In the last few days major writers and thinkers in the Christian community have voiced their struggles and conclusions about the national election one week from today. I make no claims of influence like they have, and frankly, am thankful not to have the responsibility and scrutiny their status claims.
So why write about how I will vote next Tuesday? My audience is small and targeted. I write for the church I pastor and for my children. What I write will have no bearing on the outcome of any election, but I hope to aid thinking, to protect our church from any infighting, and to bring to light necessary considerations.
Next Tuesday I will vote for Donald J. Trump in hope accompanied by prayer that he secures a second four-year term as president of the United States.
The King of Babylon
Donald Trump is more like King Nebuchadnezzar than he is King Josiah. When the president speaks, I can hear the thundering voice of Babylon’s ruler declare, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). I imagine him saying, “Nobody has done more for Babylon than I have. Babylon has never been greater. Millions and millions benefit from me, but the press covers it up.”
Like Nebuchadnezzar Donald Trump is haughty, arrogant, proud, and a braggart. He has a foul mouth, and many conclude a lying tongue. He’s not a saved man. The Spirit of God does not dwell in him, and none of us should be surprised when an unsaved man does unsaved things. His Twitter rage drives me nuts. His reason for using Twitter does not justify how he uses Twitter. He comes across as a bully. He seems unable or uninterested in hiding his character deficiencies. Without dredging up the repulsive anecdotes of his life before 2016, there is enough in his presidential years to call out his character shortcomings. The question of character, I think, in too many realms of Christendom has either been ignored or minimized. Christians should not shrug at his vulgarity or dismiss his fleshly outbursts as no different than other politicians. A high percentage of evangelicals have attached themselves to his policies. At the same time, they should neither condone nor ignore the president’s sinful behaviors but should call him out like John the Baptist did without regard to the consequences (Luke 3; John 6).
While I do not personally know any in our church or in my family who thinks him the savior or the protector of Christianity, I’ve read or heard claims that Donald Trump is Christianity’s greatest friend. The claim should not deliver to any Christian security that comes only from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. However, I do know this president has acted to reverse orders and policies that infringed on the free exercise of religion. While we can find times of flourishing when the church is persecuted, we cannot conclude that the best soil for evangelism and church growth is persecution. There is a strange romanticizing of persecution that does not find support in the Scriptures. We should welcome every promotion of free exercise of religion. Donald Trump has led the way on this.
You recall how the story continued as God humbled Nebuchadnezzar, pushing the king to conclude God “is able to humble those who walk in pride” (Daniel 4:37). God is no respecter of persons and will judge the arrogance of all unrepentant women and men, including President Trump. Still, Nebuchadnezzar’s failings did not prevent Daniel and others from serving him with distinction, using their positions to bolster his reign. The same is true of Joseph who served magnificently the Pharaoh of Egypt whose infamy includes being the owner of the largest number of slaves in human history. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s cow dream, I can find nothing in the Scriptures that mandates Joseph to counsel Pharaoh as to how he might temper the effects of the looming famine, but Joseph does exactly this making Pharaoh far wealthier and more powerful than he had been previously. There is something noteworthy about the support Joseph and Daniel gave to ungodly leaders.
As God’s people we Christians learn about our relation to government in clear Bible texts (Romans 13; 1 Peter 2; 1 Timothy 2), narratives like the accounts of Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah and others, and from God’s warnings about rulers (1 Samuel 8:10-18). What the Bible does not tell us is how to vote.
For most of world history in nearly every culture, ruling parties come to power via birth or might. The first-born son assumes the throne or the stronger army captures the land and takes charge. Only in the last 700 years or so has there been any concept of a popular vote to identify leaders. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people is reality only for a small percentage of humans over our collective history. Voting is recent to the human stage. The Bible simply does not address the subject, but that does not mean the Bible cannot inform our consciences how to vote.
For the Cause of Life
As a Christian, I cannot vote for a candidate or party that destroys life. God gives life, and every child without regard to how that child’s life was conceived is a gift from God (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 127:3). To destroy that life is to rebel against God, and abortion continues to be our national sin. Since 1973 more than 60 million have been slaughtered in the womb. I wish the GOP would do more about abortion than what has been done. There were occasions when they could have put forth legislation but did not. Still, does anyone question which of the two major parties defends the life of the unborn and which validates with enthusiasm the taking of life? The undisputed fact is the Democrat party refuses any restriction on abortion until the moment of birth, and in some cases, after the moment of birth should the child survive the initial attempt to kill it.
