SHOULD WE VOTE CHRISTIAN LEADERS SEEKING GOVERNMENT POSTS?
by yulz

Several people have questioned the intentions of a candidate seeking the presidency on the sole ground that he is a leader of a prominent religious group in the country. Is there a biblical basis for people usually associated with religious activities to be engaged in politics? Does a man of God who aspires to serve in public office violate certain principles in the Bible? Is this person a traitor to his own convictions if he chooses to widen the scope of his service to include not just his congregation but the general public as well?

Our decisions in choosing those who will lead the country must be propelled by our desire to have righteous governance in our society. While it is true that we have our own free will, let us not place a limit in our ability to make sound decisions based on truth because of our own preconceived notions.

Instead, let us examine the lives of some people who became pillars of our doctrine and see if indeed there is a justifying fact or consideration that will compel us to vote or not to vote Christian leaders.

While it is unexceptional for true Christians to have strong moral background after they have surrendered their lives to the Lord and carefully obeys His Word, whether it is correct to have them in government offices is the focus of several discussions. It is therefore appropriate to check the acceptability of this concept based on biblical truths. It is but common to come up with decisions influenced by the doctrines we live by. Should we vote for a Christian candidate or should we not?

This short study aims to briefly educate the readers regarding the lives and contributions of at least two men mentioned in Scriptures who have worked actively in both religious and secular offices.

TWO GREAT LEADERS WHO ARE BOTH SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS

DANIEL

• One of the youths of royal or noble seed who were carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar during Babylon's conquest of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem (around 600BC)
  • Much superior in every matter of wisdom and understanding during his time
• One of the greater prophets
  • Became a seer and an interpreter of signs and dreams

• Stood high in the governmental service of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the Mede, and perhaps also of Cyrus

  • He was chief of the wise men and was in the gate of the king
  • He was governor over the whole province of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar
  • Belshazzar made him the third ruler in his kingdom
  • Darius made him one of the three presidents and he even thought to set him over his whole kingdom. Darius made him prime minister of state
• Conducted himself with faithfulness and judgment in all his positions
  • While in the service of Darius the Mede, He aroused the antipathy (deep-seated hatred, as between longtime opponents or rivals) of the other presidents and of the satraps (princes)
  • These leaders could find no valid accusation against him, unless they found it in connection with something concerning the law of his God
  • He was caught in the act praying three times a day as he was in the habit of doing, thus violating a law which was enacted through deceit, was accused, and on account of the irrevocability of a law of the Medes and Persians, was condemned to be thrown and die in a den of lions
  • Daniel was taken up unharmed from the lion's den while his accusers, at the command of the king, were thrown in the den instead being destroyed before they reached the bottom
    

• The great Hebrew national hero and leader
  • Commissioned as leader of the Israelites
  • Led the exodus from Egypt towards the promise land
• Author
  • Moses wrote or was commanded to write 7 times in Scripture
  • Lawgiver
  • The essential value of the Mosaic legislation is beyond comparison
  • Much of his legislation, moral, industrial, social and political, is the warp and woof of the best in the great codes of the world to this day
• Prophet
  • The career and the works and the character of Moses culminate in the prophetic office
  • It was as prophet that Moses was essentially leader
  • It was as prophet that he held the place of highest eminence in the world until a greater than Moses came
  
  Source: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, The Holy Bible, Thompson Chain Topics, Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
  

What does the public life of Daniel teach us? It teaches us that his distinguished political status in a non-theocratic society never did contradict with his religious activities and prophetic office. In fact due to his strong spiritual, intellectual and moral background, he became the best leader and high ranking officer of various governments ever known during his time. Is it possible to have people like Daniel nowadays? With the present-day electoral system, the answer to this question is entirely dependent on to whom we cast our votes.

Scholars tell us that an improbable tradition relates that the princess who adopted Moses has no natural son and thus Moses became heir to the throne after the reigning Pharaoh. After he fled to Midian as a refugee, in an unanticipated twist of event, he was awakened from his reclusion and was raised by God to become a leader of his people instead. He became both a religious figure and a political icon not right after his encounter with the Holy One, but after he defied his fears to face the obstacles and lead his people towards the promise despite of their never-ending complaints. His life does not only show us the need to rely on God for sustenance. It shows the hardships of leadership and the need to choose leaders who fear God and are morally upright.

About the teachings of Christ himself, didn't he give us the example of not to be involved in politics saying, give to Caesar what is due to Caesar and to God what is due to God? If that is your stand, then I have to reprove you considering you got it all wrong. To assume that there is a prohibitive clause in Christ's statement which aims to isolate Christendom away from the realities of civilization is misleading. The statement was given purposely by Jesus as a defense to those who are trying to trap him whether or not to pay tribute to Caesar. Wise enough, he clearly showed us that our responsibility to God does not overlap with our responsibility to our leaders in government offices.

The purpose of Christ's coming was not to establish a political regime but a spiritual kingdom. We cannot expect Him to focus on politics at that point in time, as that will deviate from the very reason why He came.

It is sad to think that there will always be individuals or groups around who will use the same line of discussion to ensnare us in our talk as we support godly leaders willing to provide their service to the government and to our countrymen. People like them will do anything just to twist the facts. Are we willing to associate ourselves with their wickedness instead of standing in our faith to God and uphold sound Christian teachings and exhortations?

It is important to understand that though Christ did not engage in political activities as that will violate His unique divine purpose of providing salvation through His death and resurrection, He has clearly recognized the existence of political systems wherein all constituents are never isolated. He also clearly delineated our responsibilities as believers of a Supernatural Being and as social and political beings ourselves.

While we are in this world, we will always be part of our society. Though we have a responsibility towards fulfilling our obligations to God, we are not without responsibility to bring our country into moral distinction in accordance to our faith and obedience in Him.

The apostle Paul has urged us to edify one another. We should not to pull each other down like crabs do less we become nothing different from the unbelievers. While it is desirable to reach out to our brethren for them to gain better insight, I encourage each Christian to avoid quoting Scriptures taken out of context just to throw negative and baseless criticisms seeing that this practice has the potential to trigger unfounded prejudice or injury to other believers causing them to sin.

We have to comprehend that there is absolutely no basis for believers not to be engaged in other social functions or offices apart from their religious standing, provided that the functions of the church does not overlap with that of the state. The Bible has so many examples related to leadership. If indeed we are believers just as we profess, it will be prudent for us to revisit the foundations in choosing those who will lead us based on Scriptures. Let us not go and just choose someone based on worldly measures and suffer the consequences later on. Each vote counts in an electoral process and we should not waste it.

I hope and pray that this document will help us realize that Christian leaders are not bound to be reclusive. They can be productive in serving God and serving the country as well as long as they are willing to do so and that they have our support.

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