Should Christians vote for the lesser of two evils?

The topic of whether or not Christians should vote recently came up in the comment thread of this post that originally asked the question of whether or not Christians should vote for a Mormon (i.e. Mitt Romney). However, the predominant question that emerged from the comment thread was: Should a Christian vote for the lesser of two evils?

Now, if a truly blood-bought, born-again, child of God was running for political office, the debate would be moot. But let’s face it, we will probably never be given that option (at least not on the presidential ticket). Any genuine Christian with presidential aspirations would be facing an insurmountable obstacle of opposition because the world would hate him because it hated Christ first (and no pupil or Christian presidential candidate is above His master).

The unfortunate truth is, gaining the approval of the voting populace would require compromising one’s faith and morals in order to be accepted and in order to procure the votes needed to win. The Christian candidate would have no choice but to assimilate to the world in order to garner the approval of the world. (To see how successful that pragmatic approach is just look at the result of years of pastors pandering to the world while their sheep are dying of starvation. There’s a reason why God warned us not to mix light with darkness.)

Time and time again in America Christians are relegated to having to choose between the lesser of the two evils and it doesn’t appear that the upcoming presidential election will be any different.

So, with all that said, my current position is that true Christians should not have to vote if they first have to sit down and estimate which candidate is the lesser of two evils. 

Although I cannot (and will not) dictate to others whether they should vote or not, my conscience tells me that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.

Now, I know that there are many who will respectfully disagree with my position, and even suggest that it’s our duty as Americans and our obligation as Christians to vote for someone . . . anyone! So, for the furtherance of this discussion, I present the following four questions for your consideration:

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Glenn Beck’s Trojan Horse.

Last year, Mormon radio host Glenn Beck swept the conservative political movement off its feet (and many Evangelical Christians as well) with his Divine Destiny rally.

At that time (and since) many non-discerning Christians have embraced Glenn Beck as a brother in Christ and have even made excuses and justifications for his Mormon theology (a theology that’s antithetical to biblical Christianity).

But now, while Beck’s Trojan Horse sits benevolently within the walls of Evangelicalism, the trapdoor on the underbelly of the wooden horse is opening to reveal its contents . . . and it isn’t pretty.

Brannon Howse has written an article on Beck’s new book (co-authored by Keith Ablow).  The book, entitled The 7 Wonders That Will Change Your Life, has revealed Beck’s New Age leanings. And judging by the quotes cited from Beck’s book, it makes Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now look like a doctrinally sound tome of deep Christian theology.

Below are some of the quotes from Beck’s book that I obtained from Brannon Howse’s article (you can read the entire exposé here.)

I can’t help but wonder if the Mormon organization is going to publicly renounce the New Age teachings in Beck’s book (and discipline Beck), and I wonder if the Christians who supported Beck–claiming that he was indeed a Christian–are going to retract their support (or at least distance themselves).

Page 154:

“As Keith likes to say, ‘There’s no original sin left in the world. Everyone’s just recycling pain now.'”

Page 165:

“People are inherently good.”

Page 157:

“Finding what worked for me made all the difference. Finding what works for you will do the same.”

Page 162:

“There is no infant delivered evil, out of the womb. There never has been. Not even one…Charles Manson was not born evil. Ted Bundy wasn’t. The BTK killer wasn’t. Hitler wasn’t.”

Page 149:

“Latter-day Saints do not believe that your chances ever cease, even with death. They end only with the full understanding and denial of truth by your own exercise of real free will. And even then there is no ‘lake of fire.'”

Page 149-150:

“I questioned everything I could think to question about the faith. I went over my doubts again and again with the church bishop. I read everything there was to read on their website and every word of Mormon Doctrine…I went to anti-Mormon literature for hints, but I found most of it to be unfair or just plain wrong. I tried every trick I could think of to find a contradiction. The problem was that I couldn’t. Mormonism seemed to explain the world and my place in it better than any other faith I had looked at.”

Page 132:

“Pray to whatever higher power you believe in…Praying that God or Nature or the Cosmos or your own internal, immeasurable reservoir of spirit allows you the courage and faith to find and then face the truth…”

Page 74:

“Just be sure you visit with a minister or therapist from a religion or healing discipline you actually have affinity for, or suspect you might.”

Page 57:

“The third chapter of Exodus helped me start to understand how crucial it was that my focus be on finding God not just in the seas or the cosmos, but in myself.”

Page 58:

“If God is everything and everywhere and inside everyone, then I figured He had to be inside me, too…”

Page 71:

“Divine power is still inside you.”

Page 283:

“Reach out to people to steady them and enrich them and reflect back to them the light that comes from God inside them.”

Page 254:

“You won’t doubt your ability to achieve what you want to achieve in this life because you won’t doubt that God is not only by your side, but inside you.”

