In recent weeks, I’ve had this question asked of me and I’ve been asking it of others, so I thought I’d kick it your way for consideration via this post.
There are two major terms that need to be defined right out of the gate, so I’ll get straight to it.
By “Christian”, I mean only a Holy Spirit-filled, Christ-owned, biblically submissive believer. I do not mean just anyone who claims the title or sprinkles a little “Jesus lingo” around the edges of their life and calls it good.
Submission to Jesus as saviour and Lord over all of life is essential. Submission to His perfect Word as authoritative in all things is essential. While every Christian struggles – often mightily – with such submission in practice, all true believers have at least the desire to submit. Without this submission, there is no Christian life, at least as I understand it.
The second term to clarify is “vote Democrat”. In this I mean to address active and general support for the contemporary Democrat party in America on a national level. I am not talking about voting for cousin Joe who is running for county sheriff as a Democrat. A fine example of what I am talking about would be support of the candidacy and/or administration of Barack Hussein Obama.
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, described the Christian life as follows:
“The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over your whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked – the whole outfit. I will give you a new one instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”
With these sentiments in mind, a better way of expressing the same question might be:
Should a Slave to Christ Vote Democrat?
That puts a whole ‘nother spin on things, doesn’t it?
It shouldn’t, but it does.
Every Christian is, in reality, a slave to and of Christ. Now, with this in mind, let’s consider a few basics with regard to the contemporary American Democrat party:
1) The Democrat party is, in any honest assessment, broadly committed to legalized infanticide.
2) The Democrat party is broadly committed to the legitimization of homosexuality.
3) The Democrat party is broadly committed to the redefinition of the God-ordained institution of marriage.
By “broadly committed”, I mean that it is certainly clear to any honest, sober-minded observer that the party is generally supportive of overtly antichristian positions on each of these fundamental, cornerstone issues, as expressed above. Furthermore, it is reasonable to present the contemporary Democrat party as the single greatest political force in favor of these antichristian positions in the Unites States of America.
Put another way, without the broad support of the Democrat party in America, these antichristian causes would have had little chance of achieving even a fraction of the success that they have experienced over the past few decades.
So, with these things all in mind, can a Christian vote Democrat?
Before moving on and looking forward to your thoughts, please allow me to make one closing point:
This is in no way an argument for any particular alternative to voting Democrat.
I am simply asking if, and how, a biblically submissive Christian can possibly support the Democrat party while maintaining fidelity to the Jesus they claim as Lord of all.
For those of you who believe that a Christian can indeed support a political organization that is broadly committed to legalized infanticide, the legitimization of homosexuality and the redefinition of family and marriage, please, if you would be so kind, present the biblical case for such a position.
That is, after all, what should define the Christian life in action…in every way…
Copyright 2009-2014 Scott Alan Buss
Wonderfully said! Wonderfully put, and finally someone not afraid to speak the truth. In this day and age, we seem to be afraid to speak up agains sin such as abortion and homosexuality. Sadly, we see more and more people thinking it's okay, these are the very people that call themselves Christians, yet have do not open their Bibles everyday. I was one of them. I see things so differently now that God has opened my eyes. I can't vote democrat and feel like it supports the Lord's word! Thank you for sharing the truth. God Bless you! I
To say that A christian cannot be a democrat is to put God in a box and to assume that God is in the Republican Party. Also many fine christian leader are democrats…Billy Graham and Rick Warren to name a few
We need to pray and seek God's wisdom rather then Political affiliation. True manay of the views of the Democrats are not biblical but then so are many of the views of the republican. Both are political systems created by man, be need to vote whatever way God put on our hearts
The Democrat Party goal is to rid society of God. Once that is done, they will be the ones to be worshipped. Christ did not sit by and let bad people do bad things. He ventured out to teach and to be an example beyond His comfort zone. We cannot sit still and expect evil to exist.
James 3:16, For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
One could call one's self a Democrat, one could call oneself an Independent, one could even call one's self a grape if one wanted to. The point isn't what one calls one's self, it is who one would vote for.
If one is willing to vote for a politician who is an admitted supporter of baby murder (abortion) because that politician also supports a cause one believes in (say, 2nd Amendment rights), one is still in fact voting to continue the murder of babies, and all the justifications in the world won't change that fact.
OTOH, if one votes for a Republican simply because that person runs as a Republican, but that Republican also support baby murder, then no matter what else he supports or opposes he still supports the murder of babies. And there are plenty of Republicans who unashamedly support such murder.
IOW, as a general rule Democrats advocate for many issues antithetical to a Christian worldview, but not in all cases. So do many Republicans. A Christian must see what any particular politician advocates, then vote accordingly.
And much more often than not, that's against the Democrat.
