Can Christians Vote Democrat?

POLITICS. Is there anything more divisive today? There’s an ongoing unwritten rule in the workplace that co-workers aren’t to discuss religion or politics. For the longest time, I felt it was silly, but that was back during a different time. It was a time when you wouldn’t know one’s political party unless you asked. It was a time when both parties had merit, and one’s affiliation had more to do with their priorities for the economy than it did their worldview. They truly were simpler times. Politics merely aligned with one’s beliefs instead of being the bedrock of one’s worldview.

But what about today? It’s quite obvious this is no longer the case. Based on my observation, the rise of identity politics occurred around the time of President Obama. It was during this time that we began to see the race war gain traction, and intersectionality became theory put into practice. The news was filled with people making the bold claim that they cast their vote with the primary purpose being to make history: the first black president! While it’s always exciting to see history in the making, there are some things that are more important. For instance, I would assert having strong policy is far more important than adding a notch in the timeline. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop with making history. With President Obama also came the proliferation of socialist tactics. Bernie Sanders became more popular among younger Democrats, the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare) was created, and churches started catering to what has been dubbed the Woke movement. Instead of using politics to strengthen our economy, it was used to promote a victimhood mentality and divided the nation into “us against them.” It didn’t take long to realize identity politics was here to stay, and it was only going to get worse.

Unfortunately, by the time Obama left office, there had been eight years of brainwashing. By the time President Trump was in office, the stage had already been set. Political warfare was the new norm. While it would be easy to say it was all one-sided, that would be a lie. The Left went after Trump like a rabid dog, but Trump also engaged in Twitter warfare with the Left. It just wasn’t a good sign for the nation. Cities burned in “mostly peaceful protest” (a term I still find to be both hilarious and sad), sections of communities were blocked off and declared to be sovereign, and families began to reject one another simply for holding to a different belief. Neither side was innocent, but does that mean both sides were equal?

This brings me to the title of this article: Can Christians Vote Democrat? Of course, the companion question must also be asked: If you are a Christian, must you vote Republican? While both questions are clearly based on an underlying one, I hope to answer both questions as honestly as one can given the nature of them. Before we can hope to get an honest answer, we need to look at what the implications of each question entail.

Some have argued the Republican party is too focused on the economy instead of social issues. The typical claim is that society is comprised of people, and people must have precedence over all else. On the surface, this sounds noble. However, that doesn’t mean the Republican party is entirely apathetic toward the people. It just means the two parties have differing opinions of what it means to help the people. I think of the old saying that you can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, but to teach a man to fish will feed him for a lifetime. Of course, that’s not to say the Republican party is without fault. Perhaps there are people within the party who truly do view the poor and needy as being beneath them, and their policies are created without the best interests of all in mind. I would say this is likely the case for any politician or legislator. After all, there’s a reason they enter public service but somehow become wealthy as a result. There isn’t a poor politician in office. If one disagrees with the Republican party or any candidate being propped up, it stands to reason one should be able to withhold voting against their conscience. I can’t argue that fact in and of itself.

But what of the Democrat party? In recent years, it’s gone from being moderately liberal to being further left leaning to being outright Progressive (that is more like regressive). Look no further than the current Harris/Walz ticket. In the span of roughly 15 years, the party has shifted to openly embrace homosexuality, transgenderism, mixed gender sports, gender neutral bathrooms, drag queen story time, public festivals of carnal sexuality, the killing of innocent humans in the womb, and more. One could argue their attempts to pack the courts, strip people of their Second Amendment rights, and mandating of pharmaceutical jabs in order to keep your job is also immoral. Years ago, John MacArthur had a sermon series titled The Campaign for Immorality, where he spoke about some of the immoral principles upon which the Democrat party used as their platform. It has only gotten worse since he preached those powerful sermons. Even certain Democrats have since begun speaking out against the party, and some have even jumped ship altogether. Moderate Democrats are now silenced and devoured by their own party merely for not being progressive enough and daring to stand up to it.

While I can’t comfortably say all Christians must vote Republican, I also can’t possibly conceive how a Christian could vote Democrat without being in violation of their own Christian faith. This isn’t a matter of identity politics merging with Christendom. This is a matter of identity politics becoming a matter of worldviews, and the Democrat progressive worldview of immorality is at odds with Christianity. There is no way to reconcile the Christian worldview with support for a candidate that promotes killing God’s children, mocking Christianity, and upending God’s natural order. Simply put, Christians have a calling to be opposed to such things. How can one cast a vote of support for that which he must oppose? If you are a Christian who is contemplating voting blue in this election, you must ask yourself how your vote is going to give support to these things even if you don’t personally agree with them. Are you merely giving lip service, or do your actions match your speech?

If you can’t vote blue, does that mean you must vote for Trump? After all, he has his own share of what would appear to be unrepentant sin. By his own words, he supports exceptions to abortion in cases of rape and incest. I could go on, but I feel the point is clear. Trump is a sinner. Of course, we’re all sinners. Only one person has ever lived a sinless life, and that man is Jesus Christ. I don’t say that to excuse Trump’s sin but to make a statement of fact. While Trump is a sinner, I would argue it’s not a direct comparison when looking at the Democrat party. Trump may fail in various areas of moral standards, but he isn’t attempting to push it as virtuous. Democrats are using their immorality as their platform and are attempting to make it the standard backed by policy. Therein lies the difference.

While voting for Trump is purely a matter of conscience, all matters of conscience should ensure the full picture is being considered. My personal position is one that looks at the reality of the situation. Democrats tend to stand unified under the slogan, “Vote Blue No Matter Who!” I’m convinced this is why the exit polls in the last presidential election showed the vast majority of Biden voters admitted they voted against Trump rather than for Biden. We see how well voting for a “not someone” has worked out over the last four years. Wickedness is now promoted from the highest office in America. Again, I look at the reality of the situation. In reality, for better or worse, we live in a two-party system. In this election, there are only two electable candidates: Trump and Harris. Any abstaining of voting or a vote for a third-party candidate will only lead to a split vote outcome, and a split vote will only contribute to ensuring immorality is ushered into office. In an attempt to abstain from voting for either candidate, such a person is utilizing passivity, even if unintentionally, to ensure immorality reigns. Personally, that’s something my own conscience won’t allow of me. You may call me a pragmatist, but like I said, I live in reality.

~Travis W. Rogers