How should a Christian vote his or her principles? Should Christians be aligned with political parties? These are formidable questions for Christians in the 1990s.
Obviously a Christian should vote his or her principles, beliefs, and convictions. But sometimes Christians begin to closely identify those principles with a particular political party. That is a prescription for disaster and a quick way to compromise the gospel.
Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee recounts in his new book, Character IS the Issue, the reaction of many to his running for office. What bothered people wasn't the fact that he was running for office as a Baptist minister. What shocked them was that he was running as a Republican. One Southern Baptist wrote, "You're not called of God. If you were, you wouldn't be a Republican."
Of course, I could easily cite an example from the other party as well. The point is this: blind loyalty to a political party is wrong. Christians should follow the leading of Jesus Christ, not the platform of the party of Lincoln or the party of Roosevelt.
Christians must develop a consistent and comprehensive view of government from a thoroughly biblical perspective. And they must be willing to concede that not every issue can be clearly and dogmatically articulated as the Christian perspective. While the Bible may speak clearly on many pro-life, pro-family issues, there are dozens of social and economic issues where Christians may reasonably disagree. Identifying the gospel with those issues or party platforms cheapens the gospel and hurts our witness.
Vote your values and your convictions. Don't align yourself completely with any political party. Choose wisely and honor God in the process.
I'm Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, and that's my opinion.