When is it a sin to vote for a political candidate?

In the November issue of Christianity Today, someone wrote in with a response to an article from the previous issue “When is it a sin to vote for a political candidate?”:

"I believe it can be a sin to vote for certain candidates, but many Christians believe it's a sin to abstain from voting. This seems to be a cultural rather than a spiritual mandate. If there are two bad candidates, many tell me “I voted for the lesser of two evils.” If we strip that sentence to its core, it says, “I voted for evil.” "

- Elaine Creasman, Largo, Fl.

The first thing that struck me was the logical fallacy at the end. “If we strip that sentence to its core…” It sounds as though the writer were performing some algebraic manipulation, for instance:

Candidate A = Evil + Some Policies

Candidate B = Evil + Other Policies

We should be able to simplify this further, but when doing so one finds that E cancels out and we are left with what is different about the two candidates.

In other words evil is common to both. The policies are what make the difference. This is of course assuming the AMOUNT of evil is the same in each case. If A has 6(Evil) and B just has 1(Evil)? Well, once you simplify A ends up with 5E versus B who has none.

I’m being facetious here of course since I don’t believe that evil cancels out like this or can be measured objectively, save by one Person - “shall not the judge of all the earth do right?”

However more seriously the idea of a differential - more of a bad thing being worse than less - is an important concept that I do not wish to gloss over. The fact is that we all contain some evil. If we were to abstain from voting - and by extension abstain from interaction with - those who “are” evil (because they contain some evil), then we become paralyzed and cannot act inside this fallen world.

Following this particular rabbit down the rabbit-hole many Christian sects have concluded that they must separate themselves from the world - not only a separation of the heart, which all Christians (in deed, not in word only) must necessarily be on the path towards - but a physical separation. For many years of my life I was involved in such a sect, and while I still respect many of the people and their teachings I can now more clearly see some of the cul-de-sac ideology. When we separate ourselves like this there are a couple of unintended byproducts. Firstly we consider ourselves better than those outside. This can happen slowly since we start with the very Christian idea that “all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”. However, happen it does because we think we are the only ones DOING something about it in all of Christendom! Secondly we do not take such pains to be moral in our dealings with the “other” - considering them to be Gentiles, Babylonians, and many other such epithets drawn from the mulligan stew of our cultural heritage. Though we wouldn’t go so far as to say “happy be he who dashes their little ones against the rocks” we might consider favorably the idea of “spoiling the Egyptians”.

Here is a very practical example. In light of the recent COVID economic impact the government has issued a series of stimulus packages. These are intended to be used by those who are actually suffering from lack of business because of COVID. We’ve all seen in the news articles about companies who have grabbed for the money simply because it was there while they absolutely do not need it. It is pretty clear to us that this is wrong - the intent of this money is to provide for the needy. One would have the same reaction if the Ritz hotel was stealing potatoes from the nearby soup kitchen. But what if you believe that the whole system is corrupt, and you have separated yourself from it while waiting for the return of the Lord? You may just end up believing that this is “free money” and, no holds barred, you should grab it while it is available, and the potatoes for good measure. After all - anyone else who grabs it will be “evil” - it may as well be applied to the work of the Lord. This is perhaps a hypothetical example but cuts to the heart of the issue. Those that do such things commit fundamental moral error despite their lofty ideals.

This is a besetting sin for all those who consider the return of the Lord to be imminent. Of course on a personal level it is very important to live as though Christ were returning - 

“But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.” - Matthew 24, NIV

But if it is taken further you get those that run up thousands of credit card debt - because it doesn’t matter since the Apocalypse is coming before the statement balance is due. This is a fundamental moral error as it involves stealing from the bank. “I won’t have to pay it back because the Apocalypse” does not justify these actions. The reason we do not steal is not because we will have to pay it back. It is because of a moral absolute: “thou shalt not steal”.

The fact is that we were meant to be in the world and not of it. While the thought of evangelizing TikTok (November 2020 CT article) doesn’t do anything for me, I recognize and appreciate the rubric: as Christians our job is to create & provide moderating content IN the world. As C.S. Lewis said “What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent.” (God in the Dock)

This thread leads into the question of whether or not we should be pacifist in times of war: a large & thorny subject which I do not wish to tackle fully here! In passing I will say that in cases where one recognizes the actions of our government to be fully evil it appears clear that one should abstain - witness Dietrich Bonhoeffer in WWII. However many times things are not so clear. Many German soldiers in WWI fought for God, Kaiser and country much as any American today believes he is. Yet in hindsight we say the German cause was more objectively evil than the Allies’. I personally do not feel that fighting for one’s country is wrong. But in cases where there is a draft and one feels morally compelled to be a pacifist my heart is with those who choose to be medics rather than those who will do nothing at all. That is to say - as near as I can tell from my comfortable arm chair!

Circling back to what triggered this post, I will say that in one sense I very much agree with Elaine: that is, that one needs to remain clear eyed about what one is voting for. During the lead up to this election I have heard from a lot of people who have apparently left their moral compass in the dust because they have attached so firmly to the bucking bronco of “planned parenthood” or some other issue. In no way am I saying that such issues are unimportant - in fact, they very well may be the reason one chooses to vote in a certain way despite the evil that one sees coexisting in a running platform or someone’s personal character. However - let us remain clear eyed about the whole picture. We may be able to provide some moderating content, but let us understand that God’s kingdom is not coming on earth in the form of the American government.

Christianity’s history is littered with bad examples of those who did evil in the name of God. Those who thought that the ends justify the means. To such people God will say “I never knew you”. We must retain our ability to say “thus far, but no further”. To the one side lies Scylla: here some run aground, paralyzed by the thought that they cannot effect good in this fallen world. To the other lies Charybdis - where morals are swirled away with the full commitment to a corrupt system: believing that anything is permissible in order to achieve some perceived good.

And what of those who rightly say that the ordinary citizen is not equipped with enough (correct) information to make the right choice? With fake news and disinformation on every side? All we can do is present ourselves with a clear conscience attempting to do what is right as far as we know, and trust that God will give the increase. We are responsible for what we know:

“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:17, NIV

...But we must be responsible.