Page 79:

“You have a polestar inside you. It is connected with all the energy in the universe. When you begin to follow that star you align yourself with immeasurable, inexplicable forces that will actually help you manifest your best intentions.”

Page 85:

“As you commit to unlocking and bringing forth the truth inside you, don’t be afraid to pray for help. Don’t be reticent to sit with yourself in silence and meditate. Connect with the miracle of spirit, of God, that has lived inside you from long before you were born.”

Brannon Howse also aptly observes Beck and Ablow’s common application of terms of subjective truth:

Beck’s book uses the phrase “Your truth” or “your true path” or “my truth” at least 23 times. Here are a few examples:

“It is never too late to embrace your truth.” (Page 124)

“What is your truth whispering?” (Page 130)

“Use compassion to stay on the path to your own truth… (Page 161)

“…determination to unearth and embrace my truth.” (Page 215)

“The fact that I am always attempting to honor my truth… (Page 216)

“There is only your truth.” (Page 220)

“You must use courage and faith to empty the hard drive of your soul and then fill it with your truth.” (Page 288)


Glenn Beck’s “Divine [Mormon] Destiny.”

Below is a fantastic article by Brannon Howse on Glenn Beck’s upcoming “Divine Destiny” gathering. This article is definitely a must-read, especially for those Christians who still mix politics (the affairs of this world) with the church (the affairs of God).

Following Glenn Beck’s Divine Destiny or God’s Word
By Brannon S. Howse

Would you approve or disapprove if some of America’s evangelical pastors and religious leaders announced they were going to show up at “Oprah’s Divine Destiny” meeting at the Kennedy Center for an evening that would include uplifting music and nationally-known religious figures from all faiths as they unite in prayer and recite historical speeches? Would it concern you if you knew that on her radio program Oprah has taught the book called A Course in Miracles written by Helen Schucman? This book and the workbook include such quotes as:

“A slain Christ has no meaning.”
“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’.”
“My salvation comes from me.”

True Bible-believing Christians would not approve of evangelical pastors and leaders uniting with Oprah in a self-described, religious and spiritual meeting. Why? Because most Biblically thinking Christians do not agree with Oprah’s liberal politics and they know that the truth of God’s Word and Oprah’s pagan spirituality do not mix.

However, many of these same Christians will have no problem when some of America’s evangelical pastors join radio personality and television host Glenn Beck for a spiritual program, because unlike Oprah, they share Beck’s conservative, political views. To many it makes no matter that Beck is a self-described Mormon because his political views trump his religious views and for this reason many will justify taking part in “Glenn Becks Divine Destiny” program at the Kennedy Center on August 27th.

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The Coalescing of the Christian Right with Apostolic Dominionism

[Posting an article on Dominionism from Herescope.com.  This being something that has been on my heart recently as I watch with rapt attention what is going on in the world.  No doubt evil is growing not only in America (and has been for years long before Obama) but also across the land as evil men and seducers wax worse and worse as they strive to unite the world in a one-world union. 

Here, not only in America, but across the globe, serfs or the common man are viewed by the PTB (powers that be) as nothing more than cattle who need to be under the constant eye (look at the back of your dollar) of the state as she watches their every move and listens to their every word.  Based of course on the pretense that we need to give up liberty in order to be protected from those nasty terrorists; terrorists who in fact may be you!  Cameras recording conversations and actions are ubiquitous, e-mails and phone calls are often tracked and archived for years, full-body scans are now being implemented; in short, personal freedom and privacy are vanishing and are quickly being replaced with an Orwellian police state.

What is more, the economies of most industrialized nations are in shambles.  Largely due to the concerted efforts of politicians to redistribute wealth to third world nations.  Hence, jobs and industries that existed in many of these countries have disappeared from their given shores and are now off-shored in nations such as India, Mexico, China and elsewhere.  Thus, in America at least, we have an unemployment rate that is well into the double-digits (see Shadow Stats for real numbers and not the govt/media lies) where many people wonder how they will make in through the next week and where they will find a job that pays more than $8.00 an hour.

All of this and more is causing many Americans to rise up and express their anger at the current administration across all areas of government (Congress, Presidential, State Governers, etc.).  Their anger and passions being directed and even fueled by “conservative” talk show hosts/personalities like Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Ted Nugent and others.  Also, there is the “grass roots” Tea Party movement that is gaining much traction as it attracts many folks from across the nation; some of them Christians, but many not.  Thus, you will have the ecumenical mixing of light and darkness as Christians inevitably will be called upon to compromise in many, many areas the more involved they become.  How about praying with Mormon Glenn Beck, or listening to Ted Nugent’s wicked rock at a Tea Party rally, or suffering Michael Savage to blaspheme God? 

