"If you don't vote, you have no right to complain!"

[Judas Maccabeus]

I try not to complain in the first place. Our government could get noticeably worse and still be above average, by my reckoning.

Yeah, I have lived under a really bad one, who constantly made a mess of things. Ours is quite easy to get along with, by comparison.

J.M.

[Ernie]

Here is a sermon that was preached yesterday on this topic.


Also a debate that was held this past weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/Followers-of-t ... S_TIMELINE
Does anyone know whether this Josh Good has any Menno background?

[Neto]

"If you vote, and your party/candidate/cause wins, you have no right to complain when you don't like the way it turns out."

"If you vote, you have no right to complain."

"You have no right to complain."

"You have no rights, only 'privileges'."

[I've heard about all of these at one time or another, coming from one mouth or another.]

[Dan Z]

I do think the choice not to vote limits our stake in some things...particularly party politics and the results of elections...

But on the other hand, I don't think voting is a necessary prerequisite to speaking up in the face of wrong or injustice. Jesus did not join with the various power movements of his day, and he didn't lead a political revolt, but he did choose at times to prophetically call out greed, corruption, violence and sin when he saw it - always pointing to something better.

[Robert]

Not sure everyone should vote. Some states, early on, only allowed property owners to vote. The idea was you had to have a stake in the game to vote. Too easy to vote for free money when you do not have to pay it in. There are a lot of unimformed voters out there and some who want to vote for free stuff. Is it really right that I vote for someone else to pay for what I want?

I actually respect those who do not vote because they are not informed or they are not fiscally responsible for the outcome. I also respect those who do not vote because they hold allegiance to another kingdom.

[temporal1]

Robert:
Not sure everyone should vote.
Some states, early on, only allowed property owners to vote.
The idea was you had to have a stake in the game to vote.
Too easy to vote for free money when you do not have to pay it in.
There are a lot of [uninformed] voters out there and some who want to vote for free stuff. Is it really right that I vote for someone else to pay for what I want?

i think about this, too.
my analogy is that of a family wherein the children are allowed to vote on all matters; of course, cake will be served, breakfast-lunch-dinner! but no such common sense lessons are taught by those counting on mandated profits from cake sales!

Robert:
I actually respect those who do not vote because they are not informed or they are not fiscally responsible for the outcome.

I also respect those who do not vote because they hold allegiance to another kingdom.

i agree. interesting (to me) how those who hold allegiance to another kingdom appear to be more knowledgable about both the politics, and the fiscal responsibility! so, they are not "not-voting" in ignorance.

most often, when i did not vote, it was because i did not feel adequately informed, and, i believe MANY are in this boat.

thus, i feel "rounding up herds" of voters, changing laws to include ignorant voters based on "free stuff," is so low, i don't know how the herders live with themselves.

but, they do, proudly counting votes of people they actually deplore and wouldn't be seen in public or private with, outside the exchange of a vote.

[EdselB]

Here is a sermon that was preached yesterday on this topic.


Also a debate that was held this past weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/Followers-of-t ... S_TIMELINE
Does anyone know whether this Josh Good has any Menno background?

At the risk of touting my own horn, here is a sermon I preached last July in a similar vein.

http://shippensburgchristianfellowship. ... mon_id=500

No doubt Reinhold Niebuhr would have enjoyed the irony of how Niebuhrian some "Anabaptists" have become in the present situation.

[Dan Z]

I'm glad for the exhortation out there.

In some ways, as unappealing as both candidates are this year to plain sensibilities (excepting some Amish), perhaps this is the year to preach the message of abstention and be heard. It will be a much harder sell when a truly appealing candidate comes along...although an important message nevertheless.

[Wayne in Maine]

If you don't pray you have no right to complain.

[RZehr]

If you don't pray you have no right to complain.