can be done, presumably by the protest of not voting, is mainly done by talking about not voting rather than by not voting. Then it also seems that this same good would be accomplished if those who thought they would not vote did all that talking, but then voted.

This wouldn’t be duplicitous if the main point of the talk is not mainly, “I am not going to vote,” but is mainly that the system or the parties or the platforms or the candidates or the views are so flawed. So why not let the blogs roll down like rivers against the defects of it all, and then take a few minutes to vote anyway? Do the right talking and the risky walking.

Here's my reasoning. Barring catastrophe, Obama or Romney will be president (yes, I know you may see it as a catastrophe even if either does get elected). The likelihood that both presidencies will be identical in the good and evil they do is infinitesimal. One will very probably do more good amid the bad, even if only a little.

We can be part of that guess, or sit it out. God promises wisdom to those who seek it. So the likelihood that prayed-up, Bible-shaped Christians will tip the scales toward the incrementally worse regime is small. Therefore, the likelihood that we will waste our time voting seems small.

Not a very inspiring rationale. I just find it compelling in a fallen world that is not my home.

So my suggestion to all who wonder if they should vote is: Tell as many people as you can the good reasons why you are disaffected with the whole thing; then go to the polls and take a burden-bearing, pro-active risk rather than staying home and taking a burden-dropping, reactive risk.