And, I won’t even touch the host of “conservatives” in these movements where many (I don’t speak to all Rebublicans any more than all Democrats) are nothing of the sort but rather are sly politicians using the state of affairs as an opportunity to advance the same globalist goals of the Democrats.  This being so much easier for a Rebublican since most evangelicals give anyone with a “R” after their name a free pass (think George Bush).  My encouragement here is for the reader to not for a moment think the good guys/gals are the Republicans and the bad the Democrats for nothing, and I mean, nothing could be further from the truth.

In ruminating on these things and more I wonder what is the Christian response?  Of course I know that we as Christians are to do good and be lights in our world which certainly does not preclude civic involvement, yet I cannot escape the words of the Lord where he says that his kingdom is not of this world.  And if his kingdom is not of this world, then it follows by course that the kingdom of his followers is also not of this world.  Yet for many Christians the truth be told, their kingdom is of this world and for many that kingdom is America.  A nation that many wrongly ascribe to be Christian and God’s New Testament apple of his eye even as Israel was for the Old. 

Personally, I fear for the days ahead where violence may well come to our land with Christians facing a crossroad as to whether to pick up the sword, or turn the other check.  This does not mean I am advocating that Christians do not protect their families if a criminal breaks in.  No, I am talking instead about the Christian purposely employing the physical sword to battle the government.  Much as was done in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War where if you study history you will find that many professed Christians took place in the shedding of blood.  Blood which by fact would have involved that of their fellow Christian brothers who found themselves on the other side of the battle field!  Something which per my reading of the Scriptures I cannot in any way justify or support. 

Well – enough of my words, following is the intro to the Herescope article with a link to the full paper.

bro Michael

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It is not about FREEDOM, it is about DOMINION

The NEW BREED of Christian is poised to take over the earth, precinct by precinct. God’s Army is rising up. It is time to put on the militant garb. The glint in the eye becomes fixed as the exhilaration of the hour sweeps through the masses. They can make a difference! The world has been waiting with bated breath for this LAST DAY GENERATION. False prophets in their midst are caught in sin, under discipline, yet their tapes sell to believers of their false prophecies. The call for unity is the common cause bringing them from every denomination. They are calling their unity “revival.” After all, when they have set up the Kingdom here on the earth – they will have fulfilled the mandate given to Adam to subdue the earth. A new sound is heard in the land. The music gets louder and the beat gets stronger (even bringing in rock, metal, and funk) but oddly enough the lyrics are always the same! – The choruses proclaiming the triumphant song of the conquerors! [“The Kingdomizers Have Arrived!” Discernment Newsletter, May/June 1992]

Note to Herescope readers: What follows may be the most important article ever published by Discernment Ministries in its 21 year history. The first edition of the Discernment Newsletter, published in May 1990 began chronicling the activities of a group of men calling themselves “prophets” and “apostles,” claiming to have extra-biblical revelation and calling to build an elite army to take over the Earth.

More…

Democracy is always temporary in nature.

DefCon is not a political blog. We do, however, touch on political topics when appropriate. See past posts such as Has the Religious Right Lost Its Voice in American Politics? and The Fall of the United States of Rome for examples.

I recently found the following piece that was written by VA Voter back on October 22, 2007. I found it here on Free Republic.com and felt compelled to share it with the readers of this blog. Although America was originally a republic, there is little doubt it has since morphed into a democracy.

VA Voter’s post is very eye-opening but since its posting I have received information that those who the quotes are attributed to never made them. I do not wish to promulgate error, and sincerely apologize if  this re-posting of VA Voter’s piece mislead anyone.

With that said, I will allow the following quote (from the original thread I procured this from) to stand. Regardless of whoever the original source of the following quote is from, I think it is very thought-provoking and is further proof that Believers should not trust in such temporal things as horses and chariots, but we should trust in the eternal name of our Lord (Psalm 20:7).

A Democracy is always temporary in nature:

‘A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government’

‘A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury’

‘From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship’

‘The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years’

‘During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;

2. From spiritual faith to great courage;

3. From courage to liberty;

4. From liberty to abundance;

5. From abundance to complacency;

6. From complacency to apathy;

7. From apathy to dependence;

8. From dependence back into bondage’

And finally, I wanted to leave you with a quote that’s been attributed to Winston Churchill:

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

A timely election day quote.

I couldn’t find a more appropriate quote for today than what I recently saw on a cup of Starbucks coffee. This apropos quote is by author Stephen Elliot:

“Politics is about getting outside of yourself and your own problems for a little while and fully immersing yourself in the lies and deceit of others.”

Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?

When those who comprise the politically Religious Right awoke recently to the news that John McCain was the republican nominee, there must have been a collective sigh of disappointment heard across the nation from those who for the last few decades banked on their valiant efforts in the political arena to assist in ushering in God’s Kingdom on earth.

