OceanSide church of Christ
Previous | Return to list of articles | Next |
MANY
POLITICAL ISSUES INVOLVE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES
Victor M. Eskew
The political season is reaching its crescendo. The political candidates for the parties
are in place. The conventions
have ended. The campaigning has
begun. The debates are
scheduled. November 4th
will be here before we know it. A
new President and Vice-President will soon replace the existing
administration. Whatever the
outcome, history will be made in 2008.
At this time, the masses are forming their opinions and making their
decisions about the candidates.
These decisions are based upon many factors: party, character, issues, race, and
gender. Each child of God over the
age of eighteen is part of the electorate.
Therefore, each Christian is making up his/her mind about the
candidates: “Which candidate, if
any, will receive my vote on election day?”
The overriding concern for every Christian ought to be
righteousness. The wise Solomon
wrote: “Righteousness exalteth a
nation: but sin is a reproach to
any people” (Prov. 14:34).
Righteousness can be defined as right doing. Specifically, it involves acting in
harmony with the commands of God, “…for all they commandments are righteousness”
(Ps. 119:172). Thus, the child of
God should take the Word of God in hand as he begins to make his decisions about
the political candidates and the issues involved in the election. The question that should be asked
is: “What does God say about
this?”
In times past, many have believed that only two issues really involve
Biblical principles: abortion and
homosexuality. Certainly both of
these subjects are addressed in God’s Word. Abortion involves the murder of an
unborn child (Exo. 20:13; Rom. 13:9).
It is the shedding of innocent blood, something that God hates (Prov.
6:16-19). Likewise, homosexuality
is addressed in God’s Word. It is
referred to as a grievous sin in Genesis 18:20. Those who engage in homosexuality go
against nature (Rom. 1:26-27). In the Old
Testament, those who practiced homosexuality were sentenced to death (Lev.
20:13). In the new economy, the apostle Paul taught that those who engage in
homosexuality shall not inherit the
During the course of this election year, this writer has given much
attention to the issues being discussed.
Having thought about these matters, it is believed that there are more
than just the normal two issues that have Biblical implications. Welfare is one of these issues. Welfare involves the government’s care
for its citizens, especially the poor and struggling. The present welfare system of the
The issue of taxes is another issue that has ramifications from a
Biblical perspective. There is no
argument that Christians are expected to pay taxes to the government. In Romans 13:1-5, Paul sets forth the
responsibility of the “higher powers.”
They are to be a “terror” to evil works, and “a revenger to execute wrath
upon him that doeth evil” (
Welfare and taxes are just two of several issues that we need to consider from a Biblical perspective. A failure to do this will bring God’s disapproval. As Christians, we must discern between good and evil (Heb. 5:12). Having made the distinction, we must “hold fast that which is good,” and “abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thess. 5:21-22). When a nation refuses to honor God and His teachings, there are dire consequences to be suffered. The psalmist declared: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17).