Why Christians Do Not Vote
Why Christians Do Not Vote
The truth is that American Christians have a poor record when it comes to voting. Want proof? All you have to do is look at the research.
A recent Pew report said: “Given sharp political divisions in the United States, small changes in voterturnout from election to election have big consequences.”
An estimated 25 million Christians do not vote in presidential elections, 65 million do not participate in local elections and 15 million are not registered voters.
Seven in ten voters under 30 cast their vote for a Democratic candidate.
Regular church attenders are two to one more likely to vote Republican.
According to NPR, approximately35% of young voters (30 and under) have not decided on who they are voting for in the 2024 election.
It’s no secret the Church hasn’t shown up to the polls. It would be unthinkable that twenty-five million eligible Christians would not vote in this next election. That’s important because the overall margin of victory in the last election was 7million votes. But in some states, it was even closer. Michigan was decided by just over 150,000, Wisconsin by 20,000, and Arizona by only 10,000 votes.
I know not all churchgoers vote the same way, but can you at least see the impact voter responsibility could have on the upcoming election?
We do not elect presidents with our arguments. We elect presidents with our votes.
So here are 4 reasons why Christians don’t vote, and, how to overcome this in 2024:
1. Christians fail to see that we are ambassadors
Do you know what an ambassador is? An ambassador is a person with authority who represents a governing body (civil or the Church). A representative of goodwill who wills good upon people. Voting is our good work as believers. 2 Corinthians 5:20 calls Christians, ‘ambassadors or apprentices for Christ’.
We are Christ’s representation on earth. In many other countries, the average citizen has little agency or power; there is little stewardship. But in a nation like ours, we share power and therefore are tasked with stewarding our citizenship in a way that honors Christ.
2. Christians do not understand the issues
Think about that. We can’t have an educated opinion about the political issues of the day without being informed about the information. And more than that, it’s difficult to solve issues when we don’t really know what the issues are. But when we really understand the issues, we change the way we vote. Because our vote can bring change at the highest level
Do you understand the issues?
Issues such as the sanctity of life, the sanctity of gender, the sanctity of marriage, racism, humanitarian and welfare efforts. Our vote can dictate who is placed in the most influential offices in our nation and, therefore, impacts the policies enacted into law.
So why wouldn’t we take our voting responsibilities seriously?
3. Christians do not recognize their influence
There isn’t a more powerful organization on the planet than the Church—the global community of Christ-followers. If Christians could comprehend our influence, we would step forward with greater responsibility.
Where we live is our mission field. This is where we must seek the welfare of our city (Jeremiah 29.7). Community responsibility is one of the important callings of the church. When first century Christians gathered and declared that Christ—not Caesar—was Lord, they were making a political statement. When they refused to participate in the ritual ceremonial practices that required worship of false gods, they were in direct conflict with the culture, with the politics of the moment.
We live in a country where we have a say in who leads us and what policies are enacted. This is a privilege afforded to few humans in the history of the world. Today, even as democracy is more widespread, there are billions of people who live under tyranny. They’d love the opportunity to be able to speak out and vote, an opportunity too many Americans take for granted.
4. Christians lack devotion to God
Peter urges the church to fear God and honor the king (1 Peter 2.17). Think about that statement.
Peter is telling us to honor the same king who would eventually send Peter to his death. The crucial thing is that for Peter, fearing God and civic responsibility went hand in hand. In fact, it was that fear of God that led to Peter to instruct his audience to be faithful in their civic engagement. Could it be that our devotion to Christ is a measurement of our devotion to community, and ultimately, civil responsibility?
Finally
The church is a civil, cultural, and political anchor for society. When the church refuses to vote, we fail to seek to seek the welfare of the city God has placed us and the influence of our governing systems with the virtues of the Christian faith. We fail to stand up and care for the least of these.
And when we do, sin and lawlessness run rampant. Ultimately, poor public policy can have a negative impact on our communities. And good public policy can have a positive effect on our communities. This reality should drive Christians to the polls with passion and purpose