So now what does the Religious Right have to show for decades of compromising the Christian faith to “help God out?” And what has happened to the morality of this nation during the Religious Right’s years as change agents over their country’s behavior? Let’s take a quick look at the state of the nation after years of the politically-minded Religious Right having a voice in national politics:

Teen pregnancy is still rampant.

Drunkenness and drug use is still rampant.

A staggering number of children are still being murdered in their mother’s womb every day and this abhorrent act is still protected by United States law.

Almost every unnatural and perverse sexual lifestyle is not only accepted but celebrated.

The adult entertainment industry continues to grow and pornography is now more easily available via the internet than ever before.

Children are being pumped full of drugs to combat perceived “disorders.”

Smut, filth, profanity, blasphemy, the glamorization of godless lifestyles, and the celebration of every sin imaginable continues to flow into our homes like a raging river that’s breached its banks via our televisions, movies, magazines, books, and internet.

Churches have increasingly become lukewarm at best and full-blown apostate at worst as the cancer of pragmatism has swept over the nation like the creeping blackness of a solar eclipse.

And now the Moral Majority has a candidate for president that is not a friend of the Religious Right (except during election time, of course) and is far from anyone that the Religious Right can rejoice over.

This and many other growing problems are what all that hard work has gotten the Religious Right while the true call of Christians (evangelism) has succumbed to the death of neglect.

While the Religious Right has spent enormous amounts of time, energy, and money to change the “minds” of the American populace, the “hearts” of Americans have grown colder, darker, and increasingly wicked.

So what do those who have put all their eggs in the basket of worldly politics—and who view the American political system as the answer to the decline of American morals—do now? What’s next for the Religious Right now that their exercise in the advancement of dominion theology has not only utterly failed to reverse the ills of America, but has also failed to elect a truly conservative “Christian” president?

For most, they will reluctantly support John McCain and convince themselves (through the frenzied hype of others) that John McCain is a friend of Christians. A man who Christians and the Religious Right would not have dreamed of supporting just a few short months ago, now grin and bear it–adorning their yards with McCain campaign signs and their cars with McCain campaign stickers.

Will some in the Religious Right finally sit back and take stock of the utter failure of all their combined efforts over the years as this nation’s flood of abominations continues to fill its cup of wrath to capacity? Will they finally concede defeat in man’s efforts to modify the behavior of their fellow man through legislation? Or will they go back to the drawing board to see what went wrong to try again?

May I make a suggestion to all those disciples of Robertson, Dobson, Haggard, Bauers, and Falwell? May I recommend something to all the Christians who are going to the polls to (yet again) vote for the lesser of the two evils and who still can’t seem to see that the more different the two parties are, the more they’re actually the same?

Take your sights off the world and put it back on Heaven! Get off the worldly system’s political train and get back to what Christians are supposed to be doing. Stop mingling with the world in the world’s game expecting to change hearts through legislation. Cease entangling yourselves in the affairs of the world. Quit trying to “Christianize” candidates like the Universalist George Bush when in the end the only one doing the compromising is you! Turn off the 24-hour news networks, put down the remote, and pick up the Bible.

The world has allowed you to play in its game for quite some time now but what has it really gotten you? How far have you drifted from God in the daily compromise of your faith to be able to battle in the political arena? Has Jesus Christ been lifted up and glorified and His Word honored among the nations by your political actions or has He been relegated to a “form” that you’ve created so that He fits neatly into your image of the widely accepted but Scripturaly incorrect American Jesus iconic image?

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I am not against your civic duty to cast your vote in an election, nor am I against being involved in politics. What I am stressing here is the problems that arise when Christians erroneously think that government is the answer to man’s problems when the truth is it’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ that’s the answer to man’s problems . . . and those problems all stem from sin!

There is no command, example, teaching, or precedent found in Scripture where Christians are supposed to get involved in their nation’s political system to enact change or to enforce Christian values upon the populace. The Apostle Paul never once tried to run for public office or finagle his way into the political system to change Rome’s poor moral condition.

We are called to evangelize the lost, not coerce the masses through legislation to be good moralists whose outside is washed white but whose insides are full of filth. We are called to proclaim to every creature salvation through Jesus Christ, not “God Bless America.”

If your desire is to “take this nation for God,” then stop trying to do it the world’s way and start doing it God’s way . . . preach Christ and Him crucified!

So in answer to the question, “Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?” I can simply answer no . . . you can’t lose something you never had to begin with.

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Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

Another special message: “Salt, Light, and Politics” by Phil Johnson.

For the second week in a row DefCon interrupts our regularly scheduled Saturday sermon series Studies in Ephesians to bring you a timely message regarding the role of Christians in politics with a sermon by Phil Johnson entitled Salt, Light, and Politics. If you didn’t catch Phil Johnson’s other sermon on this topic, “Politically Incorrect,” I encourage you to check it out here.