“The worship of the state is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men. The worst evils which mankind ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.”
- Ludwig von Mises
I used to vote quite religiously--democracy is, after all, a cult, and voting is an expression of state worship. The topic of voting seems to come up around this time every year.
I still do vote occasionally, in a very limited and specific fashion. Why and how? Read on...
I consider myself very blessed to be part of an active congregation filled with Christians who care about and are involved in one another's lives. It is nevertheless not without controversy and at times different perspectives lead to lively discussion.
I posted the above meme about voting for the lesser of two evils in an online forum our men's group uses to stay in touch with one another, and this is the response I got:
"Not voting only insures the greater evil, welcome to a fallen world in need of Christian morality. Political cynicism is nihilistic and anarchy is a worse nightmare."
- A church leader...
My first instinct was to ignore this expression of an almost universally held opinion. Then on second thought, I framed this reply:
I spent most of my life believing that; but decades of experience and the entire history of "democracy" up to this point show voting to be a lost cause. I no longer vote for gentiles to lord it over me and my brethren.😃 God gave man dominion over the creation and his creatures, not over one another.
Lately, I find my time is far more effectively focused on the battle against evil in all its deceitful manifestations, and even more profitably on restoring and positively advancing the Kingdom of God.
This battle involves resisting satan's kingdom head-on locally, and in a variety of skirmishes. I very much appreciate our ecclesia's emphasis on and leadership in that battle, and I am happy whenever possible to fight alongside my brethren in the trenches. And although I perceive the impact to be relatively minimal, as it take little time and effort, I do vote AGAINST all taxes, bonds, and any and every effort of the powers of hell to encroach upon our God-given liberty and security and property. I just don't vote for ersatz rulers.
Far more positively and I believe far more importantly, I am constantly learning and working and seeking to apply my gifts in the building of the Kingdom. My activities include writing, inventing technologies that bless the world, and seeking to encourage my brethren--to "stir them up to love and good works"--especially in the realm of entrepreneurial enterprise and in developing alternative, God-honoring systems that replace the coercively destructive machinations of the state.
The Kingdom of our LORD Jesus is an all-pervasive leaven that needs to impact every area of our lives. One of my prime focuses is on learning about and employing technological tools that free us in very practical ways from the grip the tyrants have over us, especially in the realm of economics. The goal of my efforts is to rescue our children and grandchildren from a miserable present and future of economic slavery, please God!🙏🏻😁
How would you have responded? Do you think voting is a worthwhile activity? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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