Separatists


Some Christians will not vote at all, for they see errors in government, 
and fear that God will punish them for sharing in that wrong, by voting. 

Yet the Bible says that God created human government, partly to protect us from humans who hate both God and His Golden Rule. 

Romans13: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Jesus believes in human government. He respected human government while on earth, and used it to procure our salvation via His crucifixion. 
It is true that true Christians are citizens of Heaven. But while in mortal flesh, we are also citizens of the country we legally belong to. 
And as we press our rights as citizens of Heaven, so we ought to claim our rights as citizens of the nation to which we are born. 
In Acts 22, Paul claimed the rights of Roman citizenship. 
One way we control evil (“thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”) is by voting. 
No mere mortal has a perfect understanding of who God is. This will be reflected in a less-than-perfect, yet perfectly viable government. 

Jesus acted as a Supreme Court Judge when He said “Let him that is without sin throw the first stone,” eliminating the death penalty for adultery. 
Not because adultery became okay, but because of the hypocrisy of the governing class of the time. 
The heart-sins of those wanting to stone the woman were as great as the adultery itself. 

Jesus is the only Judge on The Judgment Day, when time ends and eternity begins. There are no voting booths in Heaven. 
Only one opinion matters on the Judgment Day, Jesus' (the second part of the Holy Trinity); this is made clear throughout the New Testament.

Jesus acted as an enforcer. John 2: 13 “When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. So He made a whip out of cords and drove (flogged?) all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. 
He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 
To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!” 

Jesus is not the cotton-candy, happy-uncle that some imagine Him to be. 

There is no good reason to abstain from participating in a government, instituted by God, voting for the one you feel is closest to the will of God. 
Vote for the one who creates the best Constitutional environment for your children. 

You owe that to your children. You are imperfect, and you married an imperfect mate and created your imperfect children for your own reasons. 
You should also choose the best-available, imperfect candidates to help create a stable country for your children and grandchildren to live in. 
Be as diligent to benefit your descendants through your voting as you were to create your children through your personal lusts. 

Sometimes we have the opportunity to choose the best of two good candidates 
Sometimes we can tilt the scale between a good candidate and a bad candidate. 
Sometimes we must choose between the lesser of the two evil candidates. 
Everytime, our vote should make our country better than it would have been without our vote. 

Winston Churchill probably would have made an unsatisfactory pastor, but he was what England needed as a Prime Minister.
The Archbishop of Canterbury could not have done what Churchill did, yet each had their own place and role.

Does this mean we blindly and quietly accept everything done by a leader in office?
Even God was petitioned by Moses when announcing an action that Moses hoped against.
(God probably said it to prompt Moses to speak up, to advocate for the Israelires he was ordained to lead)
We have the right to petition our leaders for consideration and redress of errors. 
Yes, mistakes will happen.

Religious Freedom

 If we are to be a nation with freedom of religion, we cannot be a place of freedom FROM religion. 
While some may choose to ignore God, each person with a religion will have outward expressions of that religion, and a free society will permit non-abusive expressions of religious beliefs. 
And yes, a nation of individuals can claim a religion, which will then be reflected in their memorials and their laws, for every semblance of civility is grounded in the Golden Rule, which no mere human can claim to practice perfectly, for we are all too selfish. 

So how do people of different religions practice collective government? 
Specifically, how do those of different religions who believe in the sanctity-of-life, elect leaders that will uphold these values? 
First, each peace-loving religion must be allowed to exist. 
Second, we may find that a candidates closest to our personal moral choices may belong to another religion, 
while a political opponent who claims our religion actually violates the religion they pretend to practice. 
I voted for the Romney/Ryan ticket in 2012, because they weren’t the pro-death Obama/Biden ticket. 
Although now-Senator Romney has openly betrayed President Trump, I will not regret voting for him in the 2012 election; 
for he was the least-imperfect candidate on the ticket in November of 2012. 

So, a born-again Christian voted for a Mormon in 2012. They are not the same religion, but that’s how America works sometimes. 
That’s what it takes for America to work; choosing the best available option, sorted through the filter of the will of the American people.

Eric J. Rose