This 2016 election process has weaned itself down to two of the most disliked and untrusted candidates in America’s history. This leads us to ask, ”What are our most respected Christian leaders saying about this crazy election?” Well, our spiritual leaders are divided, but let’s look at their words of wisdom in these difficult days, and what we can glean from what God is saying through them.
Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Seminary, Dr. Russell Moore, president of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and well-known pastor Max Lucado have all three voiced their opinion about the importance of the character of the candidates.
Mohler concluded speaking at the Baptist21 convention, “I find myself in a situation I never envisioned in my life as a Christian or as an American, . . . I am going to find myself unable to vote for either of those two choices of our two major political parties.”
Moore also spoke at that same convention and came to the same conclusion saying, “I will be writing-in a candidate this year and the reason for that is simple. The life issue can not flourish in a culture of misogyny and sexual degradation . . . If you lose an election you can live to fight another day and move on, but if you lose an election while giving up your very soul then you have really lost it all, and so I think the stakes are really high.”
Max Lucado does not usually enter into political discussions, but he posed to us this question, “If decency matters, then why isn’t decency doing better in the presidential race?” In his February blog post titled “Decency for President” that went viral (fifteen million readers) and was expanded for The Washington Post, Lucado said Trump wouldn’t pass the “decency interview” he required for his three daughters’ dates. Lucado has been more reserved since his post, and said that it Trump were elected president, “I would pray for him everyday.”
I can honestly say I’ve not found any Christian leaders whom I respect who are endorsing Hillary Clinton. Her pro-abortion stands, perpetual lies and denials of any wrong doing, movement towards government control, and the Democratic platform on which she stands, are too much for most Evangelicals to bear. Yesterday’s news that the FBI will be reopening the case against her due to new information is not a good sign for her campaign. Never have the two major parties been so diametrically opposed.
Just a look at the differences in the party platforms reveals why many Christians hang out on the Republican side. It’s not that the Republican Party is comprised of all Christians. It’s that it is the choice for the majority of Christians, although not perfect.
The majority of the Evangelical leaders feel more comfortable with the Republican Party platform of family, faith, freedom, and the dignity of human life. So let’s look at what they have to say during the most controversial election of our day.
Governor Bobby Jindal –
“I will support Donald Trump, warts and all.” (And Trump certainly has a lot of them!)
Franklin Graham –
“This is a critical election and a lot is at stake—namely the Supreme Court. There’s no question that Christians need to pray, to be involved, and to vote even in a tough election. You vote for the candidates that best support Biblical truth and vote for Biblical values . . . In some races, you may have to hold your nose and choose of the two.”
Dr. Samuel Rodriguez –
“I will vote my Christian values. It’s life, the family ethos, it’s religious liberty, it’s limited government. That’s the person I’m going to vote for. The 2016 candidates are not my ‘dream team’ – but I’m only concerned about one issue – the Supreme Court. I’m going to vote for protecting the Supreme Court from judges that are activists – that run counter to our Judeo-Christian value system.”
Dr. Richard Land –
“I plan to vote against Hillary Clinton and I don’t believe in third party candidates. I’m perturbed – deeply perturbed that I’m presented with such a lousy choice but that’s who the American people have selected. I suspect I am not alone among my fellow Americans in saying that I will cast my vote with no joy.”
Ann Graham Lotz –
“I will vote for the nominee of the Republican Party. And if that is Donald Trump, I will vote for him, and I will pray for him everyday. God can do anything He wants, even through a man who does not know him.”
Gov. Mike Huckabee –
“I’m not going to try and suggest that Donald Trump is in any way the reincarnation of the Apostle Paul, but he’s been very open to not only dialogue with, but listen to and understand where many people in the faith community are coming from. Trump, if elected, would have a very strong relationship with Evangelicals. Donald Trump could well be a great president for those of us who are Evangelicals.”
