Voter Values #1

For the next four weeks I am going to provide thoughts and clips, from mine and others knowledge, concerning a churches involvement in politics; especially as it relates to elections and voting. I will use multiple resources including the Family Research Council, Wisconsin Family Council and much more. Two good websites to find information and voter guides are: www.FRC.org and wifamilycouncil.org. Stay tuned in, more to come as we approach November 6th. Make sure you know where you vote. Today’s thought is an excerpt from an article I shared with you 2 years ago written by Wayne Grudem. He is the Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Without Christian Influence, Governments Will Have No Clear Moral Compass”

Try to imagine what a nation and its government would be like if all Christian influence on government were suddenly removed. Within a few years no one would have any moral absolutes beyond their individual moral sentiments and moral intuitions, which can be so unreliable.

In addition, most people would have no moral authority beyond that of individual human opinion. Therefore, how could a nation find any moral guidance? Consider the many political issues facing the United States (and other nations) that have significant moral components to them. For example: war, same-sex marriage, abortion, pornography, poverty, care for the environment, capital punishment, and public education. There are many other issues as well.

The United States has a tremendous need for moral guidance, and I am convinced that Christians should study and discuss and then speak publicly about them. If pastors and church members say, “I’ll let somebody else speak about that,” where will the nation’s moral standards come from? Where will people learn about ethics? Perhaps from Hollywood movies? From friends at work or at the local bar? From professional counselors? From elementary school teachers? But where do these people learn about right and wrong? The simple fact is that if Christians do not speak publicly about what the Bible teaches regarding issues of right and wrong, there aren’t many other good sources for finding any transcendent source of ethics, any source outside of ourselves and our own subjective feelings and consciences.

As Christians, we need to remember that the entire world is locked in a tremendous spiritual battle. There are demonic forces, forces of Satan, that seek to oppose God’s purposes and bring evil and destruction to every human being that God created in His own image, and also bring destruction to every human society and every nation. If pastors and church members say, “I’m going to be silent about the moral and ethical issues that we face as a nation,” that will leave a moral vacuum, and it will not be long until the ultimate adversaries of the Gospel—Satan and his demons— will rush in and influence every decision in a way contrary to biblical standards.