With the pending federal election rapidly approaching, Christians want to be clear minded about their voting choices. Political decisions are highly influenced by the moral values of elected politicians. Since citizens collectively elect politicians, the act of voting is a means of shaping the moral values of a nation. No nation’s values will ever fully align with God’s values because we live in a fallen world. But an absence of basic moral values leads only to an increase in confusion, abuse, addiction, breakdown of the family, premature death and more. 

Educated Voting

Since candidates routinely speak publicly and also post their platforms and stances Online, it is relatively easy to determine where each candidate stands on moral issues. No politician will perfectly align with all of your preferred stances on the economy, job-creation, health care, post-secondary funding or military spending, but here are three fundamental moral questions that should heavily affect our vote:

Three Moral Questions to Ask Before You Vote

  1. Who is most likely to stand for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death? Ignore the clichés and various philosophies of men and remember this: no human being has the right to end the life of an unborn baby or a disabled or terminally-ill person. People are made in the image and likeness of God, and only God says who lives or dies (Gen 1:27; Ps. 127:3-5; Ps. 139:13-14).
  2. Who is most likely to uphold universal moral law? Basic categories of morality apply to all people regardless of religion or race. Murder is murder.  Lying is lying. Adultery is adultery, etc. These truths may be ignored, debated, denied, or opposed; but they are clearly revealed to all people (Rom.1:18-32). Increasingly politicians are fixated on abolishing basic categories of human sexuality in particular, and it is destroying lives. Children are particularly vulnerable to being victimized by these lies, and it has to stop. Only the most wicked of nations would wilfully sexualize children or expose them to all sorts of debauchery.
  3. Who is most likely to stand for the just treatment of the widow, orphan, or alien? Notwithstanding fraudulent claimants, it is a basic Christian virtue to demonstrate hospitality to the weak, vulnerable, and the alien. Pure religion takes care of the weak even at great personal cost (Lev. 19:33-34; Jam. 1:27).

In all of this we must pray. And, we affirm the sovereignty of God in the appointment of leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2). Even God permits the wicked to rule for his own mysterious purposes, but in all of this we are still called to be salt and light (Matt 5:13-16), a voice for the voiceless (Prov. 31:8-9), and agents of righteousness.