Throughout my life, I have attended churches in various towns across the United States representing many different denominations. In every election cycle, the congregation is invariably exhorted to vote for the candidate they believe will best fulfill God's will. I don't think I have seen a preacher endorse a specific candidate, but voting was always preached from the pulpit as a sacred duty, and sermons suggested that the Bible could guide people to choose the best ballot choices. I will here question this doctrine using reason and scripture, and suggest instead that Christians should reject politics altogether.
What Would Jesus Do?
Again, the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. - Matthew 4:8-10
Not only did Jesus reject political power, but Satan is shown holding the source of that power. What does this suggest about the nature of government?
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. - Matthew 7: 15-20
There is no good fruit from the tree of The State. The history of wars, police states, genocides, arbitrary prohibitions, economic upheavals, and other evils wrought by governments despite their promises of peace and prosperity should conclusively place all politicians in the "false prophet" camp.
Jesus and the Apostles also clearly differentiated the path of the righteous from the things of the world:
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. - John 17:14
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. - 1 John 2:15-17
Remember also that Jesus was killed by agents of the government on charges of subverting their claimed authority. The crowds also rejected the Son of God because he dared challenge their traditions, and they demanded the release of a “notable prisoner” as well as the execution of Christ, which ought to call into question the virtues of a popular vote.
Old Testament Kings
Much earlier, the Israelites demanded a king to replace the system of judges, and the prophet Samuel warned that such demands for a human ruler were a rejection of God. The Judges served as leaders over a decentralized Israel for approximately 250-300 years, and the people had over that time repeatedly turned away from God, yet they still somehow believed that more closely imitating the surrounding Gentile nations would restore their prestige and prosperity.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. 1 Samuel 8:4-8
Samuel warned against this course of action, and described how a king would plunder and destroy their society. The Israelites rejected the warning, and demanded a king so they could be like other nations.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. - 1 Samuel 8: 9-20
This demonstrates that there is nothing godly about the governments on Earth, and that when people seek human rulers, they reject God while embracing the things of this world. Here also, we see popular opinion shown in direct opposition to godliness.
Prophecy and Genesis
While the Book of Revelation is shrouded by obscure prophecies and disputed interpretations, it is undeniable that the dragon and beasts hold political as well as religious significance.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. - Revelation 13:16-17
What does this describe if not political power and the claimed authority to create laws and impose punishments while imposing control over the economy and trespassing against the rights of the individual? Jesus stands at the door and knocks, seeking fellowship. The beast uses a battering ram instead, demanding subservience.
Consider also the beginning of the Bible. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and promptly created new laws for themselves despite God's prior determination that everything was good. Whether this was a literal fruit, or an allegorical description of some other phenomenon, humanity rejected the laws of God and sought to create their own rules through the belief that God made a mistake. From this action flowed suffering, destruction, and violence.
Conclusion
Politics is part of the broad road leading to destruction. Governments are just people who operate entirely through the initiation of violence against others, and disguise their actions behind a web of deception, in order to impose their ideas upon others as though they were gods with the power to create law and determine morality. The creation of laws by men is rejection of God. It is embracing the Adversary and his deceptions.
No one can represent truth in such a system. How then can a Christian stand for love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith while supporting something built on hate, fear, conflict, impatience, violence, evil, and denial of God? Participation in politics, even by voting in an election, is contrary to Christ.
Final Note
All excerpts are from the King James Bible, not due to any special veneration for that edition, but in order to avoid copyright litigation. Strange indeed that quoting from the Bible is threatened by the legal restrictions of men…
