5 Reasons Christians Should Vote
A new national survey shows that voter enthusiasm in 2024 is significantly lower than in 2020. In fact, the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, led by Dr. George Barna, reports that 32 million churchgoing Christians will not vote in 2024.
Let me repeat that: Thirty-two million Christians WHO REGULARLY ATTEND CHURCH will not cast a ballot on November 5.
The 2020 election came down to an average of 60,000 votes in five swing states. So, my question is: Do Christians have a moral duty to vote in this election? I would argue the answer is yes.
My friend Jason Mattera recently wrote, “Both political parties fall short of our biblical standards in some way — embodying worrying degrees of corruption, bad ideas, and problematic leadership, but … Christians shouldn’t just throw up their hands in surrender, even if our choices are less than ideal. As best we can, we should pursue the application of biblical principles to every area of life, which includes the domain of politics.”
Here are my five reasons, in descending order, why Christians should vote:
5. In Mark 12:31, Jesus says to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Therefore, if a policy written into law by our government could hurt or help your neighbor, Christians should do their part to ensure laws are written that protect the rights and freedoms given to us by our Creator.
4. We should reject the “I don’t like either candidate” argument. As someone who has been voting for nearly 30 years, I truly appreciate and understand that we don’t always get the candidate we want. Still, we must recognize that not voting only increases the chances that the more evil of the two candidates wins. Scripture tells us “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NKJV). So, it’s quite reasonable to vote for the less evil candidate, since we are in fact evil and in need of salvation. In short, not voting is a form of voting that will influence the outcome.
3. Voting demonstrates obedience to God’s Word. Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” In America, “We the People” have that distinct right and privilege to vote for the authority under which we live.
2. Life matters. Even after the overturning of Roe V. Wade, abortion is still a national issue that is on the ballot this election. Neither candidate has taken a hard, pro-life stance against abortion. This is discouraging for Christians, as pro-life policy has been our most important ballot-box issue for 50 years. Since both candidates are flawed on this matter, I would encourage you, Christian voter, to determine which candidate will be the best ally to the pro-life community and vote accordingly.
1. Religious Liberty. Since the founding of our great nation, Christians have been free to worship as they please and share the gospel without fear of government interference. However, we’ve witnessed an increase in religious persecution over the past 30 years. So much so that we now have several, major, legal-defense organizations, including the Regent-affiliated ACLJ (American Center for Law & Justice), to defend every Christian’s constitutional rights. If you want to make sure your First Amendment rights to freely teach and preach the Word of God are guaranteed, you must vote for the person most likely to be a friend to the Church.
Regent University teaches students the importance of having a constitutional understanding of our republic and what it means to live out our Christian faith in this country. The United States of America is unlike any other nation in world history. It’s our distinct honor, privilege, and duty to ensure those freedoms stand for the next generation — and the next and the next — until Christ returns.
If you’re concerned about our future, I urge you to support Regent University. We are working to forge the next generation of Christian leaders, who will live boldly, in an effort to change the world for Jesus Christ.
Join us, and let’s take back our nation for God — and God alone!
