Impacting Public Policy and Current Culture from a Christian Perspective
As
a Christian organization committed to providing Christian Programs for
families we believe it is important to take our duty to vote
seriously. Based on both the patroitic commitment to be an
educated voter and our biblical calling as Christians, we want to
understand all
things from a Christian life and worldview. This includes the
issues that we face as consumers and members of a
free and democratic society. Because of those assumptions, we are
developing the
following pages to help make Christians aware of the moral issues that
we have the responsibility to impact in our lives, whether it be from
which company products that we support by purchasing or for whom we
vote. Please feel free to email us with your ideas about what
would make this site better and more usable. Please understand
that everyone may not agree with us, or the Christian organizations
that communicate below, but we do feel that healthy discussion among
Christians can honor Christ and promote better thought and actions that
can impact our society.
For Whom Should We Vote? * Is Voting Enough?
THE AMERICAN PASTORS NETWORK GIVES 10 REASONS CHRISTIANS SHOULD VOTE BIBLICALLY
by PA Pastors Network Executive Director Dr. Gary Dull
On
November 3, Americans will head to the polls to vote for a Presidential
candidate and various state and local officials. The American
Pastors Network is encouraging Christians to vote biblically and
with their faith convictions at heart.
“There
is no doubt that voting is a very significant aspect of the Christian
witness for truth that the Word of God calls us to portray,” said PA
Pastors Network Executive Director Gary Dull. “Biblically minded
Christians will be biblically minded voters for biblically correct
issues, ultimately electing candidates God will use to glorify His
name.”
Dull further expanded on these 10 reasons why Christians should vote:
1.
To support candidates and issues that are biblically based. When
Christians vote, they have the opportunity to support biblical truth by
voting in favor of the issues and the candidates that are in agreement
with scripture. Doing so has the potential to bring principles of
righteousness into the public square that will exalt a nation,
according to Proverbs 14:34.
2.
To practice civil obedience. Americans have been given the opportunity
by the Constitution to vote according to the 15th, 19th and 26th
Amendments. Because the “law of the land” provides the right for the
citizens to vote, and because Romans 13:1-2 teaches that Christian
citizens should be “subject to the higher power,” voting becomes a
matter of civil obedience. Thus, when Christians vote, they obey God;
when they do not, they disobey God.
3.
To uphold biblical values. When Christians vote, they have the
opportunity to promote and uphold biblical values that the world knows
nothing about. Philippians 2:13-16 tells Christians to “shine as lights
in the world” and “hold forth the word of life.” Philippians 4:8 gives
a list of things to carefully reflect upon that, when translated into
guidelines for voting, will contribute to righteousness in the land.
4.
To stand against evil in the nation. St. Augustine said, “Those who are
citizens of God’s Kingdom are best equipped to be citizens of the
kingdom of man.” Why? Because Christians understand the difference
between good and evil. When Christians vote from a biblical
perspective, they have the opportunity to “put the evil away from
among” the nation as Deuteronomy 17:7 and other portions of Scripture
teach.
5.
To promote that which is morally good in the country. When Christians
vote, they take the opportunity to promote that which is morally
upright by supporting candidates and issues that are biblically correct.
6.
To function as Christ’s ambassadors. When Christians vote, they fulfill
the honor and responsibility of being Christ’s ambassadors, as taught
in 2 Corinthians 5:20. It is a privilege to represent the Lord in
society, and with each biblically sound vote they cast, Christians
actively do so.
7.
To be involved in government. Titus 3:1 encourages pastors to teach
their congregations to be “ready to every good work,” which is in the
context of functioning in government. Voting is simply one way to be
involved in the good work of government by expressing biblical values
at the polls.
8.
To put our prayers into action. The Bible teaches Christians to pray
for those in authority so they may “lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and honesty,” according to 1 Timothy 2:1-2. When
Christians vote, they take the opportunity to vote for those they have
been praying for, who will promote biblical truth in the culture.
9.
To maintain our freedoms. There are candidates who, given the chance,
would remove the freedoms Americans hold dear. Attacks on the
Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Bible, all which stand for freedom
and liberty, occur daily. Christian voters biblically support the
blessings of “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25), which will
further guarantee the freedoms upon which the American civilization was
established.
10.
To function as “salt and light.” When Christians vote, they act in
obedience to Matthew 5:13-16, in serving as the preservative conscience
of the nation and shedding the light of the truth of the Scripture
regarding the issues of life. The American Pastors Network is also
partnering with iVoter Guide to inform Christians of the issues in
their regions. The comprehensive, data-driven guide provides voters
with side-by-side comparisons of candidates for the upcoming primary
elections, allowing them to identify those who most closely share their
values and who has the voting record to back up campaign promises.
Communicating with your Elected Officials
All elected officials expect to hear from their constituents. You can easily find and contact your National and State officials with the ACSIPA Voter's Voice Tool. It's very easy. You can find your elected officials and also can find issues that are important to Christian Schools and other communities by following the links. Go to www.acsipa.org and follow the tabs to take action, find your officials, or find links to other faith based organizations.
IRS Guidelines for Churches and Non-Profits
Churches and non-profits are allowed to be a part of the educational process in terms of political and cultural issues from a Christian perspective. There is also a biblical mandate for participating in the cultural issues of our day, and a call for Christians to accountability on how a Nation experiences judgment. We now have more freedom to practice Christianity in terms of political involvement than for a long time. Contact any of the organizations below to find out more about being active in the public policy issues of our time.
Registering to Vote
The deadline for registering to vote is in early October for the fall elections. You must have a voter's registration form and have it postmarked by the deadline if you are not currently registered to vote. You may pick up a PA voter's registration form at your local courthouse or you may also pick up a voter's form on line at PA Voters Registration Form.
Voter's Guides Prepared for Elections
There are several voter's guides that are produced in a non-partisan way which will help you understand how candidates stand or have voted on issues that are biblically based. We try to have several on hand for elections at the Center, and also usually obtain bulk quantities for elections that churchs and other non-profit organizations can distribute that follow the IRS guidelines. However it is easy to see them on line. Below are a couple of options that may be helpful.
The PA Family Institute Voter's Guides, which focuses on PA Voters' candidates and issues for each election can be found at: www.pafamily.org.
The Family Research Council Voter's Guides, which are designed for use of voters across the country, may be accessed on line on their website: www.frc.org. Their voting focused site is: http://www.cultureimpact.org/
Voter Guides from the American Family Association can be found on their website: www.afa.net.
Organizations which help keep you alert to companies, practices, and other issues that are related to Christian values: this information provides access to sites that allow your voice to be heard electronically.
There are several distinctly Christian, non-partisan organizations which help monitor issues that affect our cultural values from a biblical perspective. If you are interested in being a part of being informed from a values based perspective, please sign up at the following places for information.
PA School Choice related issues: www.acsipa.org (sign up for the voter action Center)
National Family Related News: Family Research Council: www.frc.org
PA Family Related News: www.pafamily.org
National Issues of Christian Justice: Jay Sekulow www.aclj.org
American Family Association: AFA: www.afa.net
PA American Family Association Alerts: www.afaofpa.org