One may avoid — willfully evade, even — naming any party and yet make absolutely clear that regardless of whatever appears to be "in a man's heart," he cannot cast his vote for those who murder the unborn, who enslave and/or who otherwise violate the Temple — and/or who put Caesar's interests ahead of Almighty God's — and still be counted among the Christians.
Unless, that is, one reckons it's OK to be only a 20% Christian? Or, say, on a "better" day, 75% a Christian?
Blessings – Brian
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" — Mathew 7 15&16
If Christian's can't vote for a Democrat, then would you be willing to say that a Democrat can't be a Christian? If so, then you have bigger issues. I would never say that a person affiliated with the Democrats is not a 'real' Christian, because only God know their hearts.
This is all crazy talk, dude.
People vote for all kinds of crazy reasons. And to affiliate one party with Christianity and not the other is simply wrong. I will agree that many of the social issues the Dems fight for are immoral and against the Bible, however, to imply that a person can't vote for the Dem party and be an honest Christian makes Christianity more like a Worldly social club then about the living Christ.
Free will and all that. Excellent response, Mr. Allen. I tip my hat to you.
The simplest answer to your question?
Yes he can.
But he may not. But he must not.
Be warned, though, that should any version be effected into "law" of the 0zero Gang's effectively totalitarian attempt to force government control of around the 20% of the American economy that we currently — and by our free choice — direct into the "health-care" industry; totalitarianism will have won and our choice will forever be reduced to voting "Democrat." Or "democrat" by any other name.
Ah, the perfect distinction: Can vs May
Christians can do many things that non-Christians do…but they may not, according to their sovereign King.
Excellent post!
I am with you, I can't believe you can be a Christian
and a left-wing democrat. I know the Rep. are not
perfect and do alot of bad things, But the abortion
issue, gun control, tarp reform, czars, acorn and
health reform all seems to be guided by the dem.
Our freedoms are all being taken away, one step
at a time and there are many, many, steps that
have been laid down. And I am afraid not for the good.
Have your dog got a lawyer, yet.
I would find it impossible to vote Democratic with their platform supporting abortion, removing God from virtually anything to do with the government, to their agenda to legalize marriage between those of the same sex, etc.
Christ said the road would be difficult. Refer to Matthew Chapter 7.
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
It is a narrow road and it truly widens when one decides to ignore God's laws concerning sexual immorality and killing of unborn children.
The states and federal government can lose its moral direction, attempt to remove God from everything American – but is simply does not preempt God's laws.
Unfortunately, many will discover this when standing before Christ.
You look at their positions. I knw Democrats that are pro-life, and Republicans that are pro-abortion. Rustin pretty much has it right. Also, change doesn't happen in a vacuum, it has to have a strating place. So, if given the choice between a pro-life, anti-gay marriage Democrat vs the opposite Republican, I'd vote for the Democrat. If they're both againt my beliefs, I find a third party candidate who fits the bill.
It seems I've answered a similar question in a similar way before.
One should always refer to scripture and I find that all the answers to all of life's questions are found within…and wouldn't you know it, there's the answer to this one too, in Luke chapter 6 (when taken in context and with an understanding of what Jesus taught.)
Jesus said,
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luke 6:26
But, the argument may go, "I am not a single-issue voter," or "I don't agree with everything, but etc." The issues you mention, the murder of millions of infants and promotion of homosexuality and the homosexual agenda, however, are directly opposed to Holy Scripture and the things which Jesus said. For the Christian there is no option of simply "going along."
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
While it cannot be said that no Christian voted Democrat, it may be said that no Christian while acting on their beliefs could support the policies you describe or any party who promotes them. And while nobody is perfect, except Jesus Christ, Christians, by definition do live by their beliefs.
Matthew 7:20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
I am not promoting any party but I am saying that a Christian has a duty to carefully examine and compare to scripture the issues promoted by the party they choose to support.
I'm just enough of an old-time believer that I have a hard time understanding how a "Christian" as you describe it can "vote for the lesser of two evils", as in McCain over Obama, or even GW over either Kerry or Gore?
I also have a hard time understanding how one can vote for a thief, in this case a thief being one who steals money earned righteously by a worker and distributed to anyone no matter what or how bad the need? Isn't that what "Christian" charity is supposed to be, and what it is/was designed to alleviate?
I'm not anti-tax; the government has to have money with which to do the things proscribed by the Constitution. But I also firmly believe a good portion of confusion about the function of government in our country today is a direct result of the "Church" abdicating its God-given directive to take care of the widows and orphans, to take care of those less fortunate.
That's not a shame. It's a sin. And the Church will pay for it, eventually.
Maybe this post of yours at Free Republic can help us all understand where you're coming from?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2334…
I didn't realize that my post was so confusing. I'll try to type slower next time.
Hang in there! 🙂