Dr. Ben Carson –
‘’The Democratic Platform has the goal of completely obliterating God from our society. Trump is not a perfect man, but he is the best candidate to deal with the problems in our country. To not vote for Trump is to vote against your children and their future.”
Eric Metaxas –
“It’s a fact that if Hillary Clinton is elected, the country’s chance to have a Supreme Court that values the Constitution—and the genuine liberty and self-government for which millions have died—is gone. Not for four years, or eight, but forever. . . For our kids and grandkids, are we not obliged to take our best shot at this? Shall we sit on our hands and refuse to choose?”
Wayne Grudem –
He admits he has concerns about the character of both candidates, but concluded, “I overwhelmingly support Trump’s policies and believe that Clinton’s policies will seriously damage the nation, perhaps forever.”
All these Evangelical leaders agree on this—that God is in control, our hearts must turn back to Him, and whatever happens in this election, God will use it for our good. Does character matter? Yes it does. Unfortunately, we might be in the position of having to choose between the lesser of two evils. The rest of the world would only say to us, “Welcome to our world.”
Although we highly prize our freedoms, it may be that God desires to take them from us. As someone whose been in the underground church as it came to freedom in Romania, in the underground church in China, and in the deep dark corners of the Middle East where there is not freedom, I’ve been able to see the Hand of God in all these situations. The truth is our roots don’t grow deep when everything goes our way. It was persecution that spread the gospel in the early church. Our Lord in His sovereignty may judge the loss of our freedoms is needed.
When we are blessed with prosperity and abundance, do we ever consider that God gave us these blessings so we could be a blessing to the world and share His name? If God chooses to take our precious freedoms from us, might our roots grow deep or would we fail to stand for what we believe?
Al Mohler clarifies the change in our culture in his book, The Source of the Sexual Revolution: The Secularization of the Western Worldview:
Pre-modern age was a time when it was impossible not to believe.
In the modern age, a secular alternative to Christian theism emerged as it became possible not to believe.
In our post-modern age it is now considered impossible to believe.
Things will continue to change as our culture becomes more secular. As Christians we may disagree as to how to live in this post-modern world, but one thing is for sure, we must walk in unity and love before and after this election.
We must consider Max Lucado’s words of wisdom:
“Faithful Christians will continue to differ on many things, including on how we should respond to our political choices this November. But my prayer is that this diversity and these differences will not degenerate into discord and broken relationships. Our next president is for a few short years. Our King and church family is forever.”
Oh, God is speaking. Are we listening? Is God still the King of the World? The Bible says so in Daniel 4:3:
How great are His signs
And how mighty are His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
And His dominion is from generation to generation.
To read more of Ginny’s articles on the election:
Should Christians Vote Third Party?
Ten Questions for Christians to Consider in this Political Soap Opera Election
Interesting article! The tension between the church, politics and culture is age old and will be until Jesus returns. No political, social or economic philosophy can deliver righteousness on the earth. The Gospel, not politics is God’s method to change, societies, nations and the world. Now, more than ever, the Church of Jesus Christ must awake to her primary mandate of preaching this gospel with urgency and power and stop looking for a political solution to a spiritual problem. The days are evil and sad to say, it will not get better. The Master told us this already that as the end draws closer, iniquity will abound and the love of many will wane (Mathew 24:12).
We must never forget that we are pilgrims in this world. Our assignment is not to create heaven here but to prepare men to go from here to heaven. By all means, Christians must be encouraged to vote for candidates who best embody the values that the church stands for but the church must be careful in giving a blanket endorsement to politicians whose life style and values run contrary to God’s holiness and whose position can change anytime for political expediency.
The wrath of man cannot work the righteousness of God. We can fight to establish policies that limit or laws that outrightly ban abortion and homosexuality but will that transform the hearts of the perpetrators of these sins and other ungodly lifestyles and prepare them for eternity with God?
It is time for the church of God in every nation, especially America to repent of her luke-warmness and wake up to her responsibility of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the POWER of God unto salvation for everyone that believes. God help us. Amen 🙏🙏🙏