Why Vote?

The Billy Graham Association is pushing, not so indiscreetly, for you to vote for Romney. They took out a full page ad in newspapers across the land to encourage Christians to vote for candidates that support the biblical view of marriage.

In this election, there are moral issues on the table. Obama has taken a supportive stance on gay marriage. And, he is fully committed to furthering “women’s health rights”—a not-so-disguised term for providing every teen-age girl birth control and abortion. However, Romney has indicated that restricting current abortion rights is not on his agenda either. All things considered, even if Billy Graham himself was running for president, it is unlikely we can turn the moral tide. I admit, I've struggled with the question: why vote?

Some Christians who promote Dominion Theology use Old Testament passages to compare the U.S. to Israel, believing God will heal our nation if we vote in the right persons. But in ancient Israel, the moral and judicial rules were set by the Mosaic Law—not by congresses or courts, and certainly not by popular vote. Israel was promised national healing only if they repented and returned to God’s Law (2 Chronicles 7:14). That won’t happen in America (repentance is not on either candidate's short list!). So then, why vote?  because... voting is our chance to take a stand on issues we know are God’s will. And in that sense, our vote becomes a prayer: “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”