Now that we know who the Republican presidential candidates will be, Mitt Romney, a Mormon, and Paul Ryan, a Roman Catholic, I’m often posed the question, “Should I, as a Christian, vote for a Mormon and a Catholic?”
First of all, the question presumes neither one is a Christian. Roman Catholic doctrine subscribes to the Apostle’s Creed, the unifying creed for all expressions of Christianity. Whether or not one is, in fact, a Christian comes down to their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If they claim Him to be their personal Lord and Savior, and live to please Him, they are in the family. Many Roman Catholics do have a personal relationship with Christ, and are Christians. Mormonism is another issue.
But let’s look to the word of God as our authority for faith and practice to see how we should decide whether or not to vote for a Mormon and a Catholic. Does the Bible say we must vote for a Christian? If not, how should we vote?
The first evidence we have concerning choosing godly leaders is in the book of Exodus. Moses was trying to rule the nation of Israel all by himself. Jethro, his father-in-law, told him to delegate to others, stipulating these requirements:
“But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.” --Exodus 18:20-21 (NIV)
And later God speaks through King David telling us,
“The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.’“--2 Samuel 23:3 (NKJV)
So, we see here that the fundamental requirement is to rule “in the fear of God.” The New Testament, particularly in Paul’s Epistles, further develops and adds detail to this requirement, but suffice it to say that God’s requirements for civic leaders calls for men (or women) who submit to God and His laws, whether they call themselves Christian or not.
Jesus tells of a father who had two sons. He asked one to go to the field to work. He said he would go but never went. The other son said he wouldn’t go, but then changed his mind and went. Jesus poses the question, “Which one did the father approve of?” (Matthew 12:28) Of course, the father approved of the one whose actions—not words—were worthy.
President Obama claims to be a Christian, but his actions illustrate otherwise. Romney and Ryan have a history of standing up for Biblical standards like the sanctity of life and traditional marriage. Their actions have demonstrated that they are men who are more likely to rule “in the fear of the Lord.”
Therefore, regardless of religious labels—remember, we’re choosing civic leaders, not pastors—we should vote for the man or women who is more likely to rule, “in the fear of the Lord.” In this case, that would be Romney and Ryan.
“…it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God,” –Abraham Lincoln
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2 comments:
Your comment "President Obama claims to be a Christian, but his actions illustrate otherwise" is unfortunate. Believers can be wrong on a multitude of issues and still be believers. I have friends who are lesbians and who love Jesus. I have friends who gamble and love Jesus. I have friends who love Jesus and discriminate against Blacks and Jews. Their love for Jesus is genuine even though their walk is flawed and out of keeping with the teachings and Person of Jesus. Jesus said "for each tree is known by its own fruit." (Luke 6:44) We need to make our decisions on voting based upon the issues, and we should not refer to persons as "Christians" or "non-Christians" because of their stands on issues. A Christian is not defined by how he or she votes on an issue but rather on whether he or she has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and has been given new birth as a result of that faith. Regarding Mormonism, I have serious questions about the rationality and judgment of someone who holds to Mormon tenets, some of which are quite ludicrous. Nevertheless, if those religious ideas do not get in the way of governing what is the problem?
Hi Dan,
I appreciaqte your comments, but I'm not sure why you said my comment about President Obama's actions are not consistent with Christianity. Yes, the fact that his actions are "unchristian" is unfortunate. I'm just reporting the fact. I don't claim to know if he is a Christian or not, but you are right, each tree is known by its fruit. He appears to be a Secular Humanist using religion for his carnal purposes. That's what his fruit indicate,but, I could be wrong.
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