Prior to 2016 I could not, with any measure of confidence, assert that Donald Trump would be the ally of pro-life causes. In 2020 I can say his policies and his appointments have proven he is. How he moved from a pro-abortion stance in his younger days to his pro-life stance he now proclaims, I cannot tell. However, I could not be happier for the actions taken over the last four years. I am not a single-issue voter, but I will not cast a vote for a pro-abortion candidate. For a pro-abortion candidate to ask for my vote is a non-starter.
For the Cause of Money
I believe citizens should pay taxes. Jesus said so (Matthew 22) as did Paul (Romans 13). That does not mean all taxes are just. Tax policy that disincentivizes work is not only bad policy, it is immoral. Income tax minimizes the desire to make money. Making money is not a bad thing. In fact, I would argue making money is a great thing for a Christian to do because the more he makes the more he can give away (Ephesians 4:28).
Is there any nation which gives away more of its wealth than the United States of America? Nations and peoples all over the world receive from the generosity of Americans. Not only does America lift the needy worldwide through government programs, but also charities, churches, and individuals give away unimaginable wealth outside our borders. Why and how can we do this? There is something to be said for the Judeo-Christian ethic, but in addition, we give it away because we have it to give. When the American economy is booming, there is more available to give to the work of the gospel and the relief of the poor. Haiti can’t give what Haiti doesn’t have. May God use this nation’s riches to bless the nations of the world.
Do Americans consume their riches on their own lusts? Of course, we do, and God forgive us. Does the American church support more global missions efforts and help ministries than the rest of the world? Without question. An economic policy and tax policy that grows the American economy is good for the American people and for the world. The changes to the tax policy under the Trump administration have made charitable giving a greater reality because we have it to give.
For the Unknown of the Future
Given the age of both presidential candidates, I cannot ignore who is on the ticket for vice-president. And c’mon man, is there really a question between President Kamala Harris or President Mike Pence?
In our history four presidents have died in office of natural causes, the most recent was Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945 at the age of 63. William Harrison, our ninth president, died in 1841 at the age of 68. Both major party candidates for the 2020 election are in their mid-70s and will be the oldest person to take the oath of office on Inauguration Day. Their successor is a major issue that cannot be dismissed.
Mike Pence is not Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is not Joe Biden. Senator Harris’s policies are to the left of Joe Biden’s by a wide margin, and her character has strikingly similar deficiencies as those raised about Donald Trump. In Ms. Harris we get the worst in policy and vulgarity. I cannot stomach the thought.
In the 2016 Minnesota caucus I sided with Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. When the general election came around, I held my nose and voted for Donald Trump. My state of Minnesota has not voted red on the presidential ballot since Richard Nixon in 1972, so my vote was not significant. Like nearly everyone else I was stunned at his national defeat of Hillary Clinton. It was risky for the nation to put a political novice in the most powerful political position in the world. To my surprise President Trump has accomplished or attempted to accomplish many of the agenda items Candidate Trump touted, including three SCOTUS appointments, scores and maybe hundreds more lower court appointments, no new wars, reducing the tax liability on the citizenry, and removing executive orders hostile the exercise of religion. I believed those policies were better than the ones put forth by Mrs. Clinton, and I believe they are better than Joe Biden’s.
I suspect a high percentage of our church will cast a vote for Donald Trump. This is the trend since 1980. Over the last 40 years evangelical Christians have supported overwhelmingly the GOP candidate. Our church likely follows suit. But not all in our church will vote for Donald Trump, and that cannot be a cause for division among us. Those who vote for him cannot dismiss those who do not, and those who do not vote for him cannot disparage those who do. Ours is not a church of Republicans or Never-Trumpers. Ours is the church of Jesus Christ. Our fellowship is not bound by a political party. Our fellowship is found in the person of Jesus Christ. No matter what happens next Tuesday, our church will not be better or worse, healthier or weaker because of the results of the election. Our church will be better or worse, healthier or weaker only as we conform to or negate the image of Christ.
Is this election the most important in our lifetimes? I don’t know about that, but I do know this election will have transforming impact on the nation and its future. I will hopefully and prayerfully cast my vote for President Trump and his political party because I believe this is best for the nation.
May God bless these United States of America.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.
To read past Lunchtime Musings, follow me at medium.com/@mikeverway
Mike VerWay
Pastor for Preaching & Vision