why i will not vote my values

A few Tuesday's from now, we will experience one of the more important political events of the 21st century. The perceived course of the entire world will hang upon the chads of millions of Americans. And on that Tuesday - November 4th - I will wake up like normal, go to work like normal, and go home like normal. And I will not vote... like normal.

There is a huge fuss being put up by many conservative organizations, and as a result, conferences and meetings are being held all over the nation imploring Evangelical Christians to "Vote Your Values." This political maneuver is a clever way of circumventing the federal regulations denying tax-exempt organizations (ie., most churches) the right to tell their constituents (who attend voluntarily) for whom they should vote. We allowed such a 'symposium' to be held here at my Youth Center, and while the speakers certainly didn't come out and say, "Vote for McCain," she did say things to the effect of, "Liberal Democrats are tearing this country to shreds."

This issue, in and of itself, angers me. Church - if we truly believe that it is our Christian responsibility to vote and to cast our vote for a particular candidate, then when did it ever become our place to accept federal regulation of our self-perceived God-given command? If, as so many strong Evangelical pundits claim, we are to stand up as followers of Christ for a candidate, then why are we so bound to the strictures of the government? Are we so afraid that the Lord won't provide funds apart from our worldly-given tax-exempt status that we're willing to sacrifice elements of our faith? If so, we have fallen far indeed.

I'm sure you've noticed me qualifying statements already in this piece. And the title of this piece still lingers. In short, I do not believe it should be possible for a Christian to vote Christian values. And I think that we, as the Church of today, have been so duped by the political and social landscape of America that we are throwing away what it means to be a City on a Hill.

Christians have taken that famous phrase by John Winthrop away from the Church and applied it to America. We have argued that America is a Christian nation, set upon Christian values and blessed by God. In doing so, we have set up a broken institution as the main force for Christian change in the world and utterly abandoned the Church. Said a different way: we, the Christians of the 21st century, look to God for salvation of our souls and to America for everything else.

Are we convicted by that statement?

There are gaping holes in the moral fabric of this nation. But the means by which we mend those tears is not political. Church, we live by a standard higher than that of this nation! If abortion is made legal here in America, what is that us? We know that morality does not change upon the whims of Congress or the Supreme Court! There is truth, and that truth is strong and static. Conversely, if this nation goes to war, what is that to us? We know that it is Christ's command that we be peaceful, loving all men, and that we turn the other cheek when we are struck.

When will the Church, which is above the strictures and commands of the government, start standing up for truth? Why do we seem to hope and rely on our elected officials? Are we so blind that we think that this nation is a Christian nation? And Evangelicals, when will you stop condemning the wanton immorality of abortion from your iPhone inside your $400,000 houses with three cars and a jacuzzi when your neighbor hardly has enough money to make ends meet?

If McCain becomes president, does it effect how the church operates? No. If Obama become president, does it effect how the church operates? No. But somehow, we have been fooled into believing that this election is paramount in the fight for truth.

Let me ask this another way: Christians, if we manage to somehow ban all abortion, then what have we accomplished? Do we spread righteousness? Do we spread truth? Or are we simply slipping into an authoritarian exercise of Christian values? Doesn't Paul write that, "without the Spirit, it is impossible to please God?" Is it possible that the truth's of Christ are so Spiritually discerned (that is, discerned only through the Holy Spirit) that without the Spirit, they are "foolishness to those who are perishing?" To what extent, then, can we affect Spiritual change - and thus righteous moral change - in the nation apart from the Spirit of God? And remind me, which candidate stumps that?

This leads me to my final plea. Wasn't it Christ himself who said that if we wished to be first, we should be last? Where is that attitude among Evangelical Christian's today, during this election season? When will the world see those who have given themselves to Christ truly serving, from the bottom of society, rather than preaching down from high pulpits? Isn't there an extent to which we have missed the gospel of Christ - a message of service, love and humility - and turned it into a message of exercised righteousness and dogmatic adherence to a strict moral code?

Change this election year will only come through the Church. The Church is the only institution on earth capable of rightly dividing the Word of God, and therefore rightly parsing Spiritual truths. Thus, the Church should be the only institution on earth constantly on her knees in two regards: petitioning the Lord of all creation to draw those who do no know Him to Himself, and selflessly serving.

Evangelicals: Stop thinking change is a responsibility of the government. It is a responsibility of the Church. Alone. Do not put your faith in the things of man. Put your faith in God.

As a result of all of this, I will stay home from the polls on Tuesday. Not because I believe it's wrong to vote, but because I do think that the Church has been misled into believing that the greatest moral battle of our day is fought on November 4th. Don't buy into the lie.