Conducting the Affairs of our House in an Election Year

One week from today we will vote for our next president. For many of us, we are faced with what seems like a no-win situation.

This blog is not written to tell you how to vote or to suggest that one candidate and party carries no difficult baggage. I believe a careful assessment of the platforms of both parties will turn up a list of positions that will concern us, and some that directly conflict with our own views and values. The godlessness of our current culture is reflected in both platforms. It has gotten so bad the even the Pope lamented that the only choice we have is the lesser evil. His conclusion is telling, “You must choose the lesser evil. Who is the lesser evil? That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this.”[1] John Stonestreet, writing for Breakpoint, suggests the best we can do is to ‘lessen evil’ with our vote. He posits that, “voting to lessen evil acknowledges the moral inadequacies of candidates while still seeking to accomplish good through voting.”[2]

Clearly, compromise will need to be made if we are to vote at all.

There is a line, however, that no follower of Jesus must ever cross. Listen closely to the words of King David’s strong statement in Psalm 101.

I will conduct the affairs of my house
    with a blameless heart.
³ I will not look with approval
    on anything that is vile.

I hate what faithless people do;
    I will have no part in it.
⁴ The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
    I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

What will it require for us to walk out of the voting booth or away from the mailbox saying, “My vote bears witness that I have conducted the affairs of my house with a blameless heart”? Basically, it will require that we  “have nothing to do with what is evil.” Nothing. That would certainly include voting in favor of evil or for those whose intentions in office are to propagate and advance it.

I believe this will require us to look beyond the candidates themselves and focus more on the platforms they represent. The question we should ask is this, “if this platform were fully implemented across our country over the next four years, would I feel like my vote reflected my responsibility to have nothing to do with what is evil?”

To illustrate, consider one issue that should be universally supported and unequivocally championed by both parties and the widest continuum of American citizens. That issue is protecting the welfare of children. Regardless of belief system, political persuasion or moral convictions, you would be hard pressed to find any group that approved of intentionally harming innocent children. Scripture is univocal and unwavering on the subject. Consider for example,

• “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:13-14

• “‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven… If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’”

Matthew 18:2-6

• “He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’”

Mark 9:36-37

Let’s consider two major platform issues that involve the care or harm of children: abortion and parental rights. As we do so we must look for both the sin of commission and the sin of omission, where party platforms directly harm children or remain silent in protecting them.

It is our stewardship responsibility to study the two-party platforms and ask these questions.

• If abortion is the violent ending of an innocent child’s life (and it is), then it is inherently evil. If a party platform promises to advance the practice, expand its scope, and justify its place in our culture, how can we possibly vote for it? If we are to ‘have nothing to do with evil’, must that not include refusing to vote to spread its reach and inculcate its place in our cultural systems? Is there any possible justification for voting for evil? Catholic author Trent Horn states it clearly, “Catholics could not vote for a candidate who endorses an intrinsic evil such as legal abortion merely because they prefer that candidate’s party or because they find the other candidate unlikeable or even morally reprehensible in their personal conduct.”[3]

• The Bible is clear on the responsibilities it places on parents to train up their children, guide what they learn and shape their character according to God’s direction. If a party platform works to strip parents of their rights to know what their children are being taught or to have a say in the curriculum of their local schools, how can we support it? Even worse, can we do anything but reject a platform that denies parents of the knowledge of what teachers and ‘counselors’ are guiding their children to believe about gender dysphoria or outright pushing their children to decide regarding life-altering gender transitioning procedures? To vote for such a platform is to align ourselves with evil and be named among those who propagate it.

The writer of Proverbs commands us to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8 One way to follow this command is to refuse to support a candidate and party whose platform calls for the death of innocent children, ignores their abuse and protects those who seek to do them mental, emotional, and physical harm.

This is just one set of issues. There are many more. Please take time to study the two party platforms carefully. Voting this year will require much compromise. However, I plead with you, do not cross the line from compromise in preferences to complicity with evil.  Refuse to look with approval on anything that is vile. Hate what faithless people do and  have no part in it. Keep the  perverse of heart far from you and have nothing to do with what is evil. We must heed Isaiah’s warning, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” Isaiah 5:20

This November, let us all commit to conduct the affairs of our house with a blameless heart.

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[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkdmdg78jgo

[2] https://breakpoint.org/lesser-of-two-evils-vs-lessening-evil/

[3] https://fssp.com/lesser-of-two-evils/