Opinion: Should Christians only vote for Christian candidates?
Megan Conley, Lifestyle Editor
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com
As America’s election season gets closer, voters are faced with the difficult decision of whose name to choose on their ballots. This decision is especially hard for Christian voters, who may feel conflicted when choosing a candidate.
Although many running for office may profess their Christian views, sometimes their stances on certain issues do not reflect what they say.
Ideally, as Christians, we want someone in office who proclaims Christian beliefs and will make decisions prayerfully and with God’s guidance.
In recent elections, only 3 out of every 5 self-professed Christians voted.
It is important for Christians to make their voice known so as to be sure godly leaders remain in our government.
Although some suggest that Christians should separate their faith from their ballot, that it simply not the case.
David Tyner, chair of the department of political science and criminal justice and legal studies, offers advice for Christians stepping into the booth this year.
“Christians should bring their faith into the political system and allow their faith to influence their vote. They should reject the idea that Christians should leave their faith at home and not bring it into the public square or voting booth,” said Tyner.
Tyner explains that most issues can be separated into either secular, such as taxes, and moral, such as abortion. It would seem that the moral issues become more important for believers, but Christian voters must also consider the importance of the secular issues.
“I think the moral issues are likely to be important for Christian voters for obvious reasons,” said Tyner. “But the other issues are important to for the overall health of our country. And those issues can be related too because if we feel like the moral values in our country are declining, they could affect other issues and vice versa.”
“It seems to me that Christians have a civic obligation to choose who they think would be best to lead the country based on the secular issues,” said Tyner.
The views and opinions expressed on in this article are soley those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Vision NGU or North Greenville University.
