Be An Informed Voter
We are not a partisan publication. Our mission is to keep you informed about everything related to the BMA on every level, as well as important information for Christians seeking to live their lives for the Lord. As Christians, we should do our part to elect government representatives from the local level to the highest levels of government who best represent our Christian values.
The Billy Graham organization addressed the issue of choosing not to vote with this answer:
“What would happen to our nation if everyone decided not to vote? You know the answer — before long, we’d lose our freedoms and be ruled by a power-hungry dictatorship. No system of government is perfect, including ours — but all it will take to make it collapse is an indifferent citizenry.
“But I also urge you to vote for another reason — I believe it is a God-given responsibility. When Jesus walked this earth, the whole civilized world was under the authority of one individual — the Roman emperor (Caesar). He wasn’t elected by popular vote, nor did ordinary people have an opportunity to express their views through the ballot box. And the Roman government wasn’t perfect; in fact, it promoted paganism and could be brutal.
“And yet Jesus taught that people still had a responsibility to encourage and support their government in every way they possibly could. He said, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’ (Matt. 22:21 NIV). The same principle is true for us today — we should do everything we can to encourage and support good government, including voting. Understand the issues, know where the candidates stand on them, ask God to guide you — then vote!
“Beyond that, however, pray for our nation and its leaders — not just the President, but all who’ve been entrusted with public office. It’s the most important thing you can do. The Bible commands us to pray for ‘all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’” (I Tim. 2:2).
With that in mind, I want to direct you some resources that can help you be an informed voter about the upcoming election:
• Family Research Council (FRC), founded in 1983, is a nonprofit research and educational organization with a mission “to serve in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.” FRC has a 501(c)(4) nonprofit legislative affiliate, FRC Action, founded in 1992 and based in Washington, D.C., that seeks “to educate and influence elected officials, activate grassroots network and mobilize Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservatives (SAGE Cons) on behalf of faith, family and freedom.”
If you visit FRCaction.org, you can find many resources regarding the upcoming elections, including a comparison of the major party platforms (frcaction.org/platforms), voter guides, voter registration information, publications on important issues and action steps you can take to get involved.
• The Colson Center (colsoncenter.org/whyvote) offers a video resource called “Why Vote?” about why Christians must show “courageous faith” in an election year by exercising their right to vote. You will have to share your email to access the free resources, which includes three videos: “Does my vote matter?”, “What does the Bible say about voting?” and “What if I don’t like my candidate?”
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Jeff Herring
Baptist Trumpet Executive Editor Jeff Herring writes a regular column titled, Journey with Jeff, that talks about the ministry of the Baptist Trumpet. He also compiles a column titled, Trumpet Notes, which includes articles about various topics relevant to today’s Christian
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