The other day I told some members of my wife’s family that (1) I was not voting this year, and (2) that I actually hoped Democrats remain in power. They almost passed out because they see me as fairly political over the past few years, and I’m very opinionated about liberty and peace, not to mention ethics and Christian morals. So it will likely come as a surprise that I’m not going to vote. The fact of the matter is, I’ve been convinced slowly over the past three years that my voting is inconsequential.
I recently read this article interviewing economist Doug Casey on why he doesn’t vote for ethical reasons. It’s takes about ten minutes to read, but it accurately sums up why I don’t feel voting is “my thing.” Furthermore, from a Christian perspective, issues of justice and peace ought to be at the forefront of our hearts, minds, and actions. But beyond the most local of levels, voting is capitulation to and participation in a wholly corrupt system. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil.
I regret voting for John McCain because he really didn’t represent me, nor was he a candidate that much different from Barack Obama. I reluctantly voted for him (in part due to my fascination with Sarah Palin… which now has passed), though in retrospect I wish I hadn’t because at least my conscience would be clear. But both were and are big-government progressives who are more about bigger government than they were about freedom.
I am proud to have the opportunity to vote. I am proud of America. I believe America is great, not because of the government but in spite of it. Americans love freedom, they work hard, and the make things. But voting in and of itself is only one manifestation of how we can affect change. I simply don’t believe it is as valuable as other methods. It’s not wrong to vote; it’s just not for me.
The entrepreneur that creates and accumulates wealth is a far greater force for progress than his votes could accomplish. The business that creates jobs and uses the excess to give more (not “give back” which makes no sense) to the community by way of charity does more than the votes of its CEOs would. The family that lives frugally and lives within its means does more for the economy than a politician does. And the Church members who dedicate all of their energies away from politics and instead toward serving others do more to advance the gospel than their collective vote. The toil of voting seems much less rewarding than wisely preserving and stewarding the resources we have been blessed with.
But on the other hand, I am voting. I am voting against both candidates. In abstinence I am choosing to endorse neither party nor either’s direction for America. In many ways I’m doing what Church members who vote “no” for a pastoral candidate are doing. I’m dealing with three options (yes, there are more than two options!). Another analogy might be the debate about which is the best “safe sex” method (for non-married people). Abstinence is the forgotten “candidate.”
As a Christian I believe strongly that the gospel is “social.” That is, salvation is not merely personal but communal, and we are called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). It’s a very important feature of Christianity. So if I vote it ought to be out of a sense of purpose, not a “hope it works” kind of way. So my choice not to vote isn’t glib or throwing my hands in the air in despair or frustration. My vote to not vote is a strong stance against warfare and against welfare, and against the parties that endorse either or both. It is a refusal to participate in a culture of corruption.
The second point—while bizarre on the one hand—should make the most sense to any of us on the pro-liberty side of politics. The fact of the matter is that most people don’t think through the ramifications of who they approve of being in power. They don’t think how deficits, high taxes for the wealthy, and “free health care” really affect their lives. My take is: they need to. And if that means for eight years Obama and the Democrats get everything they want, the laundry will stink at the end and liberty will be embraced. Besides, Republicans won’t change much in Washington anyway, since they have grown government more than Clinton and Carter (two Democrats rather despised by conservative). So the country needs to know what it is getting itself into, and this slow trickle into fascism doesn’t alarm anybody. It needs to. So I say to the so-called Progressives, “have at it!”
Liberty will win in the end. Voting isn’t the only way that happens. If you question me in person with various arguments, I probably won’t always have a rock solid rebuttal. But I feel no less convinced that voting isn’t the only way to make change happen. A phrase Obama used in his own campaign in 2008 was “we are the people we’ve been waiting for.” Unfortunately, voting is an act that negates such an attitude toward social change.
Doug Stuart is a committed follower of Jesus and passionate about building for the Kingdom of God through education and mobilization. He is a regular writer at LibertarianChristians.com as well as the founder of Living Loud.
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