gcdonner wrote:Jess77 wrote:Yes we should definitely be praying for this nation first and foremost. Yes our citizenship is in the Kingdom and the Kingdom should be our main focus. However, we cannot overlook that Paul, not once, but twice, used his Roman citizenship to advance the Kingdom. If all Christians do is pray and nothing else, they are missing out on the opportunity God has given us to insure Christians in this country continue to have the freedom to build the Kingdom. The underground Christians in China and the persecuted church of the Middle East who are being beheaded and exterminated for their faith do not have that freedom. Persecution will come to this nation eventually, but we do not need to unlock our doors and give it the key to our cars. That is exactly what happens when we do not use our God-given wisdom to vote to protect the church.
"All we do is pray"...? I guess you don't believe in the power of prayer?
Prayer is more powerful than any vote EVER was.
Prayer should be our first resource, not a last resort.
george, i agree with your point.
there is a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln that brings this to mind, each time i read it:
“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”
― Abraham Lincoln
i hope MN will include a prayer category. so much can be effectively shared in prayer (as was demonstrated over+over in MD's prayer "corner.")
Lincoln had this part right, our own human wisdom is insufficient. (complete sentence.)
Jess,
so glad to see you on MN (or anywhere!)
my reasoning is similar to yours .. i view elections (in a country that is structured on them) as a tool, similar to carpenters' tools. when the barn roof is in need of repair, most believe in the wisdom of repairing it, few leave the roof for God's hand, or leave it for their chosen kingdom in heaven.
as well, in this thread, emphasis is put on respecting government. but, is it respectful to refuse votes when that very government is structured to be dependent on votes of citizenry? i continue to be unsettled about these matters.
clearly, i understand the fail some have regarding making a false god out of government! so wrong!
but, humans make false gods out of everything! terribly so. for instance, money.
money, of itself is not "unclean." the love of money is a terrible fail.
i do mourn the terrible turn, esp since the 1960's, toward people seeking after government as a false god! it's now extreme. people don't seem to put 2+2 together, that more government = more problems, not vice versa. that's part of the seduction and hopelessness false gods are known for. they can't offer more! not possible.
i could not vote for a party that embraces murder-for-profit and generalized sin as a party platform. to me, this "single script" trend has taken on a cult aspect that is no longer a threat, but a promise.
not long ago, on MD, lesterb shared his view (with me) on this. i have been thinking about it a lot, i'm sorry not to be able to go back to revisit it. lester, if you see this and recall, i would so appreciate it if you would share it again.
i guess, for me, as long as we're going to repair barn roofs on earth, this will be (my) stumbling block.
i think of Boaz (i have no idea if he voted.) but, he demonstrated the responsibilities of both living on earth, and, worshiping God as center of his life+faith. Boaz did both, very well.
would Jesus have told Boaz to leave everything to follow Him?
i think He would! He did!
but, to me, that means leaving the field work and workers, barn, family, et al., to go.
if we're not going to leave all of it, does choosing one exception matter (to Jesus?)
my personal, inadequate view is, each must do what they are called to do.
i am not suggesting anyone vote who does not choose to.
i have not voted in most elections in my life. according to stats, the majority of people do not vote. however, most do not vote due to faith convictions. faith convictions represent a special group of non-voters. that's what i am trying to learn about with my Anabaptist friends. so far, i stumble.