Thought of the Day 08.04.08

Speaking from experience, it’s easy to overthink yourself into stupidity. Consider the question of voting, not whom to vote for, but whether to vote at all. See, some Christian pacifists believe in the total separation of the Christian from politics because governments exist to use force and since voting is a form of proxy warfare. “Besides,” they’ll say, “there’s no political activity in the New Testament, and even Jesus shunned a political kingdom.”

But there’s a vast difference between an oppressed fringe religion under Roman oppression and a mainstream religion operating in a fully participative democracy. The logic is simple. If Christians abstain from politics, only the ungodly will have power.

So, since we have a duty to participate, we then have the second duty to vote for the best people because we share responsibility, by extension, for the good or the evil that they do. Participative government is indeed a burden, but it is also therefore a blessing…just like all forms of freedom.