How should a Christian vote?

In 1Timothy 2:1-2, Paul urges, ‘that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.’ We should be praying for those in authority. Being prayerful means that we should be interested in the political life of our nation.This is a broader application of what it means for us to not only love God with heart, soul, mind and strength, but also to love our neighbour as ourselves.

The Bibles says that, whether democratically elected or not, it is God who ultimately establishes governments (Rom 13:1-7). They have a delegated and temporal authority whose purpose is to serve the common good by administering justice and good order. For the sake of others, we should be concerned that governments carry out their responsibilities faithfully.

A Prime Minister who is a professing Christian is no guarantee of good government. Romans 13 reminds us that even secular leaders are God’s servants. What we should be focusing on is the integrity of our leaders and on the policies they adopt.

How then should Christians vote?

1) Vote for the sake of others (Phil 2:3-4). This is contrary to our current political climate where politicians seek to appeal to particular interest groups, whether it be the family, the unions, business, the aged, or students. I must set aside my private interests and seek to serve the wider community.

2) Vote for the moral health of our community. Although our goal is not to impose the Christian lifestyle on the community, we believe that life as God designed it is a recipe for the general health of our society. This will include promoting values of justice, harmony, sexual responsibility, honesty, family and mercy.

3) Vote for the poor and weak in society. For Christians, “the bottom line is not the bottom line”. Proverbs 14:31 says,  “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”The requirement of God’s people to care for the poor and the needy is quite overwhelming in the Scriptures.

4) Vote for the freedom to preach the gospel. Christians believe in a tolerant society where there is freedom of religion. We want others to be able to hear the gospel and turn to God (1Tim 2:3-7). We would be concerned if these freedoms are curtailed in one way or another.

Voting for the sake of others means that we will prayerfully take time to read und be informed of values and policies of the respective parties. This includes being informed of the policies of those who will potentially hold the balance of power, such as the Greens. For a more detailed view of respective party policies in this election see http://australiavotes.org/.

(Some of this material is based on a great article by John Dickson, published in the Sydney Morning Herald. For more biblical and practical insights on ‘Christians, Democracy and Politics‘, listen to Phillip Jensen on the Chat Room. Phillip in particular explains how the Australian political system works and how we can be involved.)