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My first time voting since becoming a Christian
Some of my Christian friends insist I, as a Christian, can only vote for Donald Trump, and that a vote for either of the Democrats would be a sin.
And so I wonder if the Bible is really that cut and dried on my voting practices? I'm not kidding when I say that many of my fellow church goers seem to believe that God is literally a Republican.
On the one hand, Mr Trump talks and acts like a heathen. On the other hand, the other candidates support abortion. And so I wonder what a new Christian must do in the voting booth this year without violating his or her own conscience.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Theodiskaz on
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Funny, I seem to have three hands :)
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Permalink Reply by Mary O on
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I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, (Ephesians 1:18)
They are just people. If it gets to the point that a politician is all we're talking about, something's wrong. Don't you wish they would talk about Jesus Christ? Watch and listen. Let the spirit of God speak to you. Sometimes I have to kind of stand back and ask God..."Lord, just exactly what is happening here?...Please explain this to me...I don't understand." There's nothing wrong with asking these questions. The truth is we don't have the answers. Then you let God speak to you. He may speak to you immediately, or He may show it to you and it will be over a period of time and revealed. Avoid jumping on band wagons and joining the crowds because it's easy to do or convenient. I encourage you to think for yourself and make up your own mind.
My husband and I about jumped from our chairs at the way Mr. Trump cited 2 Corinthians. Mr. Trump doesn't cite his Bible very often at all. That's all I will say about it. Again, Mr. Trump is just a person, a human being. He is not perfect. Anyone who is that wealthy, must depend on others to get there. That's me saying it in a nice way. He just wants to be president. It's a 4-yr or possible 8-yr job. It's not a lifetime like our Lord Jesus Christ.
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 NIV)
I didn't say it.
God's love,
Mary
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Thank you for your kind reply.
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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Hi Theodiskaz,
As Christians we're called to submit to the government, and at the same time take a stand for the way of Jesus when that clashes with the way of government or the way of culture.
Christians are called to be a part of a different kind of 'government', Jesus would use the word 'Kingdom'.
Jesus says John 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."
Our Kingdom is not of this world, although it is lived in this world. Jesus' Kingdom has it's own culture, it's own government, it's own King-- That's Jesus. Jesus teaches us to be counter-cultural. We're like strangers or aliens... like visitors to our current kingdom. Personally, I live in Canada, so I submit to the government in Canada but more like a resident alien...like someone who's visiting and needs to obey the laws while I'm here, but my primary Kingdom is the Kingdom of heaven or the Kingdom of God. Not that I just want to go there, but I represent the way of God to this earthly kingdom (or government) in my daily activities, life etc.... But we're not only here on earth as a tourist, but more so as an ambassador. I'm here because I represent the will of my Leader (Jesus) to this Nation, and I want to let people know (who don't know) about a different way, a better way.
So if you want to vote, there's nothing wrong with that. Just keep in mind that Jesus calls us to live counter culturally as part of a different Kingdom....It's essentially upside down and opposite of the way the world works. All human leaders will fall short.
Whoever lands in office as President, Prime Minister or any level of government in all Countries has to be prayed for. Jesus has the final say anyway.
I think it's also important to remember that God warned Israel against having a king... You can read about it 1 Samuel 8
Israel Demands a King
8 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Samuel's Warning Against Kings
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
The Lord Grants Israel's Request
19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
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Consequences follow.
Blessings, Carla
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Carla,
Thank you for your kind remarks. You have really expressed in your own words MY sense of alienation and not fitting in with my culture. I feel that most American Evangelicals are wearing their political distinctions more openly than the armor of God. Wish I were in Canada!
God bless you
Theo
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Hi Theo,
I don't know that Canada's any better. As the old saying goes .."The grass is always greener on the other side". It's still fallen broken humanity.
Our government in Canada is also newly appointed... but is already revealing broken promises. Trudeau seems to do great things for refugees etc... but I feel like he's exploiting them for his own popularity. His photos always seem to be staged. I guess what it comes down to is that human leadership is always going to fall short.
It's good to know that our true LEADER is the KING of kings and LORD of lords. :-)
Blessings, Carla
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Canada ain't no better either. If anything, they are more open to If it feels good, Just do it.
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"Canada ain't no better either. If anything, they are more open to If it feels good, Just do it."
Tammy, I see this throughout all of North America, I wonder why you would single out Canada as worse?
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Canada has been more open to sex & such way longer than the US. You guys were the ones talking about Canada. I didn't pinpoint it, you did. I visited Canada once & was blown away at the openness of everything. Now, the US has also gotten there as well. I was just saying that Canada isn't any better if anything it use to be worse. If you talk about Iraq, I'll talk about Iraq. If you want to talk about Holland, I could really tell you some trash about them. But you weren't, you was talking about Canada.
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world, and the first country outside Europe, to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition. Court decisions, starting in 2003, had already legalized same-sex marriage in eight out of ten provinces and one of three territories, whose residents comprised about 90% of Canada's population. Before passage of the Act, more than 3,000 same-sex couples had already married in those areas. Most legal benefits commonly associated with marriage had been extended to cohabiting same-sex couples since 1999.
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I don't even know if I can comment on who had what laws first.. It's bad everywhere.
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My point was the guy was saying how he wanted to live in Canada instead of the US - or that's what I was assuming. I was just pointing out that he's not going to have it any better in Canada as they are even more accepting of the sinful life. Yes, it's bad everywhere.
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I live in Canada. I have my whole life. Lately, in the past year a liberal government has been elected, but it was a conservative government for many years... Things have changed with the new liberal government over the past year.
The 'world' is accepting of a sinful life... everywhere. I don't want to get into a silly argument over which country is worse or better. I live here, I love my Country, and I would choose Canada to live over anywhere. I love visiting other Countries, I've visited USA several times, usually several times every year... multiple MLB baseball parks, they are superior to the one MLB baseball park in Canada. But IMO it stops there.
I'm glad you love your country. You should.
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