When it comes to elections, I don't typically pay much attention to debates, opinion polls, and news reporting to get accurate information. However, I do pay attention at times to guess at a candidate's point of view. And it's instructive to hear from the candidates themselves, and to observe their actions over time. But I'm not simply trying to match a politician's positions with my own. Rather, I want to know their view of reality.
What I mean is that everyone has a perspective on the big issues of life. This affects their values, decisions, and actions. Unfortunately, some Christians vote for the candidate who matches their positions, matches their party affiliation, or matches what they want without considering whether this will go well for the common good or for Christianity.
So, what do Christians need to consider when they vote?
There are three basic questions Christians need to consider when they examine different candidates.1. What is the primary reason for government?
The biblical view is that man is corrupt. So, God uses government to stem evil in societies. This protects the innocent and promotes the public good. He also uses government to keep boundaries between nations. This provides further safety and stability for citizens within them and throughout the world.
A politician who believes that people are basically good, may have the mistaken belief that government's purpose is to empower it's citizens to reach their potential in goodness. Thus, ignoring the only thing government can truly accomplish: punishing, promoting, or permitting. Government can't make bad people good.
This leads to the next important question.
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