Vote Your Conscience

Whatever you thought of Ted Cruz’s speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, his exhortation to “vote your conscience” is one that the Christian voter should wholeheartedly follow. After all, the idea of freedom of conscience is a thoroughly Biblical one. If you’re in doubt, spend some time in the apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans (chapter 14 to be exact). Or perhaps consider Martin Luther, who, with a little more weighing on his mind than who to vote for, said that “to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” With that in mind, and the presidential election just two months away, Christians all over the country should be prayerfully preparing to enter the voting booth so that they can come out of it with their conscience intact. Of course, the looming question for many such believers is how in the world do they do that?

Two caveats are in order before I attempt to answer that question. First, this post is primarily directed to those of you who are considering a vote for Donald Trump or some candidate other than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. I know some of you might believe Hillary Clinton is the best option in this race; if you do, I’d challenge you to examine Secretary Clinton’s agenda and track record in light of both Christian morality and constitutional political policy, and then let me know how you think her presidency would promote either.  Second, this is the first time in my voting history that I will be casting my ballot for the Republican nominee (I voted third party in the last two presidential elections, so I know what it’s like to buck both big parties; for those of you considering it this time around, I feel your pain).

So, how do we do it? How do we vote our conscience in a presidential election that has left us with what many believe to be more dismal than the “lesser of two evils?” I’ll give you four maxims that might help you get there.

Remember that God is in charge. It can be cliché, but for the Christian, that truth changes everything. God’s sovereignty means that nothing is outside of His masterplan, and that we can fully trust His choice (and yes, I said choice) of who rules and who does not. We can confidently concur with the conclusion of one of the world’s most powerful kings, Nebuchadnezzar, that “the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.” (Daniel 5:21)

Put the act of voting in the context of your larger responsibility as a Christian citizen. As Christians, our goal isn’t to take over the government in order to establish a literal “Christian nation” that perfectly implements righteous policy. That won’t happen until the return of King Jesus. Instead, our main priority is to be salt ( preserving life) and light (providing clarity) in our culture (Mathew 5:13-14), to be a blessing to our community and country (Jeremiah 29:7), and to seek to live peaceably according to the dictates of our conscience towards God (I Thess. 4:10-12). In considering the act of voting, those are the things that matter the most.  Look to the lives of Daniel, Esther, and Nehemiah as models for how to effectively impact political figures while never compromising your conscience. And check out this election series by a pastor who's worked with government officials for over 3 decades. 

Articulate your choice with respect for other voters’ consciences. The apostle Peter exhorts believers to be ready to explain to others (anyone, in fact) why we do the things we do as Christians. But he conditions that we do so with “gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15, ESV). I’ve heard a lot of “Never Trump” folks proclaim their stance with all the snobbishness of a condescending cat. They assume that those Christians supporting Trump are doing so thoughtlessly or as compromised wimps, not from thoughtful or morally-supportable positions. On the other side, pro-Trump Christians have marginalized those who aren’t supporting Trump as being pro-Hillary (i.e. political traitors), instead of respecting their genuine (and honorable) attempt not to violate their conscience. Wherever you may stand, just make sure that it really is principle, not pride, that is determining your conclusion. 

No matter who you decide to vote (or not vote for) in the presidential election, don’t stay home on election day. I’ll let Jayme Metzger from The Federalist dismantle any possible notion of "not voting" in this piece, still the best political commentary I've read